When we are feeling cold, we hunker down and raise our shoulders against the wind. And against any harsh words or even the total seclusion by a bully. If we let it go on for a long period of time, our bodies will condition this posture as our normal one. Changing it to an upright position might even give us sore muscles, just like a massage can release the emotion encapsuled within the tension. It's this, that is part of our muscle memory.
Luckily for dancers, our motions can likewise be repeated enough to become like an automatic reflex, especially helpful in our performances on stage when our nerves might temporarily block our minds. It's also then we learn how to trust our bodies, and ourselves.
Which stories are stored within our bodies and what is it we want them to tell?
It's this that is the foundation of the kind of dance classes I would like to host at Telluselle Living Center:
Hawaiian Hula
Westafrican
Isadora Duncan
5rhytms and Ecstatic
These all share a danced connection to nature, taught through generations, describing the relationship between spirit and man, inspired by myths of gods and godesses. For rites and relationships, harvest and heart, we dance barefoot to explore and express the natural beauty of our souls, liberated in this dialogue.
May I have this dance?