Breaking New Ground for 100 Days Project Scotland

The 100 Days Project is enjoyable and great value for many different reasons.

Today’s value comes in my acceptance of the fact that I am SUPER behind in my wee blogging schedule I’d set myself. The plan was to post this blog about 3 of our participants, on Day 33, in my 3rd year of the project, marking a 3rd of the way through this year’s project. Oh how delightful and satisfying this would have been! Equally I remind myself that I have been working, studying, and essentially doing two daily projects (#dailycount2019 and #islas100imprints)....something had to give.

So here we are much later than planned on Day 54, less numerically pleasing perhaps but still a fine day for talking about an exciting thing....OUR FIRST 3 DANCERS!

Now, when I dance it’s with little control, style, or understanding of where I’m putting myself; not the case at all for our 3 breakdancers. Having been delighted by their posts so far (and marvelled at how they make their bodies do that) I asked them all to comment on what they were enjoying about the project and what got them involved.

EMMA+READY.jpg — Emma Ready

My name is Emma Ready and I am a bgirl (breakdancer). I am working on freezes for my 100 Days Project. Freezes are held positions in breaking that act as a full stop to the end of a movement phrase.

I chose freezes as they are a weak point in my dancing, something I don’t focus on much when I am practicing, therefore not something I use much when I am performing. I thought this would be a good opportunity to improve on this aspect of my breaking.

I am at times enjoying the challenge, and at other times wondering how on earth I am going to think of so many different freezes. Sometimes I can take a photo in a few minutes but other days it has taken hours to capture something I am happy with. It’s definitely easier when someone else takes the picture for me, but when I am alone I have been alternating between taking screenshots of selfie videos or using a timer on an app called Fish Eye Pro. It gives me 10 seconds to press the button and get into position, which is not very long! This has however, proven to be a useful exercise in eliminating my tendency to overthink.

I am not only learning how to be more versatile with positions, but also what camera angles to use to capture the shape in the best way possible. It is also pushing me to do more freezes on my right side, my weaker side, so that my head is not always in the same side of the photos. I am also aware that all my freezes are grounded, and that I need to work on more air freezes (handstand type positions). At some point I will post some of these, but I want to practice them more first haha!

Deeman

I’m Deeman - a bboy (breakdancer) from the Flyin’ Jalapenos crew. I got challenged by Emma Ready who’s also participating. I chose footwork for this project which is any movement on the floor with your feet while using your arms for support. You can rely on your legs completely too.

I’m taking 10 different foundational movements in footwork, coming up with variations for each of them rotating movements every 10 days. Since doing so, my agility and creativity has been increasing rapidly by finding new ways of breaking down movements that I’ve known for many years. I’m also motivated to find even more ways.

James the Robot

The project facilitates daily creation. One picture a day is a small task and can easily be overlooked but soon it adds up to something exciting….

It’s stopping me from overthinking and over cultivating my Instagram. It is just pictures of things. I tore my rotator cuff this year and started the 100 days the day after my surgery; you can see in all my early pictures I have a sling on.

This project has given me daily purpose and motivation. Having small goals daily helps keep my mental health in check as I’ve always used training and creating to de-stress and order my thoughts.

Emma Ready suggested I get involved, and the challenge has been very valuable to me so far. Offering a positive challenge like this is exactly the sort of support I crave and the knowledge that her and Deeman are doing it at the same time is also rewarding. I wish more people motivated each other in this way and it’s definitely something I’m going to encourage in the future.

Hearing feedback like this is wonderful…

I am genuinely delighted that other people are seeing benefits of being involved in the 100 Days Project. The progression in practice is ultimately what this project is about, but hearing about gains in strength, agility, confidence, mental health, mindfulness, photography, and community makes this all the more worthwhile.

Why not follow @emmaready, @breakboy_deeman, and @james_therobot on Instagram, or follow their progress along with others participating by following the project hashtags #100daysprojectscotland and #100daysprojectscotland2019?

Photography:
Cover photo EmmaReady: Freeze 52 - Russian Arms by @BgirlEttaTee
EmmaReady: Freeze 4 - Footwork Lean by @indreturbo
James_TheRobot: Airfreeze No.2 Daddy Long Legzz