Ella L

NYT Dance Article

Describe the work discussed in the article and the unique challenges – as well as the unique gifts- that come with attempting to archive personal movements?

The work in this article is all based on movement. Heitmann wanted a way to preserve human data by actually having the data involve who they are as human beings. She says that who we are is being lost by the data that is being preserved. How they move, stand, act, and are seen by others was all important to who they truly are and how they cary themselves around the world. I think some of the unique challenges for the participants was actually getting to see a reflection of themselves while many found it cool I also image many found it hard to see. The one dancer mentioned how the volunteer immediately shows all their insecurities even if they were trying to hide it as soon as they walk in that door because of the way their bodies react. I assume for the dancers it is such a draining experience for them to be doing constantly. I wonder does it make them lose who they are by the way they are always coping someone else. Do they still have their own originality from their own tics/gestures. I think the unique gift is getting to have all this realization by watching someone Imamate you of who you are. I think you can take that in bad way and wrestle with it or you can love it and own it. It also gives you the gift to improve on yourself and how you handle your body in certain situations. I think being able to se that maybe your not so confident by how you stand and being able to improve on that and feel more confident with each step you take.

Discuss one or two examples of movements in the article – what strikes you about them?

One of the more striking movements to me is the very first clip of a child. He is seen to be in a ball form biting his fingers and slightly moving his feet. This interests me as kids move in big ways, they are not scared to let their emotions be shown. In that moment you can tell this kid is uncomfortable and probably confused as he can see an older adult copying him. But yet he continues to do his thing. I feel like its unique as its a reminder to all of us that that was us. WE use to have big feelings that we didn’t feel the need to hide that we let our bodies actually explore what it was feeling. We didn’t try to mask it just to not stick out. But now as we have gotten older we care about fitting in and how other people us and what they’ll think of us. I think the juxtaposition of how I felt as a viewer was also interesting. I felt more in awe watching the kid seeing and making sense of how he was feeling and then when i looked to the older women I was kinda weirded out thinking she’s to old to be acting that way. All these judgements came to my head because I think as a society theres a certain age where we think that your problem shouldn’t be everyones else problem just keep it to yourself so you don’t affect someone else’s day which is a crazy realization to have.

Describe the habitual movements/unconscious gestures, tics, etc. of 3 people you know well. How do individual body parts move, and how does the whole body interact? What about facial expressions and the emotional valence of the movement? How does body type inform the movement? What do these examples of small movements mean and imply?

1. Calum, my boyfriend, always has an unconscious tic that drives me crazy. Anytime he has to focus or he is stressed he will either itch his head or he will pull his hair and not notice until I say something. his hands seem to tense up and become stiff as well as his head. It really doesn’t move until his fingers reach the end of his hair. He runs his fingers through his hair starting at the roots and harshly pulling up until he reaches the top where he them moves his head back unto the same position and repeats this process again. This movement is sharp and quick as he’s scratching fast and almost rhythmic. His movement imply anger and anxiousness. I could see dancers running or moving quickly all well scratching their head to show the resemblance of how quick his brain is moving but his body’s response is just scratching his head.
2. My mom tends to bite her tongue and has steady movements without knowing. Her whole body becomes calm, but the tension on her tongue seems to have a concentration to it. Her whole face seems to be relaxed, yet everything is drawn to her, biting her tongue. My mom seems to be concentrating on whatever task, and by biting her tongue, I believe it gives her calmness and steadiness. My mom has ADHD so to me it makes sense that she has to use her body in this way to be able to focus. Then she doesn’t fidget but yet still gets the satisfaction of movement even though its something so little like her tongue being slightly out of her mouth and her biting it. My mom being always on the go ad her body always moving its interesting seeing that in order for her to slow down this tick represents it. I believe this movement can imply a sense of patience representing that biting the tongue could be “oh i’m not gonna say that, or i’m going to hold this back so I don start any fight’s.” I believe my mom is patient and forgiving witch the bite of the tongue can represent but can also represent not being able to relax and holding all this tension in her mouth.
3. My Dad shakes his right leg up and down repetitively, quickly. His face when he is doing this movement looks tensed and crunched up, with his lips being pushed together and his hands rubbing his head or running his fingers through his hair. He seems anxious and unconfident, not knowing how to express his feelings through words so his body is naturally reacting to the things he is unable to say. His gestures match his emotions well even if he is unable to say them. He is quote tall so i think his legs being so long and shifting weight can almost be a release of energy. I think these movement’s show how he can be closed off and not express himself and seem secretive. I think having two dancer show this expression would be interesting almost have shaking their body and having a firm face but standing the other way with the back to the other dancer as the other dancer has a saddened expression showing how it feels to try and get words about how my dad is feeling out of him.

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