stop rehearsal observation

By Lauren Forsythe
​This past Sunday I,as a JAMpress Management Fellow, had the opportunity to observe one of the STOP (by Shana Simmons) rehearsals. The rehearsal focused not only on learning choreography,but also connecting one's mental state to physical movement. Shana lead the group through a series of exercises to challenge dancers. 
It was interesting to hear feedback from the group on their experiences from the exercises. Many of the dancers made connections to control issues, self-motivation, and the freedom felt in the mind and body after being restricted. As an observer, I could not see the internal struggle with restriction, relaxation, and control that each dancer was going through, but the experiences they described are struggles that go far beyond just dance. 

Check out footage from the rehearsal on JAM's YouTube channel, JAMstation. 
https://youtu.be/VxNiT0D01xw