Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Wreck Beach Butoh Boot Camp: Day 2

Definitely feeling things more today, especially in the shoulders and triceps. No doubt this is due to the long, slow walk across the studio floor that Jay had us do with our arms held above our heads. And then again with them clasped behind us. Oh yeah, and all the chopping at the end of the day in the Chef bit.

But at the end of the extended arm walk Jay also taught us a pretty amazing thing. We partnered up and one of us put our right arm over the shoulder of the other, with our hand balled into a fist. While our partner applied weight and pressed her hands down at our elbow joint, we were to resist for as long as we could. We then repeated the same exercise with palm of our hand on our partner's shoulder open, and the fingers reaching into space. It was far easier to resist the second way, the lesson being that lighter and more lifted our arms are in the air, the easier it will be to resist the pain and pull of gravity and time upon them.

More lessons on discovery how butoh time differs from ordinary time, not least in the treatment of unison movement. As we continue to come together as an ensemble, with Barbara adding to the core Icarus sequence each day, we need to be conscious of each other's pace without being perfectly in sync. Which doesn't mean always being ahead of or behind the group, but rather open and aware of each other in space so that we might alternate and adapt our rhythms accordingly.

This will be even more crucial on the beach when there is far more distance between each of us.

P.

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