Through the Wednesday morning Zoom classes we are exploring dance/movement through various themes and have found useful insights by doing this.
The Elements
We have been exploring how we can embody and find creative expression through the Elements, and have discovered for instance:
Earth is our reality and a good place to begin and come back to
That all the elements are balanced by each other and therefore need each other:
Water is shaped and contained by Earth
Fire is controlled by Water
Air is anchored in Earth
Earth is activated by Fire
We also realised all the elements are multi dynamic, for instance:
A still pond, a flowing river, a tempest
A hearth fire, a bonfire, an inferno
A breeze, a gusty wind, a tornado
Security, instability, an earthquake
Dance and poetry are good companions.
The words of the poems bring simplicity and clarity of purpose to the movements, and also imagination and vision.
The movement can reveal the underlying landscape of the words and energise them through embodiment.
Conversely the movements of dance create a poetry of their own with words arising naturally from the movements.
Working with Co-ordination
We have discovered working with co-ordination over the last few weeks that: Co-ordination can be mentally and physically challenging It highlights the balance (or imbalance) between left and right It brings attention to detail and deepens focus It enhances awareness, integration and connections through the body It creates new pathways and better internal communication in the body/mind
The Contrast of Light and Dark
Light and dark define each other, demonstrating the importance of contrast When one part of the body is in the shadow, another is exposed to the light We have to go through the darkness of the night to get to a new dawn The imagination comes into play particularly in the dark Moving with the eyes closed gives a stronger access to internal awareness and sensation The transition between dark and light - emergence takes courage and leads to growth Every Spring needs it’s Winter
Colours
By working with Colours as our theme we became aware of the strong influence colours have on us, and how they affect different part of the body. We particularly enjoyed dancing with coloured cloth to immerse ourselves in colour Some of the observations we made GREEN - Associated with the heart, the colour of nature, harmonising and healing, sense of growth and renewal. ‘When in doubt use green’ Created balanced, harmonious movement. RED - Associated with root of the body and blood, life energy, highly energising, not always comfortable, sense of independence, can trigger anger. Created strong, dynamic movement BLUE - Associated with the throat, cool, calm, truthful, reflective, inner peace, cleansing. ‘Depths of the sea and reach of the sky’. Created simple, deeply felt, reflective movement. YELLOW - Associated with the solar plexus, seat of emotions, bright and uplifting, clarifies thought and emotion, positive. Created energised, happy and uplifted movement.
Stone, Silver, Gold
SILVER The metal of the moon - we worked with the idea of increasing and decreasing shapes and movements Also thought about moonshine, silver linings and reflection - self reflection moving with eyes closed and also reflecting another’s movements We imagined a shine and shimmer around the body, and moved fast like quicksilver. GOLD The power of the sun - We worked with self worth through good alignment (crown on head!) The movement was expansive and generous, drawing attention to itself We took on board a sense of positivity and success We danced like royalty.
Foundation Stones
Began the year by establishing strong foundations, grounding ourselves through the feet. Clarity: Movement “Carved in Stone”. Pay attention to shape and form. Timelessness, no hurry, slow down and be present.
Ice Flow
Worked with the idea of stillness and sharp, clear shapes. Thought about reflection and also movement qualities such as cracking, gliding, skating, melting, as well as sounds, feeling the resonance of ice.
Waking Up
We explored the feelings of waking up after a period of hibernation, working from the ground up through the body, and from inside to outside. words such as ‘yawning, pushing through, arousing, wake up call and use of breath, were all included in the sessions.
Transitions
We realised to some extent we are constantly in a state of transition, often in ‘the space between …’ We worked with this idea through the use of breath, different directions, inner and outer worlds, varied dynamics and discussed seasons, elements etc. Spiral movement is an organic representation of transition.
The Inner Child
We realised it is life enhancing to remember our child self without the stresses and strains of adulthood. The enjoyment gained from simple movement – running, jumping, skipping, spinning, galloping, rolling, clapping – was energising and fun.
There were also some interesting insights from looking at our child in the mirror and inviting him/her to dance, with some forgotten memories surfacing, both happy and challenging.
We discussed what our child self can offer us of value now and came up with – playfulness, curiosity, spontaneity, creativity, honesty, being present in the moment, natural body intelligence
Discovery
We tried to explore our movement practice with new vision, finding fresh insights within regular exercises and allowing each part of the body to move in unusual and expressive ways.
We each took and every day object and saw it as beautiful, whatever it was, and danced with it accordingly. Through this we realised we influence so much though our ’normal’ ways of seeing and judging, and it is refreshing to move away from this.Child