Intentions for movement practice

• Continue meetings every 2 weeks with group
• Free-write once a week about ideas, inspirations, thoughts, emotions, etc.
  
• Obtain small notebook to carry around with me everywhere to jot down ideas and inspirations
• Practice butoh/movement exercise once a week for 15 minutes
• Complete group intention questions by the end of April

I think these are doable for me at this point. I tend to overload my schedule; however I've been doing a brilliant job of keeping it quite open for myself. As movement and creating performance work is important to my well-being, creating and writing down intentions is very grounding. It brings you home and reminds you of your purpose. For instance, why you do what you do; what do you love about it; how it feeds you mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Do you have a movement practice? If so, why do you do it? What are your intentions for that practice? How does movement feed your whole being?

Outdoor inspirations

It's been a few weeks since I've written in this blog, and I honestly have felt a little guilty about it.

A week and a half ago, I had the opportunity to dance outside within the UC Berkeley campus. It was raining very lightly, and it was chilly. We found an area that was covered by beautiful, tall redwood trees to protect us a little from the rain; there were many bushes, and a loud, gushing stream nearby.

My dance partner and I began an exercise called seaweed and current, an exercise I've done in many butoh and movement workshops. One person is the seaweed; representing and posing as a piece of seaweed attached to the ocean floor and then eventually detached. The other person is the current; acting as the movement of the water, affecting the seaweed body and also holding space for the seaweed. For both participants, it's important to breathe and be as fluid in the body as possible.

Eventually, we both broke away into improvisation; playing with the elements all around us: earth, wind, rain, the sounds of the water and people that would pass by. We also would connect at times, playing with each others' energy and mirroring one another. At first, it took me some time to focus and ground myself to begin to embody everything. I think it was a little overwhelming. After about 15-20 minutes, we became apart of that space. Time escaped us.

For the last 10 or 15 minutes, a church bell sounded off. It wasn't your average church bell. It was a harpsichord instrument. I began to embody this music, transforming into a Lady of the Victorian age. I imagined myself (and other women) dressed in bodices, huge, puffy hoop skirts; and then those wigs of the wealthy. The music was quite playful and, afterward, I told myself I must find some music like this! I was inspired to do a period piece, which I've never imagined doing. I felt playful, sensual, powerful, and oppressed all at the same time.

What elements of the outdoors inspire you? It doesn't have to be from dancing. If could be from an area you were walking, running, picnicking, driving, hiking, etc. What emotions arise from those inspirations, and do you express them? How do you express those emotions?

Moving in outdoor spaces

I had the wonderful opportunity to move in the outdoors this weekend. I don't mean just walk or run somewhere in the park or city. I got to experiment with some butoh exercises with another mover as well. We checked out areas in the embarcadero and financial district. What I found so cool about this area of San Francisco (which I hardly visit) is that's it's practically empty on the weekend. Like most financial districts in cities, every business closes for the weekend, including Starbucks.

The area (pictured above) we practiced was a wide, open concrete space in front of a huge high-rise building. There were various potted plants, flowers, huge wide steps for sitting at different levels, tables and chairs and glass windows. We each took turns blindfolded, moving within the space. First the blindfolded is guided by a partner throughout the space. This allows the other senses to kick in. It's amazing how we go throughout our days and lives relying on sight the majority of the time. In this exercise, our other senses--smell, sound, touch, taste--are awakened and enlivened.

When I was blindfolded, my sense of trust kicked in as well! Although, I knew my guide wouldn't allow anything or anyone to harm me, I had to trust myself. I reminded myself to soften, in my mind and body. When I would feel the wind blow, I felt it in a way I've never felt before, like a prisoner, who had not been outside for year and had not felt the wind that whole time. The feel of the concrete planters and the smell of the flowers and plants within them. The whole experience was so primitive.

Then my guide let me go to move within the space, but also making sure I don't run into anything and hurt myself. What was so unnerving about this experience was letting go of my guide as well as a concrete object I was holding onto. Emerging into the open space was liberating, fun, scary, and exciting. Then the blindfold was removed by my guide and I moved and danced a little longer. I felt more exposed and seen without the blindfold. Not the way one feels in front of an audience, but more exposed by the world and my surroundings. By the flowers, plants, the tree, the concrete, the concrete planters, the high-rise buildings, the wind, the sky, and the other elements that were present, and that I had connected with.

What a wonderful way to exercise your senses and challenge yourself. Why don't we do this more often? This exercise is very playful and awakening. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone did this exercise? Wouldn't it be nice to have a group of people witness this exercise?