Improvise easily with templates for movement and affect! with Alia Thabit

One of the biggest improv fears dancers have is What move do I do next?!

We've tried memorizing a stock of combinations, a few moves we can fall back on, our entire dance vocabulary—all so we can pick a move. In short, we try to think and remember while we dance. At the same time as we are trying to be fully in the moment, engage with the music, and, if performing, with the space and our guests. Yikes!

Yet the first rule of improv is DON’T THINK.

So how do we resolve this dilemma?

One way is with templates.

Templates are patterns of qualities.

For example, one of the classic Oriental dance patterns is “Quick Quick Slow,”

ANY move can be done quickly--or slowly. From a walk to a hip drop to an undulation to an accent--speed is variable.

Quick is relative to Slow. Slow is at least twice as long as quick (1, 2, 3-4).

And each time, Quick and Slow can be the same or different moves—whatever your body supplies in the moment. Quick could be shoulder accents and Slow could be a shoulder roll. Or a hip circle. A change in gaze direction. A traveling step. Or whatever comes out of your body. Because the only quality we’re looking at here is velocity. ANY move can fit the bill.

Within this structure, we have incredible freedom!

Templates are elastic and variable, like our micro-movements, like an Arabic orchestra will sometimes repeat a phrase or verse or theme of a song, or place them in a different order.

As dancers, we too have all this agency.

Quick, quick, quick, quick, quick---or slow, slow slow, slow, slow--or any combination of the two!

Don't think--just move quickly or slowly!

What we'll do in this 80-minute class:

• Explore the classic pattern, Quick Quick Slow in all its variety and wonder.
• Build up our Glorious Dance Self and enjoy this versatile template as our best Dance Self.
• Let go of fear, remembering, and worry.

That's the SECOND half of this class!

In the first half, we look at templates of affect!

How we present ourselves...

How we want to BE as dancers. How do we carry ourselves to feel more confident? More beautiful? More compelling? Alluring? Badass? However we want to be, we can be.

Behavior creates emotion.

What do we feel from the music? How do we express that? How do we allow ourselves to hold and show what we feel--and what we WANT to feel?

What we'll do:

• Choose how we want to feel--what attributes we'd like to embody
• Build up our Glorious Dance Self through embodying our chosen attributes.
• Enjoy the feeling we create as we explore Quick Quick Slow as our new Dance Self

Join us for this Deep Dive into the wonders of Templates!