I am inclined to believe that it changes my whole day starting out with with Ondrej’s movement class. Beginning with simple stretches as we had the previous day, I witnessed a certain comfort in the knowingness and predictability of what was happening. There was a certain comfort in the predictability and familiarity with Ondrej’s instructions, in this sense it had the nature of a habit.
Gradually new movements of increasing complexity were added on such as when in the trust exercise being instructed to guide the blinded follower by use of one hand rather than both.
Due to this, the progression into new and unknown movements happened more organically and relaxed which in turn made the experience more enjoyable. The tension I had observed in the partner exercise the day before had fainted today. Instead, it was almost a graceful manner I felt step by step gliding over the floor using different parts of my feet and arms as I was guided by my partner. The idea of “lightness” in ones movement reiterated by Ondrej started to make sense.
What moreover became a habit-like behaviour throughout the day was how I routinely “checked in” with bodily sensations. This is essentially what we are asked to do throughout the movement class whether it be when having to pay attention to the sound we are making when moving across the floor or to notice the difference in body parts when having done an asymmetrical stretch of some sort. Developing this sensitivity and bodily awareness along with the habit of being conscious of it I think could be of great help to myself but also for gaining a better understanding and ability to relate to dancers and other performances involving bodily movements.

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In Trajal’s choreography workshop today it became more clear what kind of learning/teaching space he envisions for his class. Using the term “horizontal learning”, I was struck by his articulation of the fact that no one sees the world the same way, we all have a unique perspective.
He also distinguishes between a studio and a classroom – how he thinks they differ I look forward to hearing tomorrow.
He is trying to give us insight into the process of how he makes art. I think I am getting a vague idea of how he works, or at least discovering that it is vastly different from my current result and fact-orientated/scientific mode of brain functioning. The analogy of a melting pot suited me well, different parts coming together and creating something new. It is inspirational, the trust in oneself and others’ ability this process requires. Trusting that things will come together and you will create something meaningful.
I think the first step has been made in coming to see Trajal’s work, let alone all art, with eyes of more understanding and appreciation. I hope through this “sensitization” and conceptual toolkit I am developing through class, to distance myself from the habit of dismissing art I don’t immediately understand as meaningless and boring– or what else I would deem it in the past out of ignorance.

Today’s class sparked new thoughts about sex and gender which raises the question of habituation. In talking about “Paris is Burning” I think again about the construction of gender. In voguing runway realness genders are performed, showing that sex and gender are not necessarily the same thing. Even though gender is constructed, it becomes so habitual that we are blinded to this. Talking about voguing theory and Judith Butler and gender performativity something struck my mind; in voguing tradition as seen in “Paris is burning” gender seems to be presented as being binary, they have clear ideas of what it means to be a woman and a man, not accounting for the full spectrum gender is.
Another point about habit and constructing our reality is the wide held belief that history is composed merely of facts. We tell ourselves historical narratives and perform as if they were true when history can in fact not have a fixed meaning and representation.