In the "Thinking physically with ..." series the teachers of the TTP project were asked to reflect upon the projects topic and their experience with the group.
In todays episode you can read what Kim has to say. She taught Pilates to the TTP participants.
Kim Kanwischer was born in Oklahoma, United States. She is the trainer for the Kane School Pilates Method at SOZO visions in motion. Kim studied liberal Arts at the Tulsa J. College and visited the Musical School at the Kurfürsten Damm in Berlin. She worked as a freelance dancer and musical performer in several theaters, taught at many schools and participated in pedagogical projects. In 2004 she started her Pilates education at the "Kane School in New York" which she graduated. Today Kim is the founder and owner of the Studio 1 Pilates in Kassel and trainer for the Kane School Pilates Method.
So Kim ...
This project is called “TTP – Thinking Together Physically“
What do you understand by “thinking physically“ ?
Remembering back, when I was dancing regularly myself, our training was physical and everything I believed I was striving for was on a physical level. Personally, I left out one of the most important aspects, thinking. Thinking is defined for me, as in being connected. Connecting the mind to the body. Which allows us to begin to speak and evolve on all levels. We also build a foundation which makes us resilient and aware, the key to Self_Care.
How did you plan to approach this idea in your classes?
I had a very short amount of time with the students, 4 hours. I felt it was most important to teach the basics of breath, as seeing it as the foundation for movement and the opening corridor to a deeper thinking body connection. I had the students working in pairs and let them explore breath while experiencing proprioceptive feedback from their partners. We dove into the anatomy in connection with the deeper core muscles which build our foundation.
The professional dance world can be a competitive and hierarchical place.
What do you think a Pilates class has to offer to create a feeling of “togetherness”? Which aspects of this genre/field could challenge this feeling of “togetherness”?
You learn through watching and touching, feeling the body and understanding the Anatomy.
By integrating touch into the class, students begin to bond, exchange and learn.
You gave 4 Pilates classes to the participants of the project.
What was your main focus? What did you want to share with them? What should they experience?
Building a foundation – Breathing and Centering
You worked together with a dance student from SOZO who assisted you in the classes.
Do you think this contributed to the idea of the project? If so, how?
Yes, it helped immensely. When teaching partner work and touch it is very helpful to have someone more experienced assisting. It is usually necessary to assist each group manually. It helps the students/group to find trust in touching and feel if they are in a safe place which allows exploration.
During the 2 times you worked with the participants:
which changes regarding physicality and group dynamic did you witness? I found the Students interested and open to new ideas.
Do you see a connection between the physical changes and the changes in the group dynamic?
I can’t say that I was able to see a change in the group in that short amount of time. But it certainly opened their minds and gave them a new awareness. Let’s say a - Door Opener!