Physically,
mentally, and spiritually, there are many things that I take away from
taking this course this semester. Before attending this class, I thought
this course was going to be about doing stretches and simple yoga
movements for those who are not professional dancers. However, I learned
so much in class that it changed my conception of my own body. I have
never been a dancer in my life nor confident about making creative
movements, but now I think I have learned how to utilize my body parts
as a performer who performs on stage. I have gained confidence in taking
care of my body, using my body in whatever I do on stage, and listening
to my body. I realized that my body is my own instrument and it needs
to be practiced every day, just like how professional dancers take care
of their bodies. I have also gained spatial awareness. By practicing how
to get used to my own kinesphere in class, I feel more confident moving
freely on stage without feeling awkward when I am performing with
people in a limited space. Additionally, I learned that I need to listen
to my body more. This means being aware of my body parts, focusing, and
concentrating when I make certain movements.
I learned that making movements and
dancing is not just about moving my body parts, but it requires
philosophy and inspiration, just like creating music or art. For me, it
comes to the conclusion that body movements require a lot of mental
strength, and feeling comfortable using my body as an instrument can be
achieved by utilizing my body every day and being aware of my own body
in everyday life. This realization made me take this course more
seriously, and it motivated me to enjoy this class. Additionally, my
colleagues inspired me a lot in class. I strongly recommend this class
to musicians because maintaining a healthy body and being able to listen
to one's own body are essential for musicians, given that we use our
bodies every day to play instruments and to perform.
I
have started exercising a little bit every day and incorporating
stretching into my routine. While this may not seem like a significant
change, taking this course has taught me how to listen to my body. Thus,
I've decided to make a commitment to daily workouts and exercise, and I
hope this habit can be a lasting one. My voice teacher mentioned that
many great classical singers in the past were yoga gurus, with some
taking yoga very seriously. Initially, I didn't understand the
connection between yoga and singing. However, after taking this course, I
realize that being aware of my body is crucial. To perform well on
stage vocally and move around freely, conveying my emotions successfully
to the audience, I plan to practice being aware of my kinesphere every
day.
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This course traveled through a
transformative exploration of dance as a conduit for emotional
expression, guiding us beyond the confines of our comfort zones. Each
lesson challenged me and my peers to collaborate and communicate with
each other, breaking barriers that restrained our physical and emotional
growth. Through movement, I was able to test limits and acknowledge the
interconnectedness of physical and emotional boundaries by exploring
concepts such as "kinesphere" and "inside-out dancing." Ridding the
restrictions suppressing my freedom and creativity became a key
takeaway, promoting an environment of autonomy and clarity. Another
takeaway from this experience was realizing our bodies are more than
mere vessels; they are agents for storytelling and profound expression.
Additionally, we explored the vital significance of mindfulness and
bringing awareness to our body's intricate mechanisms, as well as how we
can use them during a performance and in our everyday lives.
This course was a complete game-changer for me. It was like a
breath of fresh air every time I stepped into it. I felt liberated—like
chains were breaking off, allowing me to be myself. This fantastic
clarity of mind settled in when I explored my creativity through
movement. It was more than just dancing; I found peace with both my body
and mind. Every class became this incredible jump-start to my day—I'd
walk out feeling like I could conquer whatever I needed to do that day.
Being in this course made me feel empowered and safe. It was this
supportive environment where expressing myself felt natural and free. I
was surrounded by nothing but acceptance and encouragement, which fueled
this surge of creativity I didn't know I had.
There are several ways in which I can apply what I learned from
this course to my everyday life. One is implementing extra daily
techniques and ensuring my body stays active and adequately conditioned.
This essential skill will allow me to have physical and mental energy
throughout the day. Another critical understanding I can apply to my
field is recognizing the connections between body and emotional
expression, as they are both intricately related. This concept also
applies to me, as I can continue to use movement to explore my
creativity and embrace self-expression. In addition, I will integrate
mindfulness practices into my routine, whether it's through meditation,
yoga, or just taking a moment to breathe deeply. I will continue to
foster an empowering, encouraging, and supportive environment for myself
and those around me wherever I go. Lastly, I will continue to use dance
when I am feeling tense or overwhelmed and incorporate aspects of this
course into my professional development as a music therapist.
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Out of my comfort zone
Jingen Chen
In this class, there are
many take-a ways for me. The breath is important factor that influences our
movement. When I exhale, breathing makes me move forward more quickly, which
contributes on fluidity of movement. Moreover, doing some slow movement could
help me train my breath connectivity. Furthermore, I have a concept of
kinesphere when dancing, which assists me how to set my movement in different
direction, levels, space size, and enhance my performance skills. In the meanwhile,
in order to make the audience engage with our movement, we could combine slow and
fast speed when we dance.
There is no doubt that
this class not only taught me how to dance, but also gave me another concept of
performing, which I enjoy! Firstly, I am grateful that all the colleagues
are so supportive, which made me more quickly engaged in the class. Besides, the
class makes me realize how important cooperation is. For instance, I
enjoyed the ensemble session, the final work was created by everyone’s ideas. I
couldn’t believe that we could produce a nice work with story-line after several
rehearsals. It’s was such a fun experience for me. In addition, I’m proud of
myself that I could create a solo-work by myself and perform in front of
an audience, which is my first dancing experience. It gave me encouragement and
confidence, because I could go out of my comfort zone.
After taking this class, I feel the breathing
is useful not only for dancing but also could be associated with my music
making as well. For instance, it’s a happy accident that I need to work chamber
music with other instrumentalists this semester. Thus, breathing is also
incredibly important while I am playing with other musicians. In chamber music,
as a pianist, for example, the breath can actually not only guide the other
musicians, but also can help cue them as to where to play and where a phrase
ends. Moreover, breathing also help me set the phrase when playing solo. For
example, before I enter a complicated section we should take the time to take a
deep breath, which will enhance my performance and help to settle my nerves.
Over time and with experience I will learn
to calm my nerves and become more comfortable while playing. Besides, every
time I will feel more energetic after taking the class.
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I have to free-up my body
The most important aspect of this
course for me was using my body in new ways. I always liked sports and I
feel like I am aware of my movements, but I realized how much more
there is yet to discover. Experimenting with directions, levels of
movements, new, unconventional ideas, connecting my feelings to my body,
it was all a discovery for me. I remembered especially the tai-chi
introduction, dancing with the scarfs, learning about the inside-out
dancer, the group dancing and singing "ritual". I learnt that what I do
with my body could influence how I think and feel, as well as how freely
I express myself, and that I should train that ability throughout my
life.
First of all, I felt like the course is a space for discovery. I was
sure that everyone in the class felt free to express and make new
movements and did not feel judged for it. Having my classmates go
through the same experiences was helpful, I could talk to them about
their own experience and observe their process of learning. Taking part
in this course was also a great change from usual academic classes and I
enjoyed not only discussing the theory of a subject, but more
importantly focusing on going through an experience and learning on your
own. I think it is important to put an effort into this class to get
the best possible learning experience, a lot depends on a student.
As musicians, we use both our minds and bodies to express in front of
an audience. Finding the right balance between body language and
intellectual content is really important and lack of any of these
aspects in noticeable from the audience's point of view. This class was
helpful for me to get more aware of my body expression, as I am usually a
calm, steady person. During the semester I had multiple chances to try
some of these techniques on stage, as I am performing piano solo
recitals every month. Using some of the techniques as a warm up helped
me 'open up' before coming to stage and I definitely felt a difference
while performing - I was more focused on my expression and I felt like I
was more successful in communicating it with the audience.
I was also
aware that I have to free-up my body in order to fully transmit my ideas
to the public. Even coming back to 'experimenting' in the class mentally
helped me to immediately reconnect with myself. I am sure I will keep
experimenting with these ideas further, I think that this class in an
excellent learning opportunity for classical musicians, as we often
spend to much time sitting in front of instruments or desks and forget
how to use our bodies! Thank you so much for introducing these aspects
to me during this last semester! It was a great and valuable
experience.
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Take ownership over the stage
One of the biggest take-a ways I have
gotten from this course is the importance of movement in my everyday
life. Of course, everyone knows you should exercise often and try to
move at least a bit every day, but this course showed me the importance
of our extra daily movements. I have noticed an improvement in my
flexibility, posture, and energy, both in exercise and in my energy
throughout the day. I have incorporated some of the extra daily
techniques we warm up with in class into my practice routines and I have
really enjoyed the freedom and expressiveness it has given me in my
body. Another aspect of the extra daily techniques and warm ups we did
that was very helpful for me was the isolation of parts of our bodies and
moving from those points. I feel as though I am more connected with
each part of my body and can be more specific with motion.
I was so excited to taken this course when it was recommended to me
back in April and I am even more pleased now that I have come to the end
of it. I think one of the best parts of this course was the unspoken
rule (perhaps it was even spoken and I do not recall it) that we are all
here to try something new and will not judge each other for attempting
something new. As an already very self-aware person, I was a bit worried
that I might feel weird trying to dance and move in free ways in front
of a bunch of people I did not know. But our class was always a
supportive and experimental environment that it felt okay and free to
take chances and try new ways of moving without feeling like I was being
judged by my peers. I am actually a little bit surprised at how little I
had to fight embarrassment or uncomfortability in this course. I felt
at ease almost immediately; any judgement I felt through out the course
only came from myself, which I am also glad that we were discouraged
from watching ourselves in the mirror so much! Even as time has passed,
my internal judgement of my movements has lessened as well.
This course is incredibly applicable to my field of study with vocal
performance. One of the biggest hurdles I encounter is stage presence
take ownership over the stage and this course has helped me immensely. I
did not even realize that part of my problem with feeling strength on
stage was that I was not using energy in my body to feel grounded. I
remember having a section of class one day talking about growing roots
out of your feet and your feet stretching against the ground while your
head was being held by a string and falling into place. I think about
this imagery constantly and it has helped me feel strength in my singing
much more than just trying to "be more present". This course has really
given me freedom in my limbs and body in more specific ways for
expressive gesture as well, as I stated previously. I sometimes feel
like I have no idea what to do with my arms while singing so I end up
keeping them flat at my sides, but I feel the energy through my arms so
nicely now that I am able to use gesture at any impulse without it being
stiff or unrealistic. This course has been a huge learning experience
for me and I am so excited to be able to take it again in the future.
Thank you very much for all the work you put in for us to have such an
amazing class!
9
Self-exploration and creative liberation
I love this class because it has
been a revelation in understanding the symbiotic relationship between
movement and emotional expression. It taught me that dance is not merely
a physical activity but a powerful means of storytelling and
self-discovery. This experience has reshaped my perception of the human
body, not just as a functional entity but as a dynamic instrument of
expression and narrative. Furthermore, the course has instilled in me a
deeper awareness of mindfulness and the importance of being attuned to
the subtleties of bodily movements and their impact on our overall
well-being.
Participating in this class has been an exhilarating journey of
self-exploration and creative liberation. Each class was an opportunity
to break free from the shackles of convention and delve into the realms
of uninhibited expression. The supportive and non-judgmental environment
fostered a sense of safety and belonging, enabling me to experiment
with movements and express myself freely. It was a space where
creativity was nurtured, and personal growth was celebrated. The
experience of exploring dance in such a nurturing environment was not
just uplifting but also transformative, allowing me to connect with my
inner self and discover a creative side I wasn't aware of before.
The insights from this course are immensely applicable to my
professional field, especially in the context of music therapy. The
interplay between movement and emotional expression, as explored in the
course, can significantly enhance therapeutic practices. Additionally,
the mindfulness and bodily awareness techniques learned in the course
will be instrumental in creating a more holistic and empathetic
therapeutic environment. This will not only aid in my personal
development as a musician but also enrich the experience for those I
work with, allowing for a more nuanced and impactful approach to healing
through music and movement.
10
The first thing is that I learned
how to relax my body. I know it's might be a small thing, but every
class, when we were doing the preparation before dancing, I really felt
comfortable and relaxed. I especially felt relaxed in the hips area. Some of the classes
working in a group or with two persons really impressed me. Specifically, the class using
bands to stretch, and the class in which one person touched random parts of the
other people really impressed me. These methods really helped me feel the power of dance and
make me more familiar with my body. The last thing is that this
class helped me get up early, so I didn't waste my morning time, although
getting up was hard for me.
At first, It's not quite clear for me to know what I need to do
during the class, perhaps because I missed some classes in the
beginning. But gradually, I felt like I loved dance more than before. And I
also feel that dance and music have a lot of similarities. I used to
be afraid to dance because it's often hard for me to remember movements and
my balance is bad. But when I found the connection between music
and dance, it seemed not that hard for me to dance. The classes
helped me to know more about my body and how to better use my body. So I
started to enjoy dancing. Thank you for bringing this really wonderful
class to me.
First, the stretching actions will help me a lot. After a long day
practicing, I really need to relax my shoulder, arm and waist. And also,
there's a lot connection between dance and music. They are all
performing arts and need to add performers' thoughts during
performances. So I think it helps a lot for me to build my story in
the music field.
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