Release Technique Assessment

Aims and Objectives:

• To enable learners to further develop their contemporary dance technique, knowledge and understanding of the style.

• To learn and cohesively perform repertoire from class based work.

• To gradually build upon physical and performances based skills, allowing the learners to take responsibility for their own personal development and self - evaluation.

• To be able to reproduce prescribed dance combinations, demonstrating key features covered in class based work.

• To demonstrate requires stylistic qualities and interpretative skills.

• To constantly respond to feedback and evaluation towards the improvement of the learners own technique.

Assessment exercises:

Tondue Exercise – This exercise is focusing on my balance and core strength. I should be thinking about my technique and body awareness, and how to stay in correct alignment from my hips, knees, ankles and toes. This exercise is also focused on warming and waking up my feet. I should be able to isolate my toes from my ankle joints and knees, especially in 1st position as this isolation is harder to maintain.

Rolls & Ripples Exercise – This exercise focuses on working through the spine sequentially, isolating each vertebrae through a downward curve. Drop, catch and release your weight, giving into gravity at the bottom and reversing back up the spine to a high release. I must know the difference between a flat and curved back position, in addition to a correctly positioned high release, plank and downward dog.

Plies & Curves Exercise – This exercise focuses on using your breath to assist the flow of your movement, though instrumentation of the limbs. I must learn how to use my energy through suspension, extension and momentum to find each structure. I need to focus on the use of the spine to spiral, follow my focus along the line of your working limbs. There are elements of release here when I need to relinquish control of my upper body torso and give in to the floor. Try to find the balance between what is held and what van be let go.

Swing Exercise – This exercise is focusing on the use of weight and plié into the floor. I need to show I can take risks here and reach to my limbs extremities. Use the tempo to fulfil each movement and watch for my change in levels - there are points I should be low and points I should be at my highest peak. Remember to continually use my breath here too, in order to release and suspend in the air before I restart the phrase. Use the momentum from the top of my head to my toes to help me find the structure for my body.

Spiral Exercise – This exercise focuses on both leading and initiation points through my limbs. I need to be aware of what part of my body is leading the movement each time to achieve sequential phrasing. Try to find a natural flow of the movement and remember to stay conscious on the floor with what way I am continuing my spiral. Focus on the spine and how it leads and adjusts to allow my movement to happen. Find a soft quality, with less attack and try to sustain this seamlessly in between sides of the phrase.

Long Centre Phrase - This phrase is focused on having a solid understanding of contemporary dance technique. The phrase uses a variety of levels, dynamics and tempo changes. I need to be able to show this distinctive difference in my movement quality. I should also be able to reflect on the different principles during this phrase; sequential movement with natural flow, musical/rhythm change, leading with my limbs, weight in to the floor through plié.