PUDDLEJUMPER 🌧 🚢
Meditations on the absurdity of the now.
2y ago

A "score" in dance is a set of directions for improvisational choreography. In this score, you will get to make unique choices of movement, and thus be a contributor to the choreography of the task.

I learned this score from Erin Foreman-Murray, dance faculty at American University in Washington, DC.

  1. Lie on your back on the floor. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths, sensing how your body touches the floor, how your clothes feel on your skin, and if there are any sounds you can hear.

  2. Imagine your childhood bedroom. What shapes do you see? How big are they? How high or low was the ceiling? Where was the window? Try to pinpoint 5 details of this room that you can remember.

  3. Envision your childhood bedroom existing in the space around you now. You may open your eyes and move from lying down to whatever position is efficient. Orient yourself to where the imaginary furniture is in this current space. Look around, think about what is behind you, above you, and beneath you.

  4. Pick a part of your body that you can see. It could be your big toe, your elbow, your knee, or your knuckle. This task will be easier if you choose a part on one of your limbs, and more challenging if you choose a part in your torso, like your twelfth vertebra or your sacrum.

  5. Use your chosen body part to trace the five details (and more!) of your childhood bedroom, trying to be as spatially accurate as possible. Do this in any body position, such as standing, sitting, or lying down. It is good if your tracings take you to different places and levels in the space.

  6. When you have traced the large outlines, focus on the details. How many drawers does the dresser have? How could your elbow draw the picture of your grandmother on your nightstand?

Congratulations! You have just danced a choreography of your own creation. Film yourself and watch it back, or try it with other rooms and spaces you remember.

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