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 Svetlana has to say. She taught the music workshop to the TTP participants.
Svetlana Smertin was born in Russia and teaches music, rhythm and singing at SOZO visions in motion. She graduated in music education and rhythmic education at the Hochschule für Musik Theater und Medien in Hannover. She also studied music at the Superior Conservatorio de Musica de Madrid in Spain and contemporary dance at SOZO visions in motion.
Svetlana is a lecturer at the Hochschule für Musik Theater und Medien in Hannover, as well as at the Musikhochschule Franz Liszt in Weimar. She works as a freelance artist in the field of music, dance, acting and performance.
So Svetlana ...
This project is called “TTP – Thinking Together Physically“
What do you understand by “thinking physically“ ?
For me, thinking physically means communicating through the body. To blank out the obvious rationality and instead focus on the physical base. Ultimately, it means telling stories through the body.
How did you plan to approach this idea in your classes?
The body is an instrument at your disposal, one can discover its percussive or sound elements, the voices of the body itself, if you will. In a group, we can explore the rhythmic elements, the speed and rhythm, and simply groove. And you don’t even need ‘normal’ instruments for that. Your body suffices.
The professional dance world can be a competitive and hierarchical place.
What do you think a body percussion/music class has to offer to create a feeling of “togetherness”? Which aspects of this genre/field could challenge this feeling of “togetherness”?
In music workshops, there is no hierarchy. The music pieces are constantly re-combined, offering new facets of rhythmic atmosphere, so that every participant gets the chance to integrate and explore themselves as part of the group. Everybody’s ideas and strengths matter, turning the pieces into something unique that only work in this ‘togetherness’.
You gave 3 body percussion classes to the participants of the project.
What was your main focus? What did you want to share with them? What should they experience?
In the first part, my focus for the group rested on musicality, precision, and the importance of the body in practicing music. Composure and precision are important for proper timing, which ultimately creates the groove. Different body parts, in turn, make different sounds that require attentive listening. In the second half of the workshop, we focused on the voice and its individual qualities that we explored creatively as a group. The students learned to actively experiment with their voices.
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?
It was special to work with an assistant who is used to ’trying out new things’. It is always nice to witness the development and commitment, especially if the assistance is not from a music background.
During the 3 times you worked with the participants:
which changes regarding physicality and group dynamic did you witness?
There were two noticeable developments. In the second workshop, the ice broke and participants were quite focused on implementing the tasks. The second important development relates to learning. In the last workshop, participants readily improvised and were able to work with their material without much guidance.
Do you see a connection between the physical changes and the changes in the group dynamic?
It was interesting to see how some participants improved over the course of the workshop series. Everyone found their place, effectively even those that decided not to turn up anymore.
