Inquiry Task

What interests me;
I always thought, and find interest in WARMING UPs as it can be very individual. It also confuses me some times :( And it is a great opportunity to research and put all my thoughts together.

How I found interest in Warming Ups;

One day, it was a chilly winter day. I wanted to warm my self up but the stage was cold, so I decided to warm up in a changing room as there were carpets and also heating is on. So, after while I moved on to the stage just before the class starts. Then, I saw all of colleagues warming up  on the cold stage.

During the tour dancers usually go on stage to do warm ups, even stage is cold. And I noticed often some of the dancers not really doing any thing practical, just laying on the floor and having a conversation. Then I thought `What is this? Aren`t they cold?`.

Also suddenly, the thought struck me. I started to think `Is this really a warm up?`. 

Things I noticed;

I thought about this NONSENSE for a while, I also talked to the dancers, casually! and eventually I came down to a conclusion of this strange behaver of dancers. Which is; if we taught to do things since when we are young, we often forget the most important things; the reason and why, and things will just become a routine! So, my conclusion is, some dancers just do things when the time comes, without thinking. Because that is what trained dancers do since when they were young and also got told to do so.

Then I thought;

Since that day, it made me really think how the warm ups supposed to be done, and the reason of why we do warm ups before class and performance. What is warm up for? Do we really need to do it? How does that effect us performers?

My thoughts as a dancer;

My self as a dancer, mentally and physically I always try to be flexible, so my mind can mould in to any shape like a clay, and body can adapt quickly in to any situation, also to constantly learn new things. My mind to be opened, my body to be aware.

And, I always try not to be afraid of challenge new things, to change my style and change my thoughts.

What is warm up to me?;

Human body does not stay exactly the same every day, surprisingly. I do not think people pay much attention to this fact, because I think end of the day they aren`t a huge difference. However to us dancers, these small changes are big difference!

Warm ups are a way to bring body and mind back to neutral, to me.

I have also decided that Warming Ups need to be changed everyday based on the condition of our body, to notice the difference and adjust them straight away, or latest by the time performance starts. Otherwise, dancers will be in a big trouble!

I constantly ask my self;

1, Am I doing things right?

2, Is there any better way? ie, can my movement be more efficient or ecological?

3, Why am I doing this? What am I getting out form this? How does it feel?

4, How do I move compare to the others?

Process of creating my own warm ups;

Based on these questions, I started to create my own warm ups combined with what I have been taught before and with my knowledge of human anatomy.

Everyday, I plan my own warm up before class.
It is like having a conversation with my body. Everyday, I learn something new about my body!
For example, when I pick something up from the behind, I twist into the left side to pick things up without thinking. So, one day I tried to twist into the right side to pick things up, I was shocked how stiff my right side of upper back was, compare to my left side!
So, I try to work out what my body needs, and add new movements into my warm ups everyday. It is like a having a personal trainer in my self!
I also began to watch other dancers warm ups carefully. I researched on the Web, also started to read books about it. I began to talk to more people to ask their opinions and advices too.

And a lot of former professional dancers and dance teachers recommended me to try Yoga.

I was always interested in Yoga, so it was a go sign form God to learn Yoga ;D

One day, I was researching on the web for more informations to improve my warm ups. Then, I found a footage on Youtube, there was a short footage about a guy, about his daily routine. 

Then, I suddenly realised that I actually have seen him long time ago in Japan on live.

What shocked me the most was the way he warms up. It was very similar to my own warm up! Or more less what he was doing was things I was planning to add in my warm ups in a future!

So, I started to research about him and his life style. 

Rickson Gracie; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickson_Gracie
He is one of my inspiration now.
The attitude toward his profession, the way he discipline him self. It is not what he does, how he lives, that inspires me.
A complete self control. His movement is beautiful and so effortless like an animal, however he is always calm, his emotion is so precisely controlled so his behaver is controlled too.
I find his life style is similar to dancers daily routine, maybe a bit more extreme than dancers life style. But, principal is very similar.
What interests me the most about him is his training method. Him and his Gracie trive created their own method of fighting style.
And, I am especially would like to know more about the way he warms up. Only because I believe that, that is the key to his success and that makes him stands out from the others.
Mr Gracie`s warm up is different to normal martial arts and dance warm ups. He combines his own style of yoga and breath exercise. I think that is what I am trying to archive, at the moment.

Below is a link to his short footage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTi_E78DSK4
My current warm up;
I often start from relaxing my spine and try to loose each vertebra, with slow and deep breath.
This exercise brings my mind and body into neutral. To focus, and aware of my self more.
And, one of the things I found and trying to avoid while I am warming up is, to not to talk to anyone. It is amazing how quick the focus disappears when you start to talk!
At the moment, I think more I talk, more I lose the concentration.
However, that could be only because I am still mentally weak and not aware of my surrounding all the time. Maybe one day I would be able to keep the focus, and still be able to chat with others.
I will see!