From crawling to leaping: spirals for connectivity and lengthening

Nettl-Fiol, Rebecca MA, M.AMSAT, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States; and Vanier, Luc MFA, M.AMSAT, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States

In this workshop we will investigate the spiral as a means of facilitating both connectivity and lengthening for dancers.  The conceptual framework comes from the work of Alexander teachers Joan and Alex Murray, who collaborated with anatomist/anthropologist Raymond A. Dart to develop a series of movements derived from developmental and evolutionary sequences known as the Dart Procedures.  This workshop follows our 2006 IADMS presentation, Primary and Secondary Curves ? the Lively Interplay: Looking at Movement Through a New Lens.  

During the session, we will review the concepts of primary and secondary curves, demonstrating how the fluidity of the spine lies in the interplay of the two opposing curves, and then show how they intertwine to create spirals. We will explore spirals in movement as well as explaining the double-spiral arrangement of the musculature as described by Dart. 

We have discovered through our research and teaching practices that the spiral is a key concept in understanding dynamic alignment, allowing the dancer to maintain connectivity without stiffening or bracing.  At the same time, the spiral facilitates lengthening and movement through space. We will show how the developmental movement patterns may be related to dance movements, and in turn, how the movements through space, once experienced, may be mirrored at a micro level. Participants will gain an understanding of how to design movement sequences to encourage lengthening and dynamic alignment. 

We have been invested in developing methodologies that allow dancers to access the principles of the Alexander Technique through experiences and movements derived from the Dart Procedures, and applying these concepts to dancing. Students acquire an understanding of how to perform movement with the appropriate amount of tension, allowing for efficiency in the movement and enabling them to extend their dancing lives.