Allowing the flow to dance

It was a very interesting rehearsal for my piece, which will be on March 11 (stay tuned for flier announcement). I began doing a run through of my current material and found myself totally in my head and not present. This was frustrating. I kept stopping and sitting. Stopping and sitting. So I grounded myself. Took 3 deep, cleansing breaths and decided to work on one section and be open to possibility. I turned the video camera on, pressed play, and after about 10 minutes, new ideas and material began to flourish.

I realize when I'm not being present, or controlling my movements because I think they should be a certain way, I need to stop, center, ground, breathe and be. I love dance, butoh, and performance. It's a way for me to be in my body; to be creative; and even have a catharsis. With choreography, us movers and performers can become attached to how it all is suppose to look and be. Instead of trying and feeling things out, we can get stuck on one idea or concept. Well, at least, this has been my experience in the past and present.

Once I began to hear the music and be in the space, I was more in my body and the experience. I wasn't thinking about when and where the next movement was going to come. Instead, I allowed it to come within and through me. I can't remember what butoh teacher I studied with said that, but I'm sure all them said something like it, but in a different way.

Perhaps it was because I was thinking about what the late Kazuo Ohno (one of the founders of butoh) said, "Not thinking, only soul."

Yeah. I think I was totally taking his advice today ;-) Thank you, Ohno San!

My butoh practice: Experience with the Axis

It's been nice having my Fridays free to practice movement and butoh. I've been setting aside a couple hours each Friday, especially this month leading up to a performance, which will be on March 11. But as I work on my performance piece, I also have time to practice exercises I've learned from others: teachers and classmates. It's also a great way to keep it fresh.

I practiced an exercise where you focus on your axis. In other words, that line between the tailbone and the crown of your head. I learned this from butoh teacher, Diego Pinon. You start standing with eyes closed or half open. You visualize your axis in your body, as if your body surrounds your axis. As you breathe, a subtle spinning begins at the crown of your head or tailbone; or if not spinning, a pull from one side of your body. This "spinning" or "pull" engages the body to begin turning along your axis. Once you go a few rounds, you may stop to feel your axis from time to time, but the idea is to keep turning along your axis. Then, at some point, you can open your eyes with a soft gaze. This adds the environment around into your vision and space as you move along your axis.

During this exercise, I initially felt the pull to go left. But about 5 min later, it switched. That never happened to me before. I always turned one way the whole time and I did this exercise for about 10 min. What I found interesting and funny was that I could feel myself resisting to go the other way! It was as if my mind was interjecting and saying, "Um, I don't think so!" But I allowed it. I wanted to see what happens.

Afterwards, I felt open, relaxed, and a little spacey. I always ground after doing an exercise like that because you don't know what you release or draw in. In a way, I felt almost TOO open, which is why grounding is so helpful and sometimes, necessary.

We don't know what could be lingering in/on our axis. I would love to investigate this practice deeper and perhaps on a regular basis, just to see what can come up. In fact, I find it very cleansing overall. It's another way to really BE in the body.

We shall see what happens this Friday ;-)

Teaching insight so far: Feedback from Seaweed/Current exercise

So I have taught 3 butoh classes so far (Woo Hoo!). It's been an amazing, eye-opening experience thus far and I can't wait to continue. I've been learning so much from my students as well as myself and how I want to move forward with this. Who knows. All day workshops? Group Performance? We shall see.

The feedback I've been getting back from students has been helpful and surprising. My purpose for these classes is to guide people more toward body awareness; simply being aware of the whole body or specific parts. Also, an awareness of what emerges through the unconscious/subconscious body/mind. I want it to be cleansing, as well as fun.

For instance, during one of the exercises we used text. As one person stood with eyes closed, they embodied a seaweed, water body, very fluid, but feet rooted. Another person would initiate movement by simple, intentional touch. In other words, they would act as a "current" in a body of water. As the "current" worked with the "seaweed", I asked the "current" to continue with just text or words to the "seaweed". So instead of the "seaweed" body reacting to touch, they would play with words that were presented in the space.

This brought on a completely different dynamic in relationship to energy and space. I asked the "current" to not think about what words they were going to say to the "seaweed" and to just be in the moment.

About two days later, I asked one of the students how that was for them and to give me any feedback. She told me that when someone said the word "tornado" this brought up a lot of stuff such as feelings of turbulence, destruction, and fear. She explained how growing up in Missouri (Tornado Country), she was always afraid and worried about tornados and didn't think about his aspect of her life for awhile. She also inquired about how this related to her life presently and how so many shifts were happening.

It's amazing what the unconscious/subconscious body/mind can bring out with simple movement, breath, and body awareness exercise. Movement where you really allow the body to soften and be fluid, rather than be stiff or controlled. I know when I have done this exercise how experiences have emerged from the past or what the mind or ego tells me what's going on or how I should be doing something.

This is what I find MOST interesting in this work and I can't wait to play more!

Hand/Face Study

So I'm just allowing the creative juices to flow. Maybe not exactly with any real, concrete purpose in mind, but more to just see what emerges. I use a lot of gesture and facial expressions in my work and decided to document some images. Images of particular gestures and facials expressions I tend to use and reuse a lot. With these, it's hand and face. I love playing with the reaction to just the contact, or touch of an object, and how it affects the experience for the performer, as well as the viewer. Enjoy!

#1 Contact

#2 Travel

#3 Grasp

#4 Hesitant

#5 Remember

#6 Surrender

Let the teaching begin....

I have finally started to teach everything I've learned and trained in Butoh. I have always had it in me to share these wonderful tools, exercises, and practices that can benefit ANYONE, regardless of dance experience.

My intention is to contribute my 10 years experience of training and performing in this movement practice, as well as making a safe and sacred space for others to experience and really be in their bodies. To connect and integrate all their experiences in their life in the present moment and create a container, so all that energy can move in a creative, playful way.

On Sunday, I practiced teaching some exercises to two individuals who had interest and a familiarity of butoh. Although, we only had an hour, which only touched the surface, it made a huge impact. They want more!

So let the teaching begin, but first, let the contribution and sharing of this amazing practice be dispersed out to the world, allowing integration of the mind, body, and soul....and all that it is made of.

Bare Bones Butoh Presents 23

BARE BONES BUTOH PRESENTS: SHOWCASE #23!

(Adventurous Shows for an Adventurous Audience)


WHEN:

Friday Nov 18, 2011, and Saturday, Nov 19, 2011
Both performances are at 8:00 pm



WHERE:
Studio 210
3435 Cesar Chavez St (at Valencia)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Studio 210 is located in the former Sears Building, inset from the corner of Cesar Chavez and Valencia Street. Accessible by: BART - 24th St Station; and MUNI - #12, #27, #14, #49. Plenty of on-street parking.


TICKETS:
Performances: $5-$20 sliding scale. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Additional donations are graciously accepted and gratefully appreciated.


WHO:
This time around, the performers are:

Ronnie Baker, Christina Braun (Saturday only), Darya Chernova (Saturday only), Ron Chornow, Michael Curran, Mark Deutsch (Saturday only), Coicoi Duncan, Liz Filippone (Saturday only), David Flaig (Friday only), Wolfgang Heinle, Luku (Friday only), Martha Matsuda (Saturday only), Ri Molnar (Friday only), Jeffrey Mooney (Saturday only), Angela Newsham, and Bob Webb.

Quite a line-up, wouldn't you say? Should be a couple of VERY GOOD SHOWS!

Surprise guest artists may also be performing as well. There are often last minute additions (local, national, and international artists) to the programing, it's that kind of show.


WHAT:
Bare Bones Butoh Presents is a performance Showcase for local, national, and International artists working in the areas of butoh, performance art, and/or ritual performance. It exists for artists to try out new material, show works in process, hone improvisational chops, and redo or revisit previous material. Bare Bones Butoh Showcases employ the grassroots ethic of working together to sustain an artistic culture. We are community building and performance all smushed together into two evenings.


Thank you for your time, and we hope to see you there.


Further info:
Bob Webb
bobwebb20@hotmail.com
510-284-7025

A-while

It's not only been awhile since I wrote on this blog (ok, only a month, but that's long for me), but it's been awhile (again for me) since I've danced. It's been awhile since I've been creative with movement. Yes, teaching a yoga class does require creativity, energy, and skill. But I miss the vastness and broadness of my butoh practice. I miss the fact that you don't really have to have a plan, and other times you can be more specific with your movement and inspiration.

I have been busy, but it's been a "good, productive" busy because I'm beginning to manifest and create what I want to do as a career and purpose in life.

Then I think of my dance practice and I feel this yearning. It's stronger at times. I trust that I will get back into it because it's what feeds my whole being and I find it therapeutic and a healing practice. I have aspirations to teach butoh exercises as a healing and self-care tool, and I'm working with a life coach on developing that. I also want to regroup with my fellow butoh clan and start generating ideas for projects, classes, workshops, or to just see them!!!!!

It's all about trust. I feel the fire getting ready to ignite. I'm gonna breathe, breathe, breathe.....