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!