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Dimensional Streaming is a contemporary dance practice based on developing the depth and breadth of the dancer’s potential. Adaptability and Versatility are met with integral technical foundation and consistency as the underlying aim of the practice. Dimensional Streaming references themes, ideas, and methods from other techniques and movement languages such as Cunningham Technique, Limon Technique, Taylor Style, Release Technique, Horton Technique, FoCo, and Countertechnique and contextualizes them in its own cohesive framework. 

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The use of the word “dimensional” in the title refers to the navigation of multiple levels of presence. Physically, this includes the kinesthetic planes, and orientations. Mentally this refers to the consideration of movement and the body and how one may treat, enable, and understand movement. “Dimensional” also holds space for the metaphysical and spiritual connections to movement practice. Therefore, multitude in dimensionality is a key factor in the notion of constant presence in the practice, which I refer to as “streaming.” “Streaming” suggests the continuation of presence and intake throughout the practice. The natural connotation of “stream” relates it to the idea of flow, of changing to match its needed surroundings without losing its integrity and clarity. “Streaming” also refers to the technology based idea of “playing in real time,” where information is obtained and “streamed” through the body in a holistic immediate sense. The title “Dimensional Streaming” is to say that the practice centers around how continuous intake within a variety of realms of understanding movement may evoke a sense of immersion needed to allow the dancer to alter to the needs of the material while remaining or becoming more deeply grounded in their identity and consistency of skill.

 

Training begins with a follow along, sensation-based warm up that uses the repetition of isolated movements to engage the dancer’s physical and mental presence, while generating heat in the body. This is followed by exercises such as back exercises, foot articulation, plies, tendus and transfers of weight, jetes and leg swings, deep stretches, adagio, grand battements and flicks, balances, jump preparations, small jumps, medium jumps, and large jumps. Floorwork is included when fitting the specific class material and is placed either immediately after the warm up or before jump preparation. Across the floor sequences are also included when fitting and occur before the jump preparations. A final combination may be included to connect themes from the class, play with stylistic material, and/or call for specific demands of the dancer. Class ends with a follow along reverence of repetitive isolated movements to bring the body not to a place of stillness, but to a place of calmed activation and in preparation for the rest of the day. Some exercises, such as the first back exercise, grand battements, jump preparations, small jumps, and medium jumps are rather set or have often occurring iterations, while the others will change more frequently but will often follow similar structures of patterns. Occasional, Dimensional Streaming may be practiced in a continuous flow form, where the entire class is follow along, still following the same structure of exercises but with immediate physical response to the instruction and with minimal moments of rest or watching in between exercises. This is done to enhance the immersive experience of the class and to maintain a higher level of physical and mental presence.

 

Key components of Dimensional Streaming include the use of parallel position as a starting point for most exercises, to be followed by en croix patterning in natural rotation. Additional key components are the use of specific spine articulations, the use of ease and efficiency within technical demands, and a holistic approach to training the full dancer. Balance and duality are large parts of the practice. In many cases, a theme that is integral in one way is also integral in its opposite. For example, the practice uses an active sense of “neutral,” and comes back to this place often to continually establish it, while also intentionally avoiding it at times to challenge how it is to be returned to. Similarly, the idea of the “actual body” invites the dancer to consider their physically defined body as a bound vessel in its relationship to space and time, yet the idea is negated frequently in order to play with levels of energy and sensations of “oneness” with the environment around. Dualities are made clear not as “right and wrong” but as multiple lenses to approach material with (and often are not mutually exclusive). 

 

Dimensional Streaming aims to facilitate the dancer’s continuous development in technical control, depth, and understanding, as well as versatility and adaptability simultaneously in the desire to support the multitude of needs and potentials for today’s dancer. Most importantly the practice comes from a place of connecting to dance training as an act of connecting to one’ passion for continuous dance discovery.