Rhythm/Breath Workshop

Experiencing music and rhythm from within the body is the quintessential force behind movement. This workshop explores and discovers internal rhythm and its kinetic integration through exercises and improvisations using breath, vocalisation and movement.
      The workshop opens with deep breathing exercises based on Taoist breathing principles, leading to an understanding of how one can feel and connect to sound and rhythm. A series of partner exercises follow combining movement and the use of breath as a rhythmic device to pursue a profound sense of inner rhythm.
      The experience of this workshop leads to a deeper understanding of both how to breathe and how to use breath when moving, giving a comprehensive grasp of musicality, sound and rhythm.
      

What is Musicality for a dancer?

How a dancer moves within a given time frame is the first element of musicality and can be measured in two ways. Firstly, and clearest to define, is how a dancer makes a certain movement on a certain beat. Secondly, more peculiar to the individual, is the lyrical quality of movement that happens between the beats, over a musical phrase or time-line.

The four elements of the workshop

Breath: deep breathing awareness, synchronizing of breath to movement

Attributes of deep breathing are many fold for a dancer. While giving more oxygen to the muscles, deep breathing allows the body to relax resulting in more freedom of movement while thoracular breathing (shallow breathing ), restricts freedom of the upper torso.
A series of exercises based upon Daoist deep breathing techniques allowing the dancer to experience both abdominal and lateral breathing.

Pulse: breathing in time to pulsing movement and rhythm

When moving and breathing in rhythm the brain releases a chemical called serotonin. This can be described as ‘a dizzy high ’yet can be explored and used to ‘open doors’ to ones inner-self and inner rhythm. These exercises combine the tribal pulsations of primitive movement with breathing and sound. The principal element of movement.

Voice: vocalising and vibrations, discovering the sound of movement

When using the voice, one can experience vibration in many different parts of the body. All movement therefore, has its own sound and therefore its own vibration. A series of exercises discovering various sounds and their vibrations leading to the connection of sound and movement with influences ranging from basic singing technique to vocal harmonics.

Rhythm: exercises with varied time signatures combining movement,vocalisation and improvisation

As a means to connect all of the above exercises and information, we have a series of exercises that combine simple movement phrases with sound and voice in varying time signatures and tempi. This not only engages the cerebral region but can also prove to be quite an aerobic workout!

This Internal Rhythm and Breath Workshop can be and has been given in many varied time frames from one-off workshops, weekend to all week summer schools. List of schools and organisations where this workshop has been given

YuuKiKaKu LTD., Tokyo, J
Theater School, Copenhagen, DK
Henny Jurriens , Amsterdam, NL
Rotterdam Academy, NL
Duncan Centre, Prague,CZ
Tanecni Centrum, Prague,CZ
AMU, Prague, CZ
Prix de Lausanne, CH
Bangkok City Ballet School, T
Amfidromo , Nicosia, CY
WID Summer Inspirations, Cardiff, GB