Garcia1

JesseGarcia
EricaWomack
IntroToModernDance
24April2012
Reflection#1
ModernDancehasrepresentedthemanyviewpointsandmovementconceptsofeach
oftheseveraldancersorchoreographers,suchasMarthaGraham,DorisHumphrey,orof
MaryWigman.Ifthetermmoderndanceweretobedefinedbyanyoneinsocietytoday,it
shouldbebroadenoughtoincludeeverydiverseapproachesexistingnowandlikelytoexist
inthefuture.Insteadofhavingaconcisedefinitionofwhatmoderndanceis.

IfIweretodescribemoderndancetoanyone,IwouldsaythatModernDanceisaway
toexpressemotion,compassion,strengththroughaseriesofmovements,itsawayoflife.Its
anewexperience,abreedofdancewithacategoryofitsown,itsdifferentyes,itsnotlike
balletoranytraditionalstyles.Itsadancersowninterpretationsinsteadofstructuredsteps,
yougettoflowtoyourownfreestyledmotions.itsastylethatstandsoutonitsown,itsfun,
energetic,strange,buthascomealongwaytobewhatisistoday.

ThethingsthathassurprisedmeisthatIwastheonlyguyintheroominthe
beginning,andthatIhavemadefriendswitheveryonethathasbeeninthestyle.Thestyle,
thepeople,evenmyselfhavefoundmyselfusingmoderndanceindifferentdailyroutines,
basedonthefactthatmostofmyfamilyaredancers,andIendedupbeinganathlete,martial
artist,amusician,andalsoafreestyledancercreatingdifferentmoves.Itschangedwhoand
whatmystructurewas.

MybodyhaschangedverymuchbasedonthatIamveryflexibleandmostofthe
movesareagreatworkanddance,Icanflowwithorwithoutmotion,andcanexpressmyself
Inmyownway,whetheritsdancing,talking,dancing,ordoingotherthings.Mysuccesses
havebeenhavingagreatandinspiringinstructor,meetingmorepeopleandobtaining
confidenceindance.Imaybequiteatcertaintimesandstandinthebackwithmyarmsfolded
whichcanbeastruggle.butIdotheimpossible.

Garcia2

Bodyalignmentisimportantforyourphysicalhealthandstrengthaswellasbalance
andagilityindance.

Havinggoodbalanceisofofthemostimmediateeffectsofproperbodyalignment.you
mustlearntobalanceinmanyunnaturalpositions.tolearnhowtobalanceontheballofone
foot,youmustalignyourbodyneatlyoverthatfootyou'rebalancingon.Balanceistaughtby
stackingpartsoftheirownbodydirectlyoverthepointofbalance.onebodypartisslightlyout
ofalignmentwillthrowyoucompletelyofbalanceandcancauseyoutofalloutofposition.

Thedancer'sbodyexperiencesmorewearandtearthantheaveragebody,it
becomesagreatresponsibilitytotakecareof.holdingaproperalignmentandusingagood
postureisimportantaswalkingdownthestreetasitisdoingapirouette.alignmentwillhelp
keepunwantedstressofmusclesandjoints.thisstressiscausedbymovingoutofalignment
andcancausemusclefatigueandinjury.

Usingproperbodyalignmentwillimproveyourdancingfromtheinsideoutandoutside
in,whichwillmakeyouappearmoreconfidentandgracefulindancing,andyouwillfeelthe
sameway.withamoveassimpleaswalkingonstageorinfrontofacrowd,properalignment
willallowyoutohaveastrongandcommandingpresence.whatIexperiencedandanalyzed
aboutmyownbodyalignmentisthatIcanadaptandperformeverymovethatispresented,
moreconfidentwithastrongpresenceandconfidencewithoutputtingstressonmyownbody.

Garcia3

JesseGarcia
EricaWomack
IntroToModernDance
15March2015
Reflection#2

SociallyconstructedisanIdeathatisdevelopedbysocietyasaperceptionfromdifferent
culturesandsocialbackgrounds.

Ballet

Thesocialbodyisconstructedasalanguage,apersonthatistellingastoryoftwo
loversthroughthemovementofdance.asseeninthevideoAngelCorellaisseenastheman
whofallsforPalomaHerreraabeautifulwomanwhomhefallsinlovewithastheydance
together,whenPalomaleavesAngelbeginshissoloinwhichheisenergeticjumpingaround
doingtricks,hehasjustwontheheartofPalomaandishappy,Joyful,fearlessincelebrating
hisvictory.

AsheleavesPalomawalksoutandstartstoskipandflutterherfanthatshejustfell
forAngelandisexcitedandhappy,meaningthatshehasfoundtheone.Itseemsthattheyre
havingadancebattleandPalomajustwon,andAngelJustgotServed.Thevideoisof
Romanticballetwhichisasocial,andpolitical.basedonthecostumesitisseenastheyare
frompowerfulfamilies.

Garcia4

ContactImprovisation

Inthevideoitisinterpretedasholdingsomeone,flowingwitheachothersmovements
indifferentways,BlakeNellis&Brandomoveliketheycan'tmovewithouteachother,thatis
oneleavestheresnomovementorharmonytheyfalltotheground.Youcarryme,Icarryyou,
justflowingthroughthemovementswithoutaroutineorpracticejustdifferentmovements
usingeachothersbodiesrollingandmovingoneachother.liketheresnoescapefromreality
butwhatisrealityifyouarecontrolled,flowingwitheachbodymovementsbeingcarriedand
throwntothegroundtogetbackupagainwithanattackbutmissing.

Contactimprov,thebodythatisbeingcommunicatedisthatmenwithmen,women
withwomen,andmaleandfemalecandancewitheachotherwithoutbeingcriticized.the
bodythatisbeingconstructedisagenderless,free,spiritualbodyandmind.dancecanbea
political,andsocialwithmanyramificationsforapurposeandreason.Thereisnobarrier
betweendancers,Inballetthemanisshowntohavepower,strengthandcontrolofthe
femalewhoisseenasapredominantrole.Incontactimprov2mencanmoveasamananda
womanbutisdoesn'tmatter.

Thisbodyisconstructedthroughdanceandthedifferentnaturesofdifferentpeople
andcultures.Ithasitsramificationsbydifferentviewssuchasamanandmandancing
togetherisseenastheyareloversormorethanlovers,thatthefemaleisasexualobjectto
beplayedwith,itisinterpretedbydifferentsocialpurposessuchasreligion,ritual,ortoshow
power.

ThetypeofbodythathasbeenconstructedIsasocialbodythathasdifferentpeople
fromdifferentracesandculturesbecomingonemindandonebodyofdifferentstylesand
genderlessthatispassionateineachmovementasawayoflifefullofenergy,andnotafraid
toshowwhattheycandoorcommit,eachpersonhastheirownwayofdescribingitfrom
differentpeople.

Garcia5

Theeconomicimplicationsisthatballetisanexpensivedancetolearnbasedonthe
techniqueandyearsittakestobegoodatwiththecostofthelessons,costume,and
technique.mostdanceshavetheirimplications.therearedancesthatareonlyforreligious
purposesandpoliticalwhichinmostcountriesmenareprohibitedtodance.

Idontnecessarilyrelate,topolitics.ButinsomepointsIcanrelate,Ienjoytodance
differentstyles,ImfearlessitswhoIamasamartialartist,fighter,andadancer.Basedonmy
danceexperiencesit'simportanttohaveagoodpostureandtostretchtopreventinjury,butin
otherdancessuchascumbia,bachata,merengue,salsa,Country,Breakdancing,capoeira
(martialarts).

Garcia6

JesseGarcia
EricaWomack
IntroToModernDance
28April2015
Reflection#3

TheArts

Artisthemostimportantinoursociety.Isaythisbecauseartinspiresusit
encouragesustoexploretheworldandourownselvesit'slikebackgroundmusicfor
thisexpressionalandmeaningfuldanceoflifetohappenfromwithin,towithout.It
bringslifetolife,andlifehasarts.

Itsnotonlyaboutselfexpression,forthesoleofselfexpression.In
selfexpression,connectionsmanifest.Bylettingourdeepestselvesfree,andintothe
world,bytearingdownthesolid,rigidwallswithinusandsociety,anddrawingfromthe
shadowsofourperson,wearenotonlycreating,andhencesatiatingourlives,butwe
arealsocreatingroomfortogetherness.

Artisimportanttoineducation,tohelpdevelopone'sskillsinanartisticand
personalwayofexpressionamongstotherhumansasinchildrentheartscanhelp
developmotorskillswiththemanymotionsinvolvedinmakingart.language
development,decisionmaking,visuallearning,inventiveness,culturalawareness

theartshavetaughtmemoreaboutselfexpressionandworkingwithother

Garcia7

people.sharingcertainskillsandlearningfromeachother.I'mthinkingabouthavinga
majorindancewhileworkingformyothermajor.