... or makes us move
Photo by Dorina Köbele-Milas
A theme that I have repeatedly approached in various ways can most understandably be summed up by asking the following question: What aspects of a melody move you or make you move? More broadly, one could also ask: What moves you? Because melody does not stand alone here, but already "acts" in the context of Slow Airs.
Approaching the subject is sometimes not easy, as it depends on factors such as the atmosphere in the room, concentration, mood and emotional state. There are days when you can't and don't want to dive too deeply into your own thoughts and feelings. On others, it happens by itself or pent-up emotions are released during the dance. And with all the words I have already used here, it becomes clear that the question "What moves us" naturally opens up a wide field. Since the levels of motives are often interwoven, they cannot be clearly distinguished. Nevertheless, I would like to make a rough classification here of what "moves" us in a double sense when listening to a Slow Air: On the one hand, the music itself. That is, the structural features of the tune as well as the way it is played, in other words, its interpretation. On the other hand, emotions and spontaneous, physical states of arousal that are triggered through associations with the music.
Also the titles of many Slow Airs also influence the way they are perceived. For example, many titles begin with "Lament for...". The occasion or the story on the basis of which a Slow Air was originally written resonates in its sound.
Furthermore I had more sessions with wonderful musicians. We improvised and exchanged ideas on this and other topics. Learning what "moves" them about Slow Airs was extremely enriching. Looking at their perspective in relation to mine, recognising intersections, but also understanding the differences, has inspired, challenged and pushed my research process. More on this in my next blog post.
Here is a brief outline of a selection of tasks that I tried out, some of them with the musicians in the sessions:
allow yourself to be "shaped" by the melody
variations: move from one position to the next and/or pause in the positions
pick up the driving force of the music through physical dynamics
in general: express associations to the music with your body
variation: write down associations while listening and then improvise with a selection
interpret the music melodramatically and/or translate it into a danced language
through (panto-)mimic gestures
through pathos and/or a theatrical body language
create a subtext and express it through movements (supported by the melodies of the Slow Air)
open all channels, perceive how you feel and show it through the support of the music
balance between: staying specific but letting it out
or: not thinking, just letting it out
try to hear your own inner melodies and translate them into movement
use meditation to turn the focus inward
first try it in silence
then, if you dare, with music
Examples
In both examples I used the Scottish Slow Air "Return to Kintail" (played by Rachel Reeds).
Example 1
In this video extract I have linked two ideas. Firstly, I used associations. These were: climbing up, strength and being caught. On the other hand, I played with the idea of creating a talking body and thus translating the melody into (a danced) language.
Example 2
The following video excerpts are based on the idea of following the melody. Towards the end, however, I let myself be guided more and more by the rhythm. It is hard to resist. In addition, I tried to let out how I felt, but not to let it drive me too much, but to stay specific with the forms of my movements.
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