#89 Smooth Pinguin Bounce
In my most recent movement research sessions at the studio, I have been revisiting some of Russell Maliphant’s classes, which are influenced by David Grey’s approach to rehabilitation and movement mechanics.
The practice invites us to explore how the body moves as an interconnected whole. Through spirals, weight shifts, joint activations and fluid transitions, the relationship between stability and mobility, strength and flow, and control and letting go is explored.
One exercise involves repeatedly clapping the ball of the foot against the floor, almost like a penguin’s gait. As simple as it sounds, these small, unusual movements awaken a new awareness of how the feet are connected to the rest of the body and how movement spreads through the joints and tissues.
What never ceases to surprise me about this kind of practice is how good the exercise feels in my body – not just during the session, but especially the next day. Even something as mundane as walking to the toilet feels different: connected, springy and effortless. It’s as if my body has found its natural alignment.
These explorations of movement have opened up a space between rehabilitation, somatic awareness and dance – a form of practice that has felt like a home for my movement work in recent years.
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