Shanghai Dancing

A new course I teach this semester is a hip hop group called the strikers. They are 4 boys at 9 years old and they love hip hop and breakdancing. It is very funny teaching them because they are so eager to learn, creative and we can do fun and exciting choreographies. And it is a nice variation to only have boys as well.
It really puts me out of my comfort zone since I see myself mostly as a contemporary dancer and teacher.

Last year at the Norwegian college of dance we had one week of breakdance workshop and I really liked it even if I had not had any contact with the dance style before. I reminds me of acrobatics so that I could use my strength “unafraidness” of being upside down. Also the focus on using momentum and gravity from release technique and flow in floorwork was familiar. And putting it together in an environment where creativity and personality is favored it also relates to my values of being free in the dance and not being forced into a box. Since I like challenges I accepted the task of becoming these boys teacher and at the same time I am learning a lot myself- so it is great!

I watch a lot of YouTube tutorials and practice in our livingroom different footwork, freezes, flow movements so that I also myself can execute them. Then I break it down in sense so that I can break it down even more to the kids, teaching the principle of for example weight shift first, and make exercises for class.
Last week the learned coffee grinder and they was so proud of themselves and happy. Their confidence transmits also to me and I feel that I am becoming a more versatile teacher and dancer since all this ne movements inspires me when I am creating my own pieces.

My schedule has some more slightly changes because of me requesting fewer mornings with kindergarten kids, to be able to have more time and energy to focus on my own dance development. And a new class I am starting up next week is contemporary/jazz. It was a hustle trying to market this course and getting people to sign up because ballet is by far the most popular style her in Shanghai’s expat community.

What I did was getting into wechat (social media that is huge in Asia) groups, invited by parents I have good communication with and posting adds to find kids plus 10 years interested in contemporary and jazz dance. If was difficult to fit everyone’s needs because of wishes and demands on different locations and timings during the week. I had to get at least 4 to be able to make it to one time and space to get an OK from the company to start up. Now I finally have 6 girls 9-10y and I am on planning season and session.

Since this is a fusion class I am using both principals from release technique such as floor work with rolls, swings and focus of weight, and energy from jazz, following rhythm and lyrics and exercises like isolations. There is room for Individuality and creativity in the class and semester because I use improvisation exercises and also letting them be part of creating choreography for the dance show.I am very excited about this and see how it goes.Below is an old collage I did playing in my old dance studio.

I asked the doctor what kind of treatment he recommended, like massage, but he said that would irritate the area even more and they only way to recover is let it rest. Lying down is the only way because even only sitting your back need to work to keep on upright posture.

Leaving the hospital I was very skeptical with doctors order of lying down and eating different pills subscribed for pain relief and muscle relaxant. Immediately I skyped with my resourceful brother if there was any other way and if he maybe recommend hot/cold treatment, stretching or stretching exercises instead?
We he explained the similarity to shin splints and the parallel of fascia around the muscles It all made sense. As I did to recover from that with rest (no relevés) and stretching and strengthening to not get it again made me accept the course of treatment, understand why it appeared (over worked and not enough stretching afterwards) and how to prevent it from reappearing.
For those who know me, knows I want to be all up to speed on what is going on with my body with sickness or injury almost to a form of obsession. Getting this sorting out my control issues are a bit calmed down. Of course I had to research the medication subscribed but they seems relevant.

Myonal acts primarily at the spinal cord level to depress spinal reflexes and produces skeletal muscle relaxation by diminishing the sensitivity of muscle spindles via the Gamma motor neuron system. Moreover, its vasodilatory action enhances the circulation. Thus, Myonal interrupts, in a multifaceted manner a vicious circle that muscle spasm initiates disturbances of blood flow which, in turn, produces pain, leading to further increased muscle tone.Myonal has been proven to be clinically effective in improving symptoms of spasticity and myotonia such as shoulder stiffness, cervical pain, headache, low back pain and muscle contraction rigidity and stiffness of limbs, which may accompany neck-shoulder-arm syndrome, scapulohumeral periarthritis, low back pain or encephalomyelopathies.
Celebrex is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Celecoxib works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body

The doctor spook English and was great. He even added me on wechat and checked up on me the following day on how I was doing. And sent me PDF file on Acute lower back pain information and exercises to recover as well as the earliest stretches I should start with. This kind of service I have not received from drop ins at the emergency  room in Scandinavia and a positive surprise.

So this is my 2^nd day lying down and eating pills and thinking happy though to be able to get back to work and dancing as soon as possible. I know starting to early would prolonger the recovery but it is a balance also to listen to your own capacity. It is boring and mentally challenging being this still and also reminding me a bit of the spine surgery I did as a teenager, which was quiet traumatic. Here is an old article I wrote in an old blog and it is in Swedish but of course there is translation tools on the internet…Tiden på sjukhuset

 But I try to make the best out of it. It is a great opportunity to catch up on admin work, look for inspiration dance videos, watch dance movies and documentaries and I even choreograph in my head. Will be nice once I  can try it out if it really works in reality… And of course I can stream a bit of Swedish quality tv such as På spårt, skavlan (which had Marina Abramovic as a host one episode!-great artist) and Mello. I do not want to make myself a victim of pity beacasue I want to be proud of myself and able to call myself fighter. 

 

 Sidenote: China as a fondness of cucumber flavor and it taste suprisingly good. I can recomend the chewing gums if you find them.