THE WHAT:
This resource demonstrated the improvised context of exploring floor-entrance & exit patterns (FEN/FEX), lateral-rolling variations, and ‘neck circles’, leading to the ‘Pendulum roll’ and ‘Shoulder-Role’ patterns. These are considered ‘fundamental’ aspects in that, together, they provide the practitioner with an immediately interconnected & usable vocabulary for floor-contact movement. Whilst FEN/FEX patterns provide a coherent beginning/end between collections of improvised sequences, lateral-rolling provides the basic locomotive method and directional changes/explorative transitions are found in ‘neck circles’, ‘Pendulum roll’ and ‘Shoulder-Role’

Providing a space/time for improvisation allows the practitioner to explore how isolated and integrated bodies of patterns which have been practiced come out (or not) in an open, applied context. As well as “revising” work already invested in within a more free-flowing scenario, it is also an opportunity to link together patterns and concepts which have perhaps been practiced separately from one another, and yet are intrinsically related. This can manifest in newly-found connections or even entirely new transitions “brought out” by the improvised context, one which allows for more ‘bottom/up’ learning (ideas developed through movement), as opposed to the ‘top/bottom’ contexts (movement according to a pre-conceived template) innate to learning given patterns & sequences.

As with all improvised scenarios, whilst there may be moments in which embodied movements come to surface in an ‘autopilot’ manner as the elusive experience of “flow” is experienced, work here should also be DELIBERATE, in that the practitioner should actively EXPLORE and PRACTICE both connections between patterns, as well as general concepts behind ‘floorwork’ as a subject (e.g. textures of “softness”, mechanical efficiency/aesthetic of “ease”, and movement ‘quality’). These are all emphasised throughout the resources for patterns contained in this improvised exploration.

THE HOW:
Before improvising with patterns, it is clear that sufficient experience with those patterns, as well as key concepts & intentions underlying the general practice, is required beforehand. It is recommended, therefore, that the practitioner has spent time & developed a baseline level of proficiency with certain specific & bodies of patterns contained in resources such as: ‘FEN/FEX from seated’, ‘FEN/FEX from squat’, ‘Fundamental lateral roll’, ‘Open-hip roll’, ‘Arm-tucked lateral roll’, ‘Circles of the neck’ and ‘Pendulum roll & shoulder-Role’. The ‘Fisherman squat & box-turn to knee-slide’ can also be plugged in here as a floor-entrance pattern, and likewise ‘Hollow-body lateral roll’ variations also find a welcome home here.

Practice of the improvised context, then, can be revisited at any time the practitioner wishes to see how a newly acquired floor-work pattern/body of patterns connects with those already in the repertoire. This could be maintained for a single phase of 6-8 weeks as frequently as the practitioner wishes (the physical intensity is very low and can even be practiced daily) for a single visit of 3-5 minutes in a session, in a ‘round’ of other improvised context for 90 seconds of work each and multiple sets (e.g. 2-5), or even opened up for an extended space of 10 minutes of non-stop movement, simply, lowering the intensity as feelings of fatigue develop.
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