: Analyzing the movements of ballet-technique-based dancers for developing the personalized training program to enhance what is neglected in traditional ballet training
: Understanding the following objectives
The mechanics of pelvic rotation and its effect on contralateral movements
The sequence of relaxing movements, initiated by exhalation, in the following order: the diaphragmatic relaxation – expiration – the pelvic floor muscle groups – the lower body – the upper body
Utilizing flexion of the lumbar spine, induced by exhalation
The mechanics of turnout feet: the compensation for the torso isometrically holding tension in a manner that inhibits pelvic rotation
Enhancing the forward-leaning posture to activating forefoot movements and the posterior chain, and to addressing postural issues
Restoring the natural arm swing and forward propulsion
Meditation can be explained as the act of restoring the organic wholeness of the human body and the optimal balance within itself. Breathing techniques for reaching the state of being relaxed are the essential set of movements that most of the meditation practices emphasize and develop in various ways. In specific, one respiration comprises one inspiration and one expiration, which causes tension and relaxation, respectively. That is a continuous series of actions, led by abdominal muscles, where all types of physical movements derive.
The workshop named “Rhythmic Meditation” focuses on the respiratory rhythm of the individual body, which is to initiate and regulate its spontaneous movements, for attaining the holistically balanced state within itself. Biomechanical understanding of the body and its actions is used for promoting freedom of movement through the following courses: (1)Movement workshops, (2)Lectures combined with Dance Performance, (3)Rhythmic Meditation with live music.
Contents
1. How breathing regulates the body and its movements: understanding the fundamentals of biomechanics (Lecture combined with a dance performance) by Wooguru Kw
2. Movement workshop: Breathing and locomotion (rhythmic patterned movements)
3. The human body and natural environments: Lecture by Hwang, Daekwon
4. Rhythmic Meditation #1: Understanding meditation effects from the repetition of simple moves from the biomechanical viewpoint
Morning Class at Tanssille ry in Helsinki on 8th, 10th, and 15th of October, 2019 from 10:00 to 11:30
<FREE FLOW: physicality toward musicality> is a contemporary dance technique, focused on biomechanics for the actualization of the total freedom of the individual body and its integrity. The following are the contents of the morning classes.
(1)Warming-up with quadrupedal movement and its variations for enhancing contralateral movements of the torso, essential for the execution of complex motor tasks
(2)Jumping moves driven by the diaphragmatic breathing techniques
(3)Landing mechanics for converting impact force into the kinetic energy for the subsequent
(4)Rolling for promoting spontaneous actions: reflex & relaxation
(5)Improvising to enjoy one’s freedom of movement
(1)The technical emphasis is on the forefoot movements that play as the base of support; the right foot is primarily anchored on the spot to facilitate the pivotal moves shown on the video. The kinetic energy, which drives the rotational and dragging moves of the left leg, is produced by and transmitted from the interaction between the right foot and the contact surface. The upper body mostly remains relaxed; however, abdominal muscles continuously regulate respiratory movements which initiate all types of movements, including the pivotal moves mentioned above.
(2)The excerpt from the ABSENCE OF SOUND: the Cold War history and its legacy, reinterpreted to pose a fundamental question: how are the ruling principles of the system intensified during the Cold War era still valid and restricting freedom of movement?
THE RESPIRATORY UNDULATION AND ITS RHYTHMICALITY
The oscillatory cycle of respiration elicits two contrasting mechanical movements: expansion and compression; these actions are paired to form the constituent pattern that constantly repeats in a complementary manner that facilitates and regulates all types of kinetic movements. Thus, this elastic quality universally appears in a sequence of movements at various intensities and speeds; in doing so, what can be recognized as rhythmic flows physiologically arises in the body.
Rhythm can be defined as a phrase of physical movements, materially expressed with the combination of the strong and the weak elements. Furthermore, the biomechanical rhythmicality can be deliberately magnified and utilized for addressing expressive needs by interacting with musical instruments which are devised to convert touches into sounds.
(1)The Forward-Leaning Posture to Maximize the Use of Elastic Energy
Strain energy is released when the deformed elastic elements of the body recover their resting lengths and original shapes. The stretch-shortening cycle of the Achilles’ tendon is succinctly exhibiting the mechanics of this catapult action, which spontaneously occurs to be utilized as initiatory impulses for various locomotor movements. Walking, skipping, running, and jumping are bipedal movements critically driven by elastic energy.
The relaxation of the diaphragm catalyzes expiration, and the body gradually becomes relaxed, from the pelvic floor muscles, and bent forward to the ground in the concentric phase of exhalation. The forward-leaning posture is achieved through this chain reaction at various degrees of torso angle, upon diverse stances. Furthermore, the storage of strain energy increases, as the muscle-tendon units of the posterior chain are stretched.
In the forward-leaning posture, the body is highly responsive to respiratory stimuli. The following are the two determinants that enhance the connectivity of the upper and lower body parts: (a)compressed abdominal muscles that cause deep expiration setting up a new respiratory and postural balance to be maintained by subsequent inspiration (b)the forefoot bearing the significant amount of body weight upon itself, sufficient to play as the primary base of support.
<References>
Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance. S.K. Powers and E.T. Howley. 10th edition. McGraw Hill publishers
Anatomy & Physiology, Edited and Revised by Lindsay M. Biga, Sierra Dawson, Amy Harwell, Robin Hopkins, Joel Kaufmann, Mike LeMaster, Philip Matern, Katie Morrison-Graham, Devon Quick, Jon Runyeon Art edited and created by Leeah Whittier
( http://library.open.oregonstate.edu/aandp/ )
Tendon elastic strain energy in the human ankle plantar-flexors and its role with increased running speed, Adrian Lai, Anthony G. Schache, Yi-Chung Lin and Marcus G. Pandy, 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd | The Journal of Experimental Biology (2014) 217, 3159-3168 doi:10.1242/jeb.100826
MAXIMIZING THE USE OF ELASTIC ENERGY IN A STRETCH SHORTEN CYCLE, MOVEMENT WILSON, G.J.i ELLIO’FJ!, B.C. Department of Human Movement and Recreation Studies University of Western Australia .+ Australia, 1990
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Biomechanics: A catapult action for rapid limb protraction, Article in Nature · February 2003, DOI: 10.1038/421035a · Source: PubMed, Allen M. Willson, Glen A.Lichtwark, Johanna Watson
Take-off and landing forces in jumping frogs, Sandra Nauwelaerts1,* and Peter Aerts1,2 1Department of Biology, University of Antwerp (UIA), Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Antwerpen, Belgium and 2Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, University of Ghent, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Gent, Belgium, The Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 66-77 Published by The Company of Biologists 2006, doi:10.1242/jeb.01969
The Quadrupedal Nature of Human Bipedal Locomotion, E. Paul Zehr1,2,3, Sandra R. Hundza1,4, and Erin V. Vasudevan5,6 1Rehabilitation Neuroscience Laboratory, University of Victoria, Victoria; 2International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver; 3Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria; 4CanAssist, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; 5Motion Analysis Lab, Kennedy Krieger Institute; and 6Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD ZEHR, E.P., S.R. HUNDZA, and E.V. VASUDEVAN
NYTKE festival is the contemporary dance festival, which took place on July 15-20, 2019 in Tampere, Finland. The workshops of the FREE FLOW: physicality toward musicality were delivered in two formats: (1)Professionally trained group (2)Open Level. Plus, the showcase for a duet piece with Nelly Hakkarainen was held on the last day of the festival at Tanssiteatteri MD. The following are the pictures taken by Raf Mielczarek and Matti Kilponen (chilpura on Instagram).
photographed by 
photographed by Matti Kilponen