61 replies to this topic

[su-lian]

Yes, that's what I liked about the site, the diffrent pictures, diagrams and animations!

[BlackbirdBallerina]

I have a question for you, Grace. (yes, I'm one of those viewers looking on ;))

Ok, I understand everything you've told us so far, I think, but how do you know what step they are doing in the Benesh notations?  Do you have to memorize all the different kinds of steps/movement lines?  Or is there some rule that lets you read it kind of like music?  I don't think I'm asking this very well.  :rolleyes:  But I have been enjoying this thread, and I watched that dancer dance with her movement lines several times because it was so cool!

[grace]

blackbird: thanks for your question.

all these various symbols that you are learning about provide a language in which to write the steps.

so, (theoretically at least) anyone who learns how all the symbols are used, should be able to read any step that is written with them.

however, in practice, the particular combinations of positions (and therefore symbols) that make up, say, a pas de chat, a pas de bourree or a waltz, become SO familiar that a practised notator will recognise such common steps, without having to read every symbol - just the way most of us read english now, without actually sounding out the spelling.

make sense?

[grace]

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Did it take very long for you to master?

umm...i haven't 'mastered' it! i completed the course and passed my exams - but no way have i 'mastered' it!!! its jolly complex stuff! and since doing the course, i've had little reason to use anything beyond the basic level, so i've forgotten things.

a more straight answer would be that the intensive fulltime course for professional notators - which is what i did - is (approx) 16 months long.

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Why did you choose to study the subject?

aah...now that's going back a way...i was young and foolish. that's the answer. ;)

[grace]

Quote

Did it take very long for you to master?

umm...i haven't 'mastered' it! i completed the course and passed my exams - but no way have i 'mastered' it!!! its jolly complex stuff! and since doing the course, i've had little reason to use anything beyond the basic level, so i've forgotten things.

a more straight answer would be that the intensive fulltime course for professional notators - which is what i did - is (approx) 16 months long.

Quote

Why did you choose to study the subject?

aah...now that's going back a way...i was young and foolish. that's the answer. ;)

[grace]

Peregrin: i took your advice and had a look at the Bloch forums. regrettably i was very disappointed that they are so gossipy, being largely unmoderated, and apparently very tolerant (too tolerant?) of off-topic stuff - and even quite unsavoury stuff - at least it is unsavoury in my old-fashioned opinion!!!  ....i suppose that would be IMOFO, as an internet abbreviation...(instead of IMO or IMHO).

thank you very much for filling me in about them, as i was unaware of their existence, but i won't be going THERE in a hurry! i confess to very much enjoying the seriously focused approach which alexandra and the moderators foster, here.

[su-lian]

Sorry to ask this here, I've been wondering for a while, but haven't asked yet. What do IMO, IMHO and IMOFO mean?

[grace]

oh! IMOFO is one i just made up : "In My Old Fashioned Opinion"!

IMO means 'In My Opinion'

and

IMHO means 'In My Humble Opinion' (you'll find i don't use that one very often!) ;)

[su-lian]

Thank you grace!
I don't know if it's just me or if it's because benesh is new to me, but it seems much more complicated than reading a music sheet, IMO;) . Unless Peregrin is talking about something else, but that's what I relate benesh the most to if you've got to compare it with music.

[su-lian]

Thank you grace!
I don't know if it's just me or if it's because benesh is new to me, but it seems much more complicated than reading a music sheet, IMO;) . Unless Peregrin is talking about something else, but that's what I relate benesh the most to if you've got to compare it with music.

[grace]

su-lian, i think comparing it to music is sensible. but i also think that, if you and i were together and i could show you things on paper or on a white board, then you would regard benesh as the easier of the two.

[su-lian]

I don't know...It's not that benesh seems complicated as such, but it's more that there are so many things to look at, to watch out for, and those lines everywhere, they are very clear and explicit, but when you first look at them, they just look like lines going in all directions. It seems like there are much more things on the stave. Maybe it just comes with time and habit, because now I think of it, there are quite a few things on a music sheet too, but it seems more simple to me.

[grace]

good points su-lian. part of the problem also, is trying to take in too much new stuff without having good opportunities to re-inforce the most basic elements in your brain, first.

i'm going to leave this thread briefly at this point, and start another, partly because it is getting long (3 pages) and partly because we are at a point where we could move on to a slightly different approach. so please look over at Benesh 103 - Reading Notation:

http://www.balletale...&threadid=11260

[su-lian]

I'm sorry to ask Grace, but is this finished?:confused: Or are you just waiting a bit before continuing so that we have time to assimilate it or because you haven't had enough time?

[grace]

sorry, su-lian that i didn't see your post.

the truth is that i completely forgot about these benesh threads, when they were no longer coming up if i clicked my 'View New Posts' button.

will commence again sometime soon, i promise.

thanks for your interest.