If you didn’t do class at ID this morning, well then you didn’t do class at ID this morning… but not to worry: Sarah Wookey is teaching for the next few days. Her class is for both professional dancers and non dancers with a movement background. She brings together a rigorous interest in, and knowledge of, Bartenieff Fundamentals together her desire to get moving. Refreshingly for a release class, this did not involve spending 1.5hours rolling around on the floor in semi-sleep mode. Phew!
She divides the class into three functional components. First we begin lying on the floor doing the now well known Bartenieff patterns: in and out of centre, body half and cross-lateral. These become strung together in a simple movement phrase, upping the tempo so you really begin to feel the seemless transitions and adjustments that your body needs to make to remain absolutely ‘true’ to the pattern. An improvisation which focused on reach and push dynamics brought us to standing, walking and then running.
The second section of the class was a gradual development of patterns in standing travelling sequences. Simple patterns, mixed up, sped up, interchanging between body halves, bringing clarity to complex movement.
The final section was a simple phrase / sequence that incorporated the movement patterns we had just experienced in isolation. You shift into performative presence, selecting dynamics but remaining true to the ‘real’ direction of the movement.
A clear, rigorous and intelligent way to get yourself moving. Certainly a teacher worth looking out for!
