The first movement class started the class off very strongly for me. During the Follower/Leader exercise, I felt more freedom than I have in a long time. In life, I generally struggle with trust and I hate the feeling of losing control. I was expecting to struggle with being a follower, but I actually found the opposite. I was a bit tense in the beginning but then I allowed myself not to worry about whether I was moving in the way my partner had intentioned, but rather just move where it felt easiest to move. This was incredibly freeing and I’m so glad I allowed myself that freedom on the first day. My all time favorite moment from this portion of class was when my partner and I stopped in the middle of the exercise and just swayed from side to side for a minute. It was a nice break and I appreciated the fun that came about from it.

The choreographic workshop was an hour spent in complete awe of my teacher. I have a slight history with Butoh (I did a Master Class on the artform last year) and I’m excited to see how it comes about in this class. However, I was not at all expecting vogueing to come into the class. The prospect of combining principles of Butoh with Vogueing excite me tremendously. What drew me into this portion of class was the unexpected way of note-taking that Trajal had. Using sheets of the paper across the room, separating by location and drawing connections between them. It was incredibly engaging. I was drawn to the distance between the papers and I found myself wondering what his thought process was for which paper he placed a keyword on. I also enjoyed the freedom to write something on the notes as well. It made me seem more into the course and it showed he cared about our opinion enough to invite it into the space. Very good energy.

The final part of class was essential to completing the day. It took everything we had done and added words and meanings to help our understanding. Although I still am a little unsure of what transcoding means, I think I am getting there and with the help of my classmates, I will understand it very soon. Going into the first day, I had expected to sit first and dance later. I was pleasantly surprised when we saved introductions for the very last portion of class. This seemed bold. It put the three portions of class on an equal playing ground. Movement is just as important as choreography which is just as important as discussion. This mindset is logical in the world of the arts, but it never seems to manifest itself in education. I specifically enjoyed our discussion of transcoding. Despite my confusion, my definition of this topic grew clearer each time we mentioned it in an example. I am thankful for Daniel’s question about the difference between juxtaposition and transcoding as it invited a further definition of transcoding.