Experiencing Time / Embodying Rhythm Symposium Reflection
by J. Stephens
The Experiencing Time/Embodying Rhythm Symposium (September 19-20, 2024) was full of many different types of opportunities for gathering new information via individual movement, viewing new works, presenting research through lecture, as well as collaborative exchange. I was lucky enough to attend multiple sessions throughout the day and a few resonated specifically with topics I am interested in exploring myself. I want to call out some of the sessions that were particularly captivating to me, informing my personal practice, understanding of dance as an art form, and topics of study/research.
A session titled “in rhythm, in community - out of time” guided by Kaleena Miller consisted of listening to and creating our own sounds to make polyrhythms. We spent time recalling our earliest memories of sound and the feeling that came along with it; this helped to tap into the parts of the brain that connect sound with visceral feeling. We then, as a collective, spread out throughout the space to begin creating our own rhythms which in relation to each other created polyrhythms. We were tasked with creating sounds that responded or connected to other sounds we were hearing in the space, anything from another person’s sounds to the whirring sound made by the computer in the room. This individual practice with attention to the whole cultivated a space for self exploration and collaboration simultaneously. Not only were we creating our own polyrhythms in our own bodies but the layering of many people participating in this created a multitude of polyrhythms combining with each other to make even more complex rhythms. The idea that any two rhythms occurring at once is a polyrhythm is not something I had thought much about before, but since this session I have found myself noticing polyrhythms everywhere and being able to pick them apart, isolate certain parts, and even move differently when being attentive to specific elements of the rhythm. This experience helped me to gain a deeper connection to creating rhythm. As dancers we are used to simply existing in a rhythm that is provided or already made. Being involved in the process of creating or even deconstructing a rhythm helps to frame our relationship to sound differently, promoting more variation and exploration in our practice.
Wyatt Sutter and Charles Pierson facilitated a rhythm exchange which was largely centered around the self and engagement with other bodies in the space. They began this portion very naturally, or with a soft start, which was conducive to the experience feeling less like a class and more like an opportunity to groove with each other, encouraging freedom of movement and expression rather than conveying expectation. The only reminder we received off the bat was “this is about you, think about what you like about yourself.” Centering your practice around the joy and appreciation you have for your own being set a completely different tone for the session. It is easy to get far away from the flow that dance exists in when you are caught up in the technical, historical, and aesthetic aspects of what we may think dance is supposed to be, when really it is energy. At Columbia we luckily have many opportunities to flow and groove with each other, but having a whole session dedicated to this builds comfortability and confidence in personal movement and interpersonal connection. This guided groove or facilitated freedom is important to remembering that dance is deeply passion- and community-based. Wyatt and Charles brought in a natural and inclusive experience that the whole Dance Center was able to enjoy and engage with each other regardless of ability, knowledge, or style.
Finally, Brendan P. Behan presented their research on hyperrhythms and ecological rhythms through a lecture format with a Q&A at the end. They began by going in depth about Rudolf Laban originating his version of modern dance and how he came to favor certain movement patterns and shapes based on his own personal experience and culture. This set up an explanation of how white history has been ingrained into modern dance from the beginning and is perpetuated both intentionally and unintentionally. While it was made clear that Laban had no interest in being inclusive or concerned with any other people’s experience at the time, not everyone knows this or his history. This can often lead to assumptions regarding what is correct stylistically. For example, Laban’s style of movement completely disregards the hips, part of the body that is more pronounced in other styles of movement from different cultures, but he pays them no mind in his notation. Though Laban is just one example, I believe Brendan’s point was to explain just how much white supremacy culture has made its way particularly in the dance world, and how one person’s understanding can be permeated by how they exist, in turn influencing knowledge that is deemed important and foundational.
While I have previously engaged in discussions about how white history and culture creates a standard, expectations, and deeply influences how we all move through the world, Brendan broke it down in a very digestible way explaining that we all need to find our roots and how important that can be to our own being as well as the greater good. While it is important for all of us, this suggestion was particularly geared toward white individuals, as there is not always a comprehensive understanding of the culture and heritage from which one came and even more so misinterpretation of what that culture was based on and values; people of color sometimes have a closer connection to ancestry, what their heritage values and teaches, while white history is found to be heavily based in ignoring occurrences. Going back to your roots not only gives you a better understanding of yourself but can also provide insight, as you are not the first one to experience whatever it is you may be experiencing now. Not only was the information Brendan provided informative as it relates to dance history, but it also provided me with a new perspective on how I move the world as a whole as well as why and how I can encourage others to seek the same.
I gained historical and embodied knowledge from these engaging conversations, demonstrations, and interactions. These sessions provided learning and growing opportunities in the moment as well as encouraging my brain to get creative after as I have even more observations and questions to explore myself after reflecting on them. Being presented with perspectives and context I wouldn’t otherwise have on topics that are important to the evolution and roots of dance helped me to expand my personal scope of interest and exploration.
Banner Photo (pictured left to right) J Stephens, Sophie Daker, Bella Shea participating in the Symposium Traditions Session: "American Rhythmic Traditions: Continuity, Connection and Community" by Shireen Jackson. Photo by Julie Lucas
