American Choreographer and Developer of McLeod Technique Sean McLeod is heard in this original archived footage of a Modern Technique class in 2000. In this particular class, he is teaching the Immersion Series. This series began the construction and became the core of several pieces of Kaleidoscope Dance Theatre/Sean McLeod Dance Experience repertory, including Etude De Mouvement, which was set on Kaleidoscope Dance Theatre and premiered in June 2001.
From a Classical Ballet Tendu, to kicks where the legs take a roundhouse construction inspired from martial arts, throughout the immersion series the vast vocabulary of movement Sean draws from can clearly be seen. In this set specifically, using his vast knowledge to teach safe physical structure, Sean has the dancers going to and from the ground repeatedly without damaging the knees. But even in the midst of such physical and demanding work, there are still moments of breath and release; allowing the body to stretch and relax while focusing solely on the muscles that support this safe construction.
There is however, another lesson in this video that can be applied in anything difficult or complicated in life or in dance; the importance of being able to fail with a smile on your face. As the sets become more complicated and quick, you’ll notice the dancers don’t get frustrated or give up; they simply recalibrate there bodies... and smile! This can apply to anything in life. Just smile, learn, and adjust to the next puzzle and soon what seemed hard at first will be as easy as tying a shoe lace (which at one point we all had to learn how to do).