Turns (Upd: May 01, ’21)

We can condition our body with turns, but what causes us to turn in life? What resonates (or even spicier, what is the shadow) that so happens to turn our body? Once the qualia is found, this is what does the turning.

Human turns use an axis and separate the body into two parts at the sagittal plane (left and right side) but is really like an ouroboros snake trying to bite its own tail. The feet can be the axis point of the turn as well as the knees. The axes of a quadrupedal turn will depend on the pivot points between either lower extremity or upper extremities. The pelvis and the thoracic area can be the form of pivot. Accomplished breakdancers use the cranium as a pivot point.

We can also go beyond our notion of body turns, and attach turn to any channel, e.g. what happens if we have our eyes turn? Can we turn as if our eyes can rotate completely inside the eye sockets? Can we turn our emotions? Can we turn the current soundscape around?

 

Exercise 1: Owning Spins

Turn in place as fast as you can for some time. Then stop. Do not lose your balance. Do not be affected by your vision nor the equilibrium properties of the inner ear.

Exercise 2: Dancing Inside Spins

The trick to this is to keep the head in one solid position so that you can keep with the lines technique (see above). Dance as you would if you were in one place. The only thing that is different is that there is a spin involved. Don’t get overwhelmed. The straight lines before you are meant to keep you grounded. Once you get efficient with this, you can begin moving in space as you spin.

Exercise 3: Graduating Speeds

Practice going from very fast gradually to very slow (almost stillness) and vice versa.

Exercise 4: Tilted Pivot

Any pivot point does not have to be exactly 90 degrees. There can br a slight tilt. Try doing any various turns while playing around with degree of pivot.

Exercise 5: Reduction & Regeneration Spins

While in spin, utilize reduction & regeneration.

Exercise 6: Traveling Pivot Point (Intermediate/Advanced)

The pivot point of your spins shift. For instance, one can turn on their butt, and while the turn is going, the spin flows over to the lower back.

Exercise 7: Dizzy Traveling Turns (Intermediate/Advanced)

This requires familiarity with exercise 6. Spin for one or two minutes then let the body go. The dizziness will motivate you to traveling shifting pivot points as you turn. Be keen to change levels and degrees of tilt,

Exercise 8: Chaos Spins

Like a double pendulum which is not predictable whatsoever, spin from one side to the other (or one side then continuing the same side) in unpredictable manner, e.g. left, left, right, left, right, right, right, left, left, right, left, right, left, left, left, left. Also shift the timing. Once you have these down, travel through space while doing these chaos spins. Also experiment with floor patterns such as the figure eight.

Lines Technique For Maintaining Balance

This is a technique for not losing balance. It can be helpful for you to know how the body feels in neutral alignment. While spinning, you do not move the head, but everything stays in one position (e.g neutral alignment or another form of freeze or statue). You will now focus the visual channel to a section of the lines that are generated because you are spinning. Focus on the lines and they will keep you from getting dizzy.

De/Reterritorialized Turns

Is when the idea shifts from another channel such as an emotion, sound, or human relationship turning.