Have you ever watched a flock of birds fly together? With each twist and turn, the massive group of birds fluently shift and alter positions within the flock as they continue to glide across the sky. They make it seem so effortless, so natural. As humans, we do not have this innate tendency to travel together in large groups. In fact, at times we are so disconnected from each other and completely absorbed in our own lives that it seems we could never work together in such a manner as birds do on a regular basis.
This week in my modern dance class, we worked on the technique of flocking. Exactly as the birds move in the sky, we try to move as a small group of dancers. Standing in a relatively tight clump, one person begins moving however they feel with the rest of the group imitating their exact movements. As the person changes direction, the leader also changes. Whoever is in the front of the pack when the direction shifts becomes the new leader. It may sound somewhat confusing, but after some time practicing it becomes more natural and more enjoyable. As each new person takes the lead, the formation slowly morphs into something new with the different movements from each person driving these changes. At first, it was necessary to say the person’s name out loud who would take the lead next in order to confuse any confusion or collisions. But as time progressed, the verbal cues became less necessary, and a sort of unspoken understanding evolved within the group. The “flock” of dancers move in and out of each other just as a flock of birds would.
The technique teaches individual improvisational skills as well as the important skill of communicating with others through dance. I found the exercise to be extremely interesting and beneficial, and it helped me to realize that there is always something new to be discovered through dance.