Dance Techniques 2010

78 Understanding the Body / Movement
strength if they learn how to use the space inside the joints
instead of blocking them with too much tension. As a result,
the dancer will have more endurance.
Initially dancers are apt to associate the extreme spatial
range of movement in a Countertechnique class with hard
work; in the first classes they often use far too much undirected
strength, leading to exhaustion and muscle pain.
As they learn more about the principles, they understand
that extreme spatial range is achieved by coordination of
weight in space through clearly directed thoughts, an efficient
use of the body’s anatomy, and by always providing
a counter–direction to each movement. This way the
movements are lighter and less exhausting. When applying
Countertechnique principles in daily training, combined
with rest between sessions for the body and mind to adapt
to the new information, coordination will improve—and
other motor skills will follow.
“It has a certain system that helps you
to recollect certain movements. There is
an echo in the body...she’s constantly
making you reflect on the way how you
move from one point in the space to
the other point in the space—with less
tension, the most organic and logical way.”
Sven Bahat, student
As Countertechnique’s goal is improved functionality
and efficiency, as opposed to an aesthetic that only people
with specific anatomical dispositions can meet, studying
it teaches students how to use natural capabilities to their
fullest potential. Training can be individualized to meet a
student’s needs.
A core element in Countertechnique is called scanning.
Scanning means that dancers actively observe their own
physical and mental state, and consciously access ‘drawers’
from the Countertechnique toolbox that enable them
to work on specific problems as well as on their dancing in
general. 5 In the beginning, teachers introduce basic information
from and about the toolbox. Next, they help students
to make a simple choice between two components.
Beginning thusly, students learn by actively applying only
a limited amount of information. Once dancers are more
advanced in the technique, they can begin to use the toolbox
independently. By actively scanning one’s own body
and deciding which tools are needed, the toolbox provides
orientation for an individual’s learning process. Anouk
van Dijk believes that dancers should ultimately become
5 See chapter “Historical Context”,
“Individual Approach”.
their own teachers: Reaching one’s own fullest potential
means taking an active and personal role in the ongoing
learning process that spans a dancer’s entire career. Some
dancers are naturally faster, others are naturally stronger,
and still others are naturally more coordinated—but all
this is beside the point. If dancers with a good understanding
of the basic principles of Countertechnique need to
become faster in a specific movement, they have the tools
that will help them to actually become faster. This holds
true for all motor skills. What one sees, in the end, are
dancers who are ‘in the moment’, applying their whole self
to technically challenging movement.
“This is really a new level I’m going
through, going beyond my borders.”
Fem Has, student
Countertechnique tries to create more space and freedom
of movement inside the body, especially inside the joints.
Very flexible dancers may hurt themselves when working
on this if they are not yet strong enough to support a
wider range of movement. Dancers who are hyper-flexible
might need additional strengthening exercises to prevent
joints from dislocating. Dancers who have built up much
muscular strength, on the other hand, often find it helpful
to take Alexander Technique lessons to soften. Alexander
Technique is not concerned with working on movement
but with the state of the body as such. As a body awareness
technique, it focuses on how people are misusing the
natural state of their body and aims to help the unlearning,
inhibiting obstructive or harmful habits and patterns
in order to regain freedom. In Alexander Technique, releasing
movement inhibition and directing the body can be
experienced in a pure way, which can help Countertechnique
students in understanding what reducing unnecessary
tension really means. Countertechnique incorporates
principles from Alexander Technique, and propels them
into action.
Especially during the first couple days spent practicing
Countertechnique, students might feel sore. Since Countertechnique
goes against acquired habits of initiating and
controlling movement, the full range of exercises in class
can cause pain in the lumbar area due to increased pressure
and lack of use of a counter–direction (which would
take away the increased pressure). In the third part of the
class, extreme upper body and head movements are combined
with refined leg–work so that with every movement,
the true weight of the limbs is acknowledged. Apart from
that, the movement combinations require a lot of bending
and folding in the hip joint. Some dancers don’t use the hip
joint to its full potential; they perform the necessary movement
by bending the lumbar spine instead. So, the reasons
for pain in initial phase of practicing Countertechnique
are twofold: First, the dancers are not yet strong enough,