Semester 2 Week 2 Technical Notes

Movement w/ Claudia

Day 1

Yoga Warm-Up

Horizontal Handstand Position

·      Laying on front, hands above head reach out in opposite directions with hands and feet in a straight line

·      Lift hands and feet from the ground

·      Counter movement by taking one foot with same side arm, then the other side, then both at once

·      Try rocking back and forth in this position

Bridge Prep

·      Lay on back with feet in standing position (semi-supine)

·      Place hands next to head

·      Play with the articulation of the beginnings of the bridge, pressing hands into floor lightly and advancing the elbows toward the head

·      Play with pressing into the feet and raising the pelvis

·      Combine the actions and roll back onto the crown of the head

·      Press into the ground with hands and feet and take the weight between them, pressing up with the pelvis and straightening the arms, making a bridge

·      Stay for two tor three round of breath

·      Come down to semi-supine and rest, exploring counter movements (curving the spine)

·      Repeat bridge for two or three more rounds of breath, then come down and counter

Back/Neck Articulation Exercise

·      Lay on front, forehead on floor, hands next to head (starting position)

·      Lift head off floor and explore how far up the head can come without having to involve the arms pushing into the floor or straining the lower back to raise (reference position)

·      Return to starting position and with the eyes closed, explore the range of motion of the eyes from right to middle and then from left to middle

·      Repeat, but from looking up back to middle and then down back to middle

·      Repeat all four positions, but while moving the head in opposite directions (eyes right, head left-rolling on forehead, or eyes down, head up, etc.)

·      Return to starting position and then check in at reference position

·      Slide the forehead forward, watching the belly button, keeping pelvis on ground

·      Come back to starting and reference position

·      From starting position, bend knees and bring feet into the air

·      Lift one knee at a time and lengthen legs at a time away from body

·      Press one knee at a time into the ground and then release

·      Lift and then press both knees at once and then alternate between lifting and pressing with opposite knees (quickly then slowly)

·      Come back to starting and reference position

·      Place one ear on the ground, place hand in front of face on ground and extend other arm next to body

·      Let the knee on the side the head is facing pull up toward the elbow

·      Start to bring the head to the knee as it comes up as if looking under the shoulder to meet the knee

·      Imagine leading this motion from different parts of the face (nose, eye, forehead, etc.)

·      Come back to starting and reference position

·      Repeat on the other side

·      Come back to starting and reference position

·      From starting position, raise elbows from the ground

·      Letting the weight of the head roll on the forehead to one side, press through the hand and elbows to roll the head to the opposite side and back and forth

·      Add the knee movements from the previous step so the knee that the head is facing is pulled toward the elbow

·      Come back to starting and reference position

·      Turn over on back and lay for a few moments doing nothing

·      Come to standing and walk through the space taking note of what is noticeable, different, what can be felt, etc.

Bridge

Repeat bridge, going right into it, staying for a few rounds of breath and coming down

Forearm Handstands

·      Near wall, kick up into handstand, using parallel forearms as base

·      Find wall with one foot and try to come away slowly and find straight alignment

·      Repeat but press away from wall with both feet and allow back to arch, finding scorpion position

Partner handstands

With partners, practice getting into handstands and finding alignment, partners assist and correct technique

Trio Conjoined Handstand

·      One partner spots

·      One partner sits with straight legs, shoulder width apart and offers ankles as a base

·      Other partner places hands on base’s ankles and leans forward until finding the base’s outstretched hands with the shoulders, kicks up into handstand

·      Base offers support  through hands and presses forward slowly, helping the handstander find the alignment

Kneeling Partner Tripod Handstand

One partner kneels and offers support while other partner places hands a little bit away from base, finds base with shoulders and kicks up into handstand

Partner Shoulder Roll from Kneeling Partner Tripod Handstand

·      Using the previous exercise as a starting point, partner aligns with one side of base’s back

·      Base offers on outstretched arm as a fulcrum on the side of body that the knee is touching the floor (allowing space)

·      Other partner kicks up into handstand and lets base take the weight, aligning the pelvis over the offered shoulder and using it as a fulcrum to shift weight over, rolling over the base’s shoulder and stepping out in front of base

Alternating Rolls from Kneeling Partner Tripod Handstand

·      Like previous exercise, but first handstand is lined up in the middle of base’s back

·      Partner kicks up into handstand and rolls over with one leg at a time

·      Base pulls first leg down and leans over, taking the leg to the floor

·      First partner completes roll and assumes the kneeling base position, as the former base stays in contact with partner and kicks into the next handstand

·      Keep alternating between base and roller

Day 2

Warm up

·      Walk around space with awareness of the space and others in it

·      Start lightly jogging around space

·      Jog with knees up then kicking behind

·      In a circle, jogging in place, as a group move in and out (tightening and expanding the circle)

·      Jog around the room again, going faster

·      Return to light pace

·      From one end of the room, two people at a time, sprint from end to end together and then rotate back into respective lines, repeating a few times

The Plank and the Pendulum

·      In groups of 6, five people circle around one in the middle

·      The middle person stays constantly in plank

·      People in the circle push and catch the weight of the plank

·      Plank can change directions (facing) to keep from always going between the same points

Trio Plank Pendulum

·      In threes, two people are laying on their backs facing opposite directions, but on the same line, one person stands between them

·      The two bases are just far enough apart for the plank to stand between, and have knees bent, feet in the air

·      The plank leans forward or backward and the bases catch the weight with the legs and push the plank back the other direction repeatedly

·      Bases bend knees to take weight and then straighten legs to send the plank away

Flying

·      One partner lays on back, legs up, knees bent

·      Flyer stands close to bases rear, with feet together

·      Base places feet on base’s pelvic region in parallel and apart

·      Flyer leans forward

·      Base bends knees to take weight

·      Flyer lifts one leg off the ground and follows with the other

·      Base straightens legs when the flyer leaves the ground and holds flyer up with the feet

·      Base keeps the soles of the feet slightly pointed to adjust for weight

·      Flyer keeps shoulders back and heels up, neck long

·      Base bends knees and brings flyer back down

Walkover Handstand

·      One partner lays on back

·      Other partner stands above base’s head

·      Handstander bends forward, places hands next to base’s head and preps for handstand

·      Base places hands on stander’s arms between shoulder and bicep and bends legs to meet the stander’s back

·      Handstander kicks up into handstand on leg at a time and continues to lean past point of balance

·      Base points out feet with heels together and catches the stander’s pelvis with legs

·      Base bends knees to take the stander’s weight

·      Base straightens knees and pushes through the arms to launch the stander over

·      Stander brings one leg down as the base pushes and walks out of the handstand

Partner Knee Stand (from sitting)

·      One partner sits on the edge of a chair, knees parallel and offers arms out, palms up

·      Other partner places hands on sitter’s forearms, takes hold and places one foot, turned out, on sitter’s knee

·      Sitter holds partner’s forearms

·      Sitter preps to take partner up into standing on knees by taking elbows out and then pushing upward

·      Standing partner takes impulse from sitter and steps up with grounded leg onto the sitter’s other knee, standing vertically

·      Both partners straighten arms and keep shoulders back

·      Standing partner keeps body in straight line

·      Sitter leans back to compensate for weight shift

·      Sitter straightens legs a little and gradually raises from chair, leaning the stander back

·      Sitter returns to sitting and pulls stander back to vertical

·      Sitter shifts stander’s weight over one knee and stander steps back down

Partner Knee Stand (from standing)

Just like previous exercise, but starting position for ‘sitter’ is standing with knees bent, offered to stander

Partner Knee Stand (from standing with jump)

·      For preparation, ‘sitter’ offers forearms as in previous exercise, but is standing on knees, in vertical

·      Stander, jumps up and a little forward, slightly bending over sitter

·      Sitter pushes up through arms and helps stander stay in air

·      Repeat with sitter standing

·      Repeat, but let jump go straight into knee stand and repeat steps from previous exercises

Partner Knee Stand (‘sitter’ hold behind standers legs)

Repeat any of the partner knee stand exercises, but when the stander is in vertical on the sitter’s knees, the sitter releases the forearms (one by one) and places hands around the back of the stander’s legs, close to the rear, and then continue with the rest of the exercise from this position

Partner Shoulder Roll from Kneeling Partner Tripod Handstand

·      Using tripod handstand exercise (One partner kneels and offers support while other partner places hands a little bit away from base, finds base with shoulders and kicks up into handstand) as a starting point, partner aligns with one side of base’s back

·      Base offers on outstretched arm as a fulcrum on the side of body that the knee is touching the floor (allowing space)

·      Other partner kicks up into handstand and lets base take the weight, aligning the pelvis over the offered shoulder and using it as a fulcrum to shift weight over, rolling over the base’s shoulder and stepping out in front of base

Contact Floor Rolls

·      One partner lays on belly

·      Other partner distributes weight laying on the laying partner

·      Top partner pushes through feet

·      Bottom partner rolls in direction of push and both travel across floor

·      Alternate top and bottom position

·      Sitting back to back, one partner pushes other to floor by turning shoulders and leaning back

·      Staying connected through the back, top partner pushes through feet and duo rolls across floor

·      Keeping connection, both come back up to sitting back to back and then alternate top and bottom position

Voice w/ Kevin

Day 1

Rib Awareness Breathing

·      Lay on floor with hands reaching straight out above head and toes pointed reaching away from body

·      Breath in and out from here for a few rounds and vocalize on an ‘s,’ making sure to keep the lower back from arching

·      Relax and take a ball (juggling ball) and place it under the back, below the shoulder blade, on either side of the spine

·      Breathe in and out in this position, vocalizing on an ‘s’ for a few rounds, feeling the middle ribs that are pressing into the ball

·      Interlace the fingers and press the palms of the hands up into the air toward the ceiling and continue breathing in this position for a few rounds

·      Relax and place the ball lower down the back, at the bottom of the ribcage

·      Repeat the breaths from this position

·      Raise the knee on the side of the body the ball is into the air and start making little circles, continuing the breathing, then extend the leg and press the foot into the air

·      Relax and remove the ball

·      Laying on the back, place the opposite hand on the chest with the thumb on the collar bone and the palm pressing into the top ribs

·      Continue the breathing and vocalizing on ‘s’ sound for a few rounds while pressing the hand into the chest one the exhale, pressing to the end of the breath

·      Relax and take a stick, place it under the back so it is following the length of the spine, to one side, but doesn’t extend down past the lower back

·      Continue breathing from this position

·      Relax and remove the stick

·      Repeat first position and stay for a few rounds of breath, finding how the side of the body that was worked feels

·      Repeat all of the positions and steps with the balls and sticks but on the other side of the body

·      Repeat the first position again, checking in with that side of the body

·      Place hands on side ribs and inhale, sending the breath into ribcage, letting them expand, exhaling on sigh

·      Place hands on lower abdomen (one hand right above belly button and other lower toward pubic bone) and inhale, sending breath into that area, first the top hand then the lower hand, exhaling on a sigh

·      Repeat the first position again vocalizing on a sigh

·      Stand and perform the first position from standing (pressing toward the ceiling and into the floor)

·      Extend arms out to sides and inhale, concentrating on sending the breath into the abdominal area and breath out on a sigh

·      Place hands on side ribs and inhale, sending the breath into ribcage, letting them expand, exhaling on sigh

·      Relax arms and inhale, letting both the ribs and the abdomen fill with air and exhale on a held note and repeat

Bulgarian Folk Song

Learned notes and parts with held notes during moments of dissonance and divided the ending into male and female voices on low and high parts