Dance Techniques 2010

Barbara Passow — Jooss–Leeder Technique
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indwells Passow, the dancer. Beyond this, she demonstrates
the social interactions of embodiment and to embody. Passow,
as dancer and teacher, consequently represents a style
of composition and expression of particular cultures, as
well as a diversity of techniques and internal and external
approaches toward them. 38 In teaching, she conveys her
work and its related historical and content–driven context
through herself—as body knowledge. Especially due to
her choice of teaching methods, i.e. imitation, the transfer
of knowledge occurs to a large extent from body to
body. Passow is not just imparting this dance form, she
herself is the intermediary—on the levels of body, language,
voice, person, inner bearing, and outward appearance.
The dance vocabulary, as understood by Michael
Diekamp, her husband (who had, in turn, learned from
Kurt Jooss), has multidimensionally written itself into her
consciousness and onto her physicality, and is intertwined
with other experiential fields. Fueled by her passion for the
dance, she shares an embodied realm of experiences with
students by opening herself, and her physicality, for productive
dialogue. All of this is palpable when she teaches.
Passow used teaching methods that have significance and
meaning for herself, in combination with the respective
teaching approach and role.
When we speak of a transfer of information from body
to body, then the technique becomes both the contents and
the means of communicating: this happens in a bound,
formless, and quality–related way. In the case of Passow’s
teaching, multi-sensory information speaks to the dancers
in their corporeality and as social beings.
Barbara Passow begins her training in silence, with
students lying on the floor. Her voice is nearly a whisper,
so gentle it is almost as if she is asking for entry into another
world, asking herself for permission into her store
of knowledge, finding her way into the swing of it and
setting up a connection—as if she must first find her way
into ‘transmission mode’. 39 “Starting with the swings,
something gets going in me,” is how she described it
during a conversation. The swings awaken her desire to
dance and bring her in touch with her energy (‘gut instinct’).
The swings create a strong dynamic that, for
Passow, means, “Joy and giving oneself completely to the
movement.” Her movement motifs are characterized by
rhythmic accents and beat changes (regular–irregular). A
gut feeling, “the joy of contrasts,” as she puts it, leads her
through the class, whereby she makes use of her differentiated
and experienced handling of rhythmic movement
sequences.
Selection of and decision for a particular series of rhythmic
structures comes from her inner logic, mitigated by
what Passow finds appropriate for her students. Rhythmic
structures, especially strong accentuations and drawn–
out phrasing, are her personal contribution to the Jooss–
Leeder Technique. The joy of dancing, passion, rhythm,
and expressive power are expressed as qualities within the
technique’s language. Beyond this, Passow establishes an
experiential platform that places the Jooss–Leeder Technique
in a larger context for the students.
On a sensory level, students employ sight, hearing, and
touch for learning. Information is processed kinesthetically
and aurally. Passow utilizes her voice to a great extent;
along with speaking, she also makes vocal sounds
with surprising effect. Her voice goes deep, occasionally
becomes loud, and can generate long drawn–out or accentuated
‘a’ and ‘o’ sounds with abandon that resonate
from her abdomen and chest. These sounds help students
to experience their own movements more intensively.
Passow is asking that the movement be filled with feeling
and expression. Her voice reflects the movement’s
dynamic—similar to what has been reported about Kurt
Jooss in this respect. 40 With its robust vitality, her voice
serves as an inner ‘dancing along’, and assists students in
finding impressions for movement.
In the students’ questionnaire, the following comments
were found: “She often uses her voice—especially a change
in tone—in order to accentuate the desired dynamic.” “She
often uses (body)noises, which I find extremely helpful.”
“She often gives corrections through vocal expressions.”
Through her multifaceted vocal presence, Passow also
conveys: “This is about something! What we are doing
here is important.”
Emotional feeling is also reflected on another level,
without Passow explicitly intending it. When questioned
about Passow’s feelings for movement, students replied:
“The movement leads the body, not vice versa.” “Alongside
the exercises Barbara tries to create an atmosphere
with movement.” “Because of what is sometimes a big
difference between letting go and finding a fixed position,
I feel powerful and free simultaneously.” “Sturdier, like I
thought I was going to a wedding.” “Lively, vibrant, expressive,
strong.” “I like the flow.” “Relaxed, stretching
flow.” “Space in the body.” “I like the sensing of weight in
38 “Both ballet and expressionistic dance
connote a ‘body knowledge in movement’
in that they draw on performance rules
and strategies in moving oneself within the
‘cultural memory’ in order to symbolically
express both oneself and culture by means
of operating with symbols.” (Nicole Faust:
Körperwissen in Bewegung. Vom klassischen
Ballett zum Ausdruckstanz. Marburg: Tectum
Verlag, 2006, p. 131.)
39 Transmission mode refers to which channels
of communication are used to convey
and to receive. Here the teacher opens up
to an inner and outer responsive willingness,
both for herself and the group.
40 See Stöckemann 2001, p. 361.