FORMING

Forming is the finishing touch of the GRACE movement style.
  1. We've conditioned our body so our joints are able to release.
  2. We've developed the ability to effectively visualize suspending our spine from the nape of the neck and hopefully we have reaped some of the resulting pronounced relaxation.
  3. That suspension reveals our natural path of energy, free of tension and past trauma. This is possible because of the profound effect of the release of tension in the most crucial joint of the body, at the nape of the neck. 
  4. Forming is the process of taking that streamlined natural flow of energy and giving it direction, substance, character, definition.
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We can define, or form, that energy in any way we like. I have found a technique that I find beneficial. You may have totally different goals and inevitably, you will find your own movement vocabulary, style and meaning. Below are several ways I have found to experiment in my dance by focusing on particular dynamics. You can use these or define your own.
  • I think of suspending my spine from the nape of the neck with the weight of my spine gently stretching the distance between my vertebrae. This is the most basic focus. 
  • I form my natural energy from the nape down and outward. That form takes on any quality that emerges or you can be more specific and say you want to form your energy in a streamlined fashion as it flows naturally, for instance.
  • I can also focus on forming from the feet up. This is my current favorite, combined with suspending from the nape makes for an entertaining, graceful dance expression. 
  • I think of fully engaging my body while I dance. This is simply a great visualization to develop. It is especially valuable in performance. Being fully engaged includes your emotional presentation. Fully engaging your personality is the essence of stage presence.
  • Combine the natural float of the rib cage that comes with spinal suspension with the "diaphragmatic" breathing technique especially effective for dancers. This is a wonderful practice goal. Highly recommended.​
I have found personally that this process has changed how I perform in a most beneficial way. The different types of focuses described here have helped me to perform more in the present with considerably less anxiety. The past several months have been full of performances that have felt so satisfying to me. I don't know if the difference is apparent to those watching but my own experience has been more deeply felt and meaningful.

Practice suggestions:

All these ideas are ephemeral. I find it difficult to be specific in how I apply them. The best way I have found is to select a combination. Then practice the combination using each focus. Notice how each affects your performance of the combination. Here are some ideas I use:
  1. Dance the combination as usual.
  2. Practice it while imagining suspending your spine from the nape of your neck.
  3. Practice the combination by visualizing forming it from the nape of the neck down using your own natural dance expression, whatever that is. 
  4. Practice it thinking of forming your natural energy from your feet up instead. Notice the difference in the dance itself as well as in how you feel dancing it.
  5. Practice while concentrating on being fully engaged.
  6. Combine elements if you like but keep the specificity.

Try something new:

Some ideas to think about:
  • Form your energy to be sleek and sophisticated.
  • Use sharpness as a defining characteristic.
  • Try the opposite, amplifying soft, gentle, heartfelt movement.
  • Use curiosity as a motivating factor in describing your dance.
  • Think of different movement qualities identified with animals.
  • Form your movement using different emotions.
  • Possibilities are endless. Come up with your own. But get proficient at these instead of just dabbling.
Published July 4, 2026.