Researching Frantic Assembly: Practical Methods/Trust Exercises PMD3/4

We used a video from Frantic as a way to gain an insight into how the company use a series of exercises used by the company to develop trust between performers and to produce the dynamic weight bearing movement as per the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. 


Push Hands:
Frantic Assembly perceive this activity to be the first step in working towards contact work within their practice, reason being that it cuts out unwanted stimuli with one participants eyes being closed, and allows the performers to adapt to the concept of sending and receiving signals using non-verbal communication techniques, as well as giving them an opportunity to develop a trusting bond with other members of the company before proceeding onto the more elaborate forms of contact.

In this exercise, we labelled each other A and B. Person B would place their hand on top of Person A's. A would push into B's hand creating a degree of pressure between hands. B then led A around the space, creating different pathways and levels. When the word "eyes" was said, the person would open/close their eyes. Person A and B would then switch and repeat the process.

Practising Flying:
The next activity we undertook was the idea of getting used to "flying" and trying to make come contact work seem effortless and weightless. One person within the pair would form a strong platform on the ground by engaging their core, whilst the other would plant their hands onto this platform as they push off and create the desired shape with the rest of their bodies as they travel, or 'fly' over the platform.

The exercises we practiced were those previously taught to us in a workshop with the company Metro Boulot Dodo.

In the first of these exercises, one person would form a strong platform on their hands and knees, engaging the core and creating a flat back in doing so. The other person would then jump over the platform, pushing off of the platform's back to achieve height.

With one person still using the previous position as a platform, the second would squat in order to connect their hip to the platform. From here, they would lean over the platform onto their hands, create a position with the legs, and finally push themselves back up again.

One other exercise, which I experienced in another MBD workshop, incorporated the platform position once again. The second performer would, aiming to position their hips in the centre of their partner's back, as this would evenly distribute the weight, balance on the platform's back. The second person would then lift through the sternum and legs and hold said position, before tucking the right shoulder and head under in order to roll off the platform, without holding onto them. 

The final exercise was a hip lift. Here, both performers are standing up, right hip to right hip, facing opposite directions. The person lifting would plie in order to assist with getting more height into the lift, whilst the person being lifted would jump/lean into them. The lifter would then turn in a small circle and put their partner down.

Lifting Exercise:
Further building on ideas from the previous task, we then came together as one group to practice such a concept on a larger scale, whereby an individual would be lifted by the rest of the group, with the weight of the individual being planted in a single person, who was labelled the "rock".

Apologies for some videos being upside down.
Should I find a way to rectify this I will upload them again at a later date!