It’s amazing how comfortable we have grown with each other throughout the course of this class. This is easily sensed in the laughter accompanying the group formation exercise. We have repeatedly done this exercise which has always resulted in some laugher but initially more so coming from an insecurity of the fear of doing it wrongly. Now, with our closeness, we laugh not just at ourselves, but with and at each other. I think Ondrej’s structure and the way the movement class has progressed has been extremely valuable to us as students with unfamiliarity not just to the movements and exercises in class but also to each other as peers. Through repetition we have built up a sort of routine. This creates the comfort of familiarity which improves our movement and increases our confidence. But as Burrow’s advices: “When you repeat a material, try changing it on two parameters”. This has worked out perfectly in the formation exercise where we gradually have stepped up in complexity through added elements of moving in space to splitting into smaller groups to then reunite again – tasks that would have not have gone as smooth if all these things had been introduced at once.

Ideally you reach a stage where you only semi-consciously extend the movement of the group in an organic way rather than start to choreograph.
There is a delicate line between knowing when to “step into character” and lead the group and at other times having to give in to the group and follow along.
Interestingly it no longer, as in the beginning, feels like an abrupt change between the two.
Rather, when going at its best (that is when all members are ultra focused and hyper aware of slight changes in movement and position) not much conscious effort goes into being the leader. There has to be some level of authority/sense of individuality that you take while also not attaching yourself to the “power” which will leave you solo dancing as the outsider (which is not even a bad case scenario in this non-judgmental space).

This is a physical exercise but more so a mental challenge. It does not require any special ability or disciplined body. But this constant internal and external battle of being a leader and follower is the hardest part. Even though we repeated it many times, imaginably it would be like starting from scratch if working with a unfamiliar people. We as a class have learnt to work together and trust each other in a way that allows more flow of movement- it could be described as a collective energy we build up. Certainly I feel we as a group have developed together, and for ephemeral moments, I get the feeling of being a part of an organism, moving in a cohesive and beautiful manner. I am curious what it looks like from the outside.