in the panorama of recent decades a rich
variety of dance movement has evolved as
contemporary dance is the achievement of
lifetimes of exploration by innovators
among whom Martha Graham stands at the
fore in early works Graham sought to
strict movement to its bone her incisive
approach to dance required that movement
be as immediate and necessary as breath
itself that it pulse alive and vibrant
as the movement from life that she
wished to synthesize she tapped into the
vast resources of the human body to
build a visual language which continues
to speak to us through her dances and in
the work of other dancers and dance
makers Phyllis Kurt Elias took the first
step of many when she began as a student
in Graham school of contemporary dance
her progress from Company member to the
performance of Graham's roles was under
Grahams direction today she directs a
rehearsal of her own work which is part
of a broader program to introduce
advanced ballet students to contemporary
dance
gute Elias incorporates the movement
vocabulary and principles developed by
Graham in her dances and in the
framework of classes designed to prepare
the dancers for their work in rehearsal
and performance the exercises in this
videotape combined with the floor
exercises shown in tape one to complete
the course of training developed by
Goethe leus it is critical to the work
at all levels to relate the movements of
the torso developed in the floor
exercises to move the standing dancers
into space the structure and content of
the six segments of the floor work have
a counterpart in the standing work deep
centered movement in parallel position
renews the focus on the core of the body
small brushes and demi-plie x' stretch
and articulate the legs and feet as the
dancers increase their awareness of
changes in torso the lift and support by
the stomach
and lower back muscles freeze the hips
for increased rotation in changes from
parallel to first and second each weight
shift establishes contact with the floor
the dancers press the feet down into the
floor as they lift up through the hips
and torso against the pull of gravity in
part two the movement of breath extends
the depth of the plie and supports the
rebound up from plie the positive
tension of breath produces a flowing
movement quality and develops awareness
of a central line through the core the
body the guidelines for placement
established in floor work are developed
for the erect torso the centerline from
the base of the throat through to the
base of the spine extends downwards over
the instep of the standing foot
stretch off-center the dancer lengthens
forward from the break of the legs
maintaining the plumb line that relates
the upper and lower torso the same key
points are applied for the body in curve
the dancer pulls up from the floor
through the soles of the feet
Phi's hips and stomach as the ribs in
chest fold back against the spine the
attention on the pulse of breath through
the dancers Center develops as the
dancer moves through changes from curve
to straight and into off-center curves
as the students advance greater strength
increases the power to lift and support
movement as balance develops part three
the figure of eight the figure eight
image recurs in lessons at all levels
the first group develops the primary
elements in exercises that begin in
profile with the body in curve the
contraction presses back and centers the
weight over the back leg the front hip
begins the spiral as the hip and
shoulder rotate to the front the spine
coils back around the axis of the back
leg the rotating hip shoulder and leg
finish coiled in opposition to the back
leg inside the dancers lift and brace
against the back leg as they stretch
around Center for maximum turnout in
third fourth and fifth position in
spiral movement it's essential to
emphasize that the support of the
stomach and lower back lifts the hips to
the perpendicular and keeps the upper
torso correctly aligned over the hips
small brushes and ankle changes at
different degrees develop the use of
opposition coordination and a sense of
the shifting weight as the students
articulate and stretch the feet and legs
they are also developing the potential
for spiral turns later in the class part
4 in this
the students intensify the stretch
between the legs in brushes that travel
in space they focus on the effects of
gravity as they learn to control the
momentum of their shifting weight terms
are introduced initiated from the
momentum of contractions or the recoil
into and out of spiral part five
combinations of the center or bar
include spiral turns and off-center
contractions and stretches the torso and
legs move at full pitch with leg
extensions and brushes at full height
the dancers lift against gravity and
learn to support and control their
falling weight with extension and
strength built up in the primary
exercises on the floor and at the center
the discovery in part six is that the
powerful traveling movement and high
jumps is to be found in the simplicity
of walking the students learn to use the
floor as a purchase to project
themselves into space the focus in
walking as a dancer involves three
primary elements one the motive power is
in the standing leg which pushes against
the floor to propel the dancer to the
control and balance centers in the hips
with support from the stomach and lower
back three the reach of the extending
leg to carry the dancer to the limits of
physicality the result when the three
elements interact depends on different
catalysts a contraction can initiate a
change in direction or suspend the
dancer in a hover that sweeps across the
floor Group one begins with slow walks
that develop speed and momentum until
they propel the dancers into the air
group two runs into triplets and triplet
leaps low to the floor or at maximum
group three uses spiral and contraction
in combinations that change direction or
levels in space
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