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!
