Where: Greenwich Dance Academy
When: 5th-9th September 2011
The teacher: Yunkyung Song – Graduated with a BA and MA from Busan University. She worked with Marsa Von Stroke before joining Jasmin Vardimon Company in 2004 where she was involved in the creation and performances of Park, Justitia and Yesterday. She trained in Dance Movement Therapy at Goldsmiths University. She is currently working as a guest tutor at the University. She also founded Soom physical theatre company.
The class: Based on the style of Jasmin Vardimon Company, this class had a strong physical theatre basis, working with the body’s potential to move, and the individual’s capacity to bring emotional experiences from life, to colour and shape movement. The class was phrase based, finishing with improvisation.
My verdict: The style of this company and the strength of Song is what I aspire to be in my own practice. Song demonstrated an astounding knowledge of movement, and had an articulate way of describing how to encourage the dancer to take risks and enjoy dancing.
“Letting go” seemed to be an essential element to my own time in the class. It’s impossible to perform with such ferocity whilst maintaining a strict control of the movement, but something not easily rectified in a mere hour.
In an improvisational task, Song reminded me of the importance of dissolving layers between dance and life. Growing up with “leave your personal problems outside of the classroom”, it can be difficult to get a handle on assimilating these sensations in movement… Once accomplished though, a new and fulfilling peak of performance can be reached.
Try changing emotional states minute after minute whilst performing movement. Be invested in each state, completely consumed by what you portray. Not easy, but amazing to watch.