Day 2 was a blur.
Water Technique at 10,
EMP at 11,
lunch until 12:30 or so
then rehearse until - 5:00.
A quick trip to buy clothing I can turn into costumes,
dinner with Angela and the company, and then
home to bleach, dye, dye again, and alter the clothing to begin the costume making process.
Not much sleep, and then do it all again!
And I'm OLD! Not to mention just had major surgery 4 months ago. But it's fun for me even though the body complains a bit. OK, it complains a lot.
The 20+ dancers here have taken very well to the absolute purity of Water Technique. Today I touched on kinesiological concepts for gaining flexibilty as well. They come with open minds and hearts, are good listeners, and value the absolution of habitual movements that distract from the body’s ability to move with ease and strength by empowering gravity… fall & recovery (thank you Doris Humphrey).
EMP seems to be a natural fit here too. The dancers present with untainted intentions. They value the opportunity to learn to dive into the deepest nuances of the ART of dance. They understand that movement that speaks to the soul through masterful technique holds an entirely different power than dance that is merely cool steps or great tricks strung together. And they want to learn how.
Using powerful and authentic moments captured through EMP, Instinct (the advanced dance company), spends the afternoon with me honing a new piece of choreography. We are resetting “Whispers, Silence, Rumors”. This is version three and represents for me the ability to dive ever deeper into a concept that has my attention: gossip. However, this version takes into consideration my recent neck surgery and the implications of neck to voice. Using the same processes that I employed to create the previous two versions, I have connected the dots by selected a few choice moments to remain the same in all three versions, but the rest is completely different as influenced by the differing personalities.
Rob Crouch, a life-friend of mine, came to watch rehearsal and brought his daughter. They made stunning observations. Rob had seen Whispers II in rehearsal in the Bay Area, so he had the insight to point out how the process honors the personalities that are involved. That the dance remains the same, but at the same time is presented with entirely different steps and the meaning changes slightly. He pointed out that it was interesting to see how it changed while retaining the power of the work.
I really love these dancers.
Through bruised skin, sore muscles and floor burns they don’t complain at all. Through dancing 6 hours at an incredible intensity, they maintain their sense of humor, cry when it’s an appropriate release, and laugh when that is more appropriate. For me, this is what being human is all about… sharing intimate intensity that enhances the lives of those we touch. Not holding back, but taking the risk to be real and understanding the incredible value that brings to all.
Two mores days to go.
So much more to do.
It's all about creating magic!
Water Technique at 10,
EMP at 11,
lunch until 12:30 or so
then rehearse until - 5:00.
A quick trip to buy clothing I can turn into costumes,
dinner with Angela and the company, and then
home to bleach, dye, dye again, and alter the clothing to begin the costume making process.
Not much sleep, and then do it all again!
And I'm OLD! Not to mention just had major surgery 4 months ago. But it's fun for me even though the body complains a bit. OK, it complains a lot.
The 20+ dancers here have taken very well to the absolute purity of Water Technique. Today I touched on kinesiological concepts for gaining flexibilty as well. They come with open minds and hearts, are good listeners, and value the absolution of habitual movements that distract from the body’s ability to move with ease and strength by empowering gravity… fall & recovery (thank you Doris Humphrey).EMP seems to be a natural fit here too. The dancers present with untainted intentions. They value the opportunity to learn to dive into the deepest nuances of the ART of dance. They understand that movement that speaks to the soul through masterful technique holds an entirely different power than dance that is merely cool steps or great tricks strung together. And they want to learn how.
Using powerful and authentic moments captured through EMP, Instinct (the advanced dance company), spends the afternoon with me honing a new piece of choreography. We are resetting “Whispers, Silence, Rumors”. This is version three and represents for me the ability to dive ever deeper into a concept that has my attention: gossip. However, this version takes into consideration my recent neck surgery and the implications of neck to voice. Using the same processes that I employed to create the previous two versions, I have connected the dots by selected a few choice moments to remain the same in all three versions, but the rest is completely different as influenced by the differing personalities.
Rob Crouch, a life-friend of mine, came to watch rehearsal and brought his daughter. They made stunning observations. Rob had seen Whispers II in rehearsal in the Bay Area, so he had the insight to point out how the process honors the personalities that are involved. That the dance remains the same, but at the same time is presented with entirely different steps and the meaning changes slightly. He pointed out that it was interesting to see how it changed while retaining the power of the work.I really love these dancers.
Through bruised skin, sore muscles and floor burns they don’t complain at all. Through dancing 6 hours at an incredible intensity, they maintain their sense of humor, cry when it’s an appropriate release, and laugh when that is more appropriate. For me, this is what being human is all about… sharing intimate intensity that enhances the lives of those we touch. Not holding back, but taking the risk to be real and understanding the incredible value that brings to all.
Two mores days to go.
So much more to do.
It's all about creating magic!
1 comment:
Expressive Movement Processing
Experiences
I have taken several workshops in Expressive Movement Processing (EMP) with Anandha Ray at Moving Arts Dance in Concord, CA. Each experience was so powerful and interesting. It is such a different kind of experience, to allow one’s body to tell a story, without planning the story and without trying to shape it. One has to give up self consciousness and be willing to demonstrate whatever is within, in front of others who have agreed to be non-judgmental witnesses. I think it is such a valuable process because it unlocks emotions and experiences that are “held” within the cells, muscles and bones of the body. It is like a raw, uncut enactment of oneself, that even the self’s mind is not aware of. It is perhaps an expression of memories or impressions that are buried beyond the conscious mind that need to be released. I have found that by doing this process, I have been changed in powerful and positive ways, and sometimes in subtle, abstract ways. I think for dancers it is a great tool to develop skill in genuine, authentic movement, and in moving in the moment, being fully present. We found that after our EMP sessions, our dance performances were always the best. Also, there is a supportive bond that forms among the participants that is very special. And, we took specific movements from our EMP sessions and developed them into dances. This gave each person’s experience new life and value beyond the session, making each person a part of the choreography. During some sessions, we wrote down what we experienced. I would like to share some of mine…
My interpretation of someone else’s movement:
She was walking in a marsh, stepping on stones and logs. She came to a place with tall reeds. She parted the reeds with her hands and stepped into a small dark cave. There were cob webs and there was not much space to move around. She found an exit but it was hard to open. It was very challenging to get through the exit. Then she moved into a large, better place with more freedom, open sky. She was happier there.
My own movement story:
There is nothing happening. I am waiting for something from within to start. I don’t want to force anything. There is something over my right shoulder; it seems like a beam of light. I reach for it but cannot touch it. I am sad and dull, heavy. It changes into gold threads, or ropes. I start trying to climb up the gold ropes. It is endless; there is no end to the gold ropes. I try instead, to pull them down. But I cannot; they are endless, they are infinite and seem to have no starting point. I can play with them, cast them everywhere, casting gold light into the world from an infinite source. It starts to fade, dissolve. I am happy to have seen it. It’s okay that it is gone.
My own movement story while moving with others:
I felt happy to find someone to walk with and protect. I felt lonely when they separated from me.
I didn’t know what to do with myself. I then became quiet and sensed another being. This being was from another time or another dimension. They were familiar with me and recognized me. I felt so warm and comforted. I began to move without volition as if someone else was moving me. I had no weight, no body. I could stay this way forever. The being wanted to draw me away. As if I belonged somewhere else with them. Departure was sad but I was so happy to have met the being. I feel very calm and still after the experience.
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