4/1/2026 - Week 12 / Meeting 21: Blanche Evan's Improvisational Methods / Enactment

 

 

Unit: Blanche Evan's Improvisational Methods

Theme: Enactment

 

I

Introduction

Continuing with our unit on Blanche Evan's methodology, today, we will explore Enactment. For the dancer in general, enactment is a dance term it includes traumatic experience. Thy can also be positive experiences

 

II 

Learning Objectives

 

  • Understand the ideas related to enacting movement
  • Explain the sensations generated as a result of enactement
  • Gain awareness of the use of embodied movement to enact trauma
  • Experience solo and duet work by enacting cognitive ideas
  • Reflect on the creative process at the end of the lesson

 

 III

 

 WARM UP

Stretching 

 
IV
 
 1
 
Training includes studying improvisation which uses creative dance as its base, while constantly enriching it through concentration, depth, and an increase of movement vocabulary. 
 
Blanche Evan
American Journal of Dance Therapy (1982)


Question 1
 
Explain what Evan meant in the above quote?
------------------------
2

Blanche Evan's Improvisation Method (Review)


The four aspects of Evan's improvisation technique are "externalizing," "enacting," "physicalizing," and "rehearsing."
 
 -------------------------
 
3

Today we are focusing on:
 

Enacting

Recreating a significant life experience that one may be able to embellish through the enactment of previously unexpressed feelings by creating movement and dance.
 

TEXTBOOK:
(Page 51)


Question 2

Based on the reading above:
What is enactment?

Question 3

After reading Evan's ideas about enacting, briefly describe in writing a life experience that you may identify as your theme for today's work.   

4

 Read the book


 

Landscape of the Now: A Topography of Movement Improvisation

Improvisations (Page 8)

Kent De Spain

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Landscape_of_the_Now/9-J_AwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Dance+Improvisation&printsec=frontcover

De Spain, Kent (). Landscape of the Now: A Topography of Movement Improvisation. Oxford University Press

Question 4

Summarize the content on page 8.

-----------------------------------

 
  IV
 
 
 Improvisation Exercise (10 min)

Today we are addressing  enacting, which is about recreating a significant life experience through movement driven from unexpressed feelings.

So, now let us again delve fully into body movement and creative dance improvisation using the theme you described in question 4.

Follow the following order:

Explore: Movement exploration to begin to feel feelings (2 min)

Identify: Identify those feelings when they are felt (2 min)

Express: Express these feelings in movement metaphors (2 min)

Connect: Find the connection between your movement metaphors
               and the theme you chose (2 min).
 
 



 -------------------------------
 
 
V

ACTIVITY 1

Choose 8 moves and create your dance or movement phrase based on a significant life experience and unexpressed feelings.


 Question 5

Write a brief reflection of your creative process.
Make up students, record and post your movement phrase for today.



 
 ------------------------
 
VI
 
 
 Solo Dance Improvisation

Example of what enactment could look and feel like.


Llorando | Crying -| Dance improvisation


Question 6

Write a brief response to this video. 
How does it relate to your own experience as a dancer enacting a significant life experience.
 
 

---------------------------------------


VII
 
 

Inspirational Video


Dance improvisation | Mix Genres

  Question 7

Notice that in this video we see a couple. How does watching this video affect your appreciation for dance improvisation?

--------------------------------------------

 VIII
 
Students' Work from Previous Semesters

Lauren 

Lauren's was one of many great videos, (during the pandemic's lock-down), but the only one on YouTube. The others were recorded and posted on temporary links, which expired after a number of days.


 
 
 
 
 
IX
 
ACTIVITY
 
Go to your group and continue working on your ensemble score.


X

Students' Work

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