Dance Chapter 3 Summary

“Training as the medium through which”, chapter 3, written by Melanie Bales is a chapter that is written on the theme of self-discovery and how as dancers we could apply the ideas to ourselves. Melanie Bales is a professor at Ohio State where she graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy. Bales also studied at the Joffrey School and was a Harkness Ballet Trainee. Throughout this article, I experienced different things for myself when going through and reading each section. A lot of references that were stated in the book allowed me to see dance through a whole new perspective. Taking the first part of this chapter, “learning how to dance” is not a straight path traveling forward, but it is more of a journey of discovery and trial and error. For me, occasionally I am very hard on myself and I experience the feeling of “I feel like I’m not getting better at this” or “I feel like I’m getting worse at this”. During our discussion in class on Monday, Professor Hapke stated that Deborah Hayes says that the body is the teacher. By this, Hayes already sets up a different framework for the post-modern world where it’s not about “I’m the authority and I know all and I know all about your bodies and all of your bodies would operate under the same things that it needs”. It’s up to the individual person to problem solve and to figure it out. Applying this to myself, I know that I have a hard time of stepping out the box and find myself experiencing new things. As I’ve been told in the past “take more risks”, “go for it” takes a toll on me in class, because I have a hard time finding the new possibilities for myself. A technique that I have given myself is to illuminate that things that are comfortable for me such as using my arms in a circular motion or traveling in a mid and high level. Not only do I have a problem with this, but I also struggle with being able to manipulate something for a choreography not knowing if it is something that they “like” or is it more of what I feel is right and what is comfortable on my body. Another point that is made from Bales is when she states “I do not think that the training practices or techniques of one era were more purposeful or rigorous than any other but that if today, for reason both artistic and economic, the training process seems haphazard…”. As I was reading this, I took this statement as dancers we typically grab on and keep certain things, but then we discover a new way of something such as a new way to hold a turnout. This point also correlates when Bales says the point has to come up with something not handed down to one big piece, but shaped by an individual following his or her instincts and preferences. (28) Recently, I came across a point in ballet where I have found that I pronate in first and second positions. Focusing on this in class, I am learning how to find a new way of standing and being able to control this throughout the whole class. Throughout the second part of this chapter, Bales discuss how dance training of all kinds simultaneously preserves or generates movement ideas by choreographic and theatrical intent. …show more content…
(29) When reading that, my mind automatically goes to how it provides a network or forum for artist interaction. During our technique class, we typically perform a phrase and then discuss things about the phrase and breaking it apart. Personally, this helps a lot for me because after learning it for the first time I like to perform it once to make sure I have the choreography down pat before we go back as a class and break down the little technique things and ideas that I didn’t have before. My body and mind are constantly going in different directions making sure I have this and making sure that my technique is correct. Not only does this affect my dance, but it happens to me through everyday life of “what is due next”, “what time do I have to be there”, “when does it start”, etc. The last part in this chapter that stood out to me in when Bales states “relearning