“If a dancer dances- which is not the same as having theories about dancing or wishing to dance or trying to dance or remembering in his body some else’s dance- but if the dancer dances, everything is there… Our ecstacy in dance comes from the possible gift of freedom, the exhilarating moment that this exposing of the bare energy can give us. What is meant is not license, but freedom… (Mercecunningham.org, 2015)

I asked Emily Nichols, a Dance and Drama student at the University of Lincoln, to teach me a dance and to give me lessons. She decided to teach me one of her Technique class exam pieces which was inspired by Merce Cunningham. Cunningham “was a leader of the American avant-garde throughout his seventy year career and is considered one of the most important choreographers of our time” (Mercecunningham.org, 2015). He was also considered America’s greatest dancer. Emily informed me that Cunningham liked to contrast the idea of straight lines and physique with the curve of the body. I found this quite interesting as I brake the normal criteria of the image of a dancer with my curves. 

pooping position (Spencer, 2015)

We started with Emily teaching me the dance, going very very slowly indeed. I started in first position and did a few points with my feet and I also learnt how to plie, or what I like to call, ‘the pooping position’. Then we introduced my chosen song which is The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Technohouse Remix). (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Electrohouse Remix), 2012). 

Below are a few videos of myself and Emily dancing. Well, me trying to remember what she has taught me. This video shows my first practice and well, lets just say it did not go to plan. However, this conveys how far I will hopefully develop in my final solo performance.

Practicing the turn (Spencer, 2015).

 My first run after being taught everything (Spencer, 2015).

In reference to my previous blog post about Dawn French and her performance in The Mirror Dance, I see a lot of similarities, especially dancing with Emily. She’s the thin, perfectly poised dancer and I try to mirror her. However, like Dawn French I am not intentionally trying to be bad, I am actually trying to learn this dance and I hope to prove to my audience that I can dance.

References

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Electrohouse Remix). (2012). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chOtemRAYNc [Accessed 18 Apr. 2015].

Mercecunningham.org, (2015). Merce Cunningham – Merce Cunningham Trust. [online] Available at: http://www.mercecunningham.org/merce-cunningham/ [Accessed 1 May 2015].

Spencer, J. (2015). Dance Practice. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmhq8ZUs9j4 [Accessed 1 May 2015].

Spencer, J. (2015). Practicing the turn. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmkaSS_YKaw [Accessed 1 May 2015].