Exploring Relationships

I had a profoundly moving experience at the Anna Halprin workshop this past weekend. The experience has inspired me to return to movement and dance with new levels of awareness and depth. I will write more extensively about my experience later on.

"Articulating the body as a fine instrument is just step one. When you motivate the use of a particular area of the body, it begins to stimulate feelings, which begin to stimulate images, which begin to connect with your own personal experiences within your life theme. In this way it becomes a total education. I call [what I teach] ‘integrative movement,’ by which I mean movement that integrates all the parts." – Anna Halprin

We did a lot of work with partners at the workshop, often working in pairs but sometimes in larger groups. We also spent a lot of time exploring polarities with movement and sensation such as front-back, left-right, up-down, gravity-levity, and tight-loose. I had a keen awareness of the relationship between my body parts, body sensations, my sense of self in the space, and interaction with my partners. I also received insight into the stories my body tells as I move.

I noticed, with wonder and awe, how initiating an upward movement from my hand created length in my waist whereas initiating the same upward movement with my elbow created length in my ribcage. I noticed how this sensation deepened my breath and brought with it feelings of love and expansion.

Don't worry, we won't be trying this move in class :)

It is still February and thus all of my classes will focus on an aspect of Love. Most people associate love with being in relationship whether that is to ones self or another.

Tonight, our class focus will be on exploring relationships with our bodies. This could be as simple as exploring how a movement in one body part affects another part or it could be as deep as how our movements affect our emotional lives.

I invite you to join me exploring the many levels of relationships tonight. Class is from 6:30pm – 7:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.