When Richard explained how the camera consumes energy away from dancers, he wasn't lying.
Today, the class watched video clips of our "midterm" class. While I was watching myself, I remembered specific moments when I really did put forth energy (for example, I love fondu combinations, so I always put a lot of energy in my movements) and other times where I thought, "I am doing this correctly." For the most part, I was. Whether it be a tendu or a dégagé, I felt as though I was technically correct. Watching the video of myself, however, showed that there was a huge difference in combinations where I put more energy and in combinations where I didn't put in as much energy. I was surprised how flat I looked in some combinations. I noticed that I could be using the floor to my advantage for more energy when I tendu.
I just have to think...
First position...demi pointe...tendu
Missing that demi pointe stops the flow of energy going down into the floor and out away from the body. It amazes me that even small details such as these can change the dynamic of the whole movement entirely.
After the video, some girls asked how they could become more aware with their hyper-extended legs. Of course, "the use of energy" was the answer. I have hyper-extended legs, as well. I , too, noticed that in some combinations the flow of energy in my working leg weakened. When this happened, my knees bend whenever they were supposed to be straight. The video made me realize that I was bending my knees too much to counterbalance the hyper-extension.
The energy in my second position arms lacked, too. I personally dislike when the elbows are lower in placement than the hands. My arms were not so bad but the elbows definitely could have been a little higher.
All this talk of energy raises a question: If there should be more energy in my movements, then how do I create it?
The easiest way I do this is to think about the specific thing I want to put more energy into. For instance, if I want to put more energy into my arms, I would have to constantly remind or think to myself, "arms, arms, arms." But there's always a catch. As simple as that may sound, there are what seems to be a billion other things that dancers have to keep in mind: lift up, shoulders down, rotate working leg, point toes, squeeze core, and etc. With good practice, eventually these actions become second nature. It's how dancers transition from thinking to "doing."
That's another thing I need to work on. In all my dancing years, I'm so used to "thinking" about dance. Sometimes, I think too much and everything becomes rigid. It's always good to think about something when you want to correct it but to really dance, you just do. I know this sounds weird, but I want to get better at not thinking.
I believe I have improved a lot since the first class and I will try to continue to improve throughout of the semester.
