Archive for April, 2010

Week 9 a strange day, snowing on and off all day. The group came in their colors, we ran through from beginning to end again. We also met Tuesday of this week with just Skyview students. It’s been a week for details and refinements. No one seems to be in a huge hurry to have the performance come, because as people have said they will be sorry to have our time end. At the end of class we laid on the floor and let our bodies release and be held by the earth. Thank you Mother Earth for this beautiful Earth Day. This is the first week I didn’t take a single picture of our process. I was getting through and laying low with my tender neck. As we looked around the circle seeing one another I felt so appreciate of each face and all the new dances that have blossomed from everyone. Next Thursday is our dress rehearsal and then two nights of sharing with the community. What a sweet, heart opening time it’s been.

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

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Week 8 We ran the performance in order from beginning to end for the first time. Good for everyone to see how it all fits together. In our circle at the end there was an overwhelming expression of excitement about our upcoming show. There is a sense of pride about what we have created and it’s getting near time to share what we’ve been up to with our friends and families. I need to do some tweaking of the music and we have to play with the timing of some of the dances but it looked in fine shape for two weeks to go. I was in director mode and couldn’t switch to photographer mode until the end when I got a few group shots.

Friday, April 16th, 2010

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Week 7 was one of refinement of of the set pieces before we put it all together. We spent time between linking the hand dances, working on Bre’s dance and improvising. I emphasized the theme of simply doing what you are doing. If you are standing still then do nothing else. If you are walking, then purely walk. If you are touching someone then really feel the quality and sensation of that touch. I am now dancing in the group dance, as we have had some of the elders have to leave from the project due to health issues. It is sad for me and I think for the rest of the group, to let go of people that have been such an integral part of our process. They are missed.

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

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Week 6 We had the whole group back again and shared parts of last week with the younger set. We did the down and up dances in the large group. There was a little more hesitancy to touch and to help from the middle schoolers. It seemed assisting and the touch involved with that was a boundary to break through, and they did. We spent a major portion of the class refining and expanding the hand dances, creating exits and entrances for the groups to move through the space. Breanna’s dance is developing well, the partnering sections are becoming more fluid. We ended the class again with duets or trios creating a collaborative poem, in renga style, then sharing it as one long connected group poem. This poem centered around the theme of seasons of the self or transitions into new parts of self. A day of returning and deepening into the dances and reintegrating after the break. Time is winding down, we only have four more meeting times before our community sharing.

Monday, April 5th, 2010

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