A couple of weeks ago at dance practice, we warmed up our hips in a way that would be considered wrong in other styles than Isadora Duncan. Instead of doing "isolations", ie letting our hips roll around freely like in Hawaiian Hula and West African dance, Lori showed how to move our lower back at the same time. It made me wonder. Was Isadora Duncan incapable of loosening her pelvis, or even the first trying to do so without becoming seen as too vulgar? Is there even any benefits to keep the motion intact with the back?
It struck me in comparison to yoga, that this way, the flow of the spine doesn't become broken. That rather than just moving our lower body and keeping the upper body still, or vice versa, not isolating the hips enables a more equal strength and flexibility.
In all Modern dance, it's all about the lines we create with our bodies, so I should perhaps simply ensure that my spine is the strongest line.
(I did hurt my lower back once, falling off a horse as a teenager. Maybe this too has had an impact.)
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