It's very helpful to get feedback from the audience about what you're presenting, offering, showing, etc. In the past, I used to be terrified and would take a lot of it personally (I still do sometimes), but I feel, now, it's such an important part of growing in whatever you do. Artistic or not.
After my March 11 performance (video coming soon), I got amazing, detailed feedback. Detailed is the key word here. My intention for the evening was to have fun. I wanted to have fun and I totally had it. But hearing a couple of people's reactions to my piece was so appreciated because, let's face it, doing solos can be a lonely process!
One audience member acknowledged and appreciated my presence on stage, even through the intensity of it overall. How a performer/dancer can hold the space and be there, show up for the audience.
Another audience member (a long time practitioner of Butoh), gave such detailed observations right down to my fingertips! I was fascinated by the fingertips because I never really noticed it or considered it within the choreography. She explained the flow of movement through the fingertips, like when you touch something hot or are shocked; to continue that flow or extension as if it's literally coming through and out the fingertips into space. It's hard to describe in words, but I hope you get the jist. I know that my hands and fingers throughout the piece were in a claw-like position at certain points, so I really appreciated it and want to investigate that further.
My piece was called "Awake" and it was about peeling the layers of ourselves, bodies, souls. I was wrapped in white tule in the beginning, like a crysalus before a catepillar becomes a butterfly. From there, I worked my way out of it. The first audience member told me she could've watched me play with that much longer, and I instantly agreed because I remembered being in the moment and wanting the same.
Not for show purposes.
For me.
If you're in the SF Bay Area, butoh masters, Hiroko and Koichi Tamano will be teaching a workshop for a limited time while they're back in the US. Click here for more info.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
3-9-12 practice: The Sutro Baths
prickly surface under my feet, embracing
wind and atomsphere
elements surround my body, earth
sun warming and soothing
water within my reach but above hovering over
as the waves crash against the bath house
ruins I roam and glide along the edge
the rusty, rotted teeth peer up at me
inviting, raw and beautifully revolting
it was once alive and a piece of it stays
alive, for the sea water, gulls, ducks, salt
nourish and worship its spirit that still
lingers everywhere and all around
I turn away from the vast Pacific and
acknowledge the space, sacred ground, and once
lively meeting place of past guests visitors, socializing
and soaking in the beauty and tranquility
around.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Allowing the flow to dance
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!
Monday, February 6, 2012
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 ;-)
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 ;-)
Thursday, January 26, 2012
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!
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!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
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
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
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.
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.
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