Creating in-process

Just sharing some new choreography I'm playing with at the moment.

Containment

During my movement practice last night, I wrote the word, "containment" down. This word has come up before in past butoh/movement/dance classes and discussions. I revisited a piece I did back in October of 2009. It came from lots of personal experience, but also the way we, humans, people, hold in our emotions, which can manifest out in so many ways. I'm sure you can relate to this, and it's been one of my main investigations within butoh. How we as individuals contain our energy (emotions). Also, the reasons as to why we contain them. We all have reasons for doing it. For example, we don't want to hurt others feelings; we judge ourselves and others; we feel ashamed if we express it; or we're scared because of a time when we did express those emotions somehing unpleasant or traumatic happened. Whatever it may be, we all have been conditioned to contain "it" in some way, whether it by our parents, a teacher, childhood friend, etc.

As I allowed myself to revisit this material and moment in time, it was actually hard to contain the energy with my movement. I actually had to stop and take breaks. As this piece reflects a part of me, I thought to myself, "WOW! I was holding a LOT!" I was really scared to be me. I feared what others thought about me. I was ashamed to feel angry or sad about anything that would make anyone angry or sad.

I realize now that movement and dance, especially butoh, has helped me release this energy/emotions in a healthy, positive way. It's harder for me to NOT express myself. Yes, it's scary. Yes, it makes me feel vulnerable. But it's that need to be seen and heard that is being met. I feel understood and acknowledged.

One may feel it's self-indulgent and narcissistic; and it was probably ME who felt that way! HA! (Thanks negative self-talk for sharing). But really. The majority of the time, the dance, is for me.

If you have 20 minutes, check out my solo, "Me Bardo". The piece that I revisited last night.

Rehearsal 10-7-13

Rehearsal 10/7/13 from Liz Filippone on Vimeo.

A rehearsal at The Center for Nia and Yoga where I rehearse, teach and take classes, and will be performing a few pieces on March 23, 2014. This was an improvisation playing with exercises and images from butoh, breath, ocean waves, bees, strings, and other elemental, atmospheric landscapes, which were inspired by the music. Music by Solid Eye and Saru.

Butoh Practice: The Seaweed Body

From last night's Butoh Class/Practice....

The "Seaweed Body" Exercise: (A piece of the Free-write done after guided movement, never letting the pen leave the paper for a straight 3-5 min.)

"Fluid breath wormhole stream consciousness flow energy pathway synergistic patterns stuck caught damp sharp low tingling liquid"

Come PLAY and SEE for yourself every Monday night 7:15p-8:30p at The Center for Nia & Yoga. Located at 4 Central Avenue in Albany, NY.

Butoh Class: COME SEE FOR YOURSELF!!!!

So, if you knew me really well, you would know how much I LOVE dancing, moving, shaking, etc. I also have a love affair with Butoh. I don't know what it is about this movement art that keeps me coming back, asking questions, pondering, thinking, feeling about everything in life as we know it. Therefore, I'm so excited to share that I will be offering a Butoh Technique class on Monday nights! Although, I feel there's no right or wrong way to do Butoh; in fact you don't need any dance or movement background at all. But that's what I'm talking about! It's really something you can't explain fully and clearly to someone who's never heard or seen it. You have to experience it for yourself...MANY TIMES. So...COME SEE FOR YOURSELF!

Mondays 7:15pm-8:30pm
with Liz Filippone
The Center for Nia & Yoga
4 Central Ave Albany, NY
www.nia-yoga.com

Butoh is an avant garde performance art that emerged out of Post-World War II Japan. It touches on the light and dark of life. It’s a movement investigation and exploration. Liz’s classes integrate butoh, physical theater exercises, guided-visualization and imagery, yogic techniques, and core conditioning. No dance background is required. In her classes, you will:

-create more space and openness on a physical, mental, energetic level
-connect with your core being to reveal what lives and breathes inside
-reduce stress and express yourself!

Seaweed body

Floating
Swaying
in a liquid environment
seafloor holds me up
but I can't escape the
current, for which it
controls and supports
this body, this vessel
alive and breathing
underwater, trembling
breath, please hang on
so I can let the ocean
love me.

Process

This journey has been a process from the beginning.... This photo (by Manolo Munoz) is from an early dress rehearsal photo shoot for Blink of an Eye. This group of women rock! I'm so blessed and grateful to be working with them. This particular section is known as, "The Wiggle Magnet". ;-)

Blink of an Eye: Upcoming Performance in Troy, NY

I know I haven't shared here in awhile, been over at my other blog HERE these days, but I so plan to write more here. I have lots of things brewing and I'm so excited to launch them. However, I did want to share my next performance, which is happening this Friday, February 22 at 8:15. See details below.
oxoxox


RACHELLE SMITH-STALLMAN PARTY OF SIX
presents
BLINK OF AN EYE

ENTER A WORLD OF INTRIGUE, CURIOSITIES, WONDER, COLLABORATION AND CONNECTION
DANCERS INCLUDE: DIANE BETTS, ROBBIE JONES, MAUREEN MUNOZ, ANNETTE NANES, LIZ FILIPPONE AND RACHELLE SMITH-STALLMAN
MUSIC BY PAM FINCH, LIGHTS BY NICKY LIGHTZ
(THIS IS A TROY NIGHT OUT EVENT AND IT IS FREE!)
HAPPENING AT THE ARTS CENTER OF THE CAPITAL REGION 265 RIVER STREET TROY, NY

Awake v.1

The first version of my piece "Awake" done in March of 2012 at SubTerranean Arthouse in Berkeley, CA.  This piece is about being seen and how being vulnerable makes you self-confident and powerful.