Wednesday Dance

Half of the journey is how you get there... wow those words have not impacted me more than today...

We had a group discussion today for our halfway point. We talked about what made us happy, what was challenging, and what we thought the first day as opposed to now. But one thing was seared into my brain and could not have applied more to my own life than this...

On our exercises we have to travel across this huge floor, I find it tiring, and challenging especially when we are suppose to rush. Whenever I think of rush I think of running, but I am always afraid of falling flat on my face.

During our discussion B. stated something that just clicked in my head not only for this week but my WHOLE life, at least the past 7 years of my life. With a tear in their eye "I am so terrified of traveling, how am I suppose to get across this HUGE room?" With that statement I don't think there was a dry eye in the room...

It made me start thinking about my life, all these people in the rooms' lives...

I know there have been points in all of our lives where we are TERRIFIED to keep moving because what is coming next may not be what we expected, what we wanted, what we imagined for our lives...

But somehow we just kept moving, terrified or not, we put on a brave face, maybe act like nothing is wrong and just keep...moving...

I try and imagine how it would be to be these other dis/abled people, and even though I have been through a lot, they have probably gone through much more... I am amazed by everyone in the group...

And I know we all relate because in spite of all that was against us, disabled or otherwise...

WE. KEPT. MOVING.




JUST. KEEP. MOVING.

Tuesday Dance

SO SORE! Good sore...

So as normal as this sounds to the rest of you, I was able to almost run today. In the confusion of "rushing and resolving" and getting so involved with the other dancers I realized that I was ACTUALLY rushing... it's more of a hop-bound movement but it is still moving faster than I have moved in 7 years... Invigorating...

Today was full of peace, laughter, inspiration, seriousness, discussion...It's like we have all been friends for ages...

I find myself getting enthralled watching N. the blind girl understanding the movement given to her by just the description that the teacher is giving...

Every person, abled or otherwise is pushing themselves, growing, inspiring, understanding, creating...

It's only Tuesday and the chemistry within our group is amazing.

Monday Dance

This week was the beginning of something big. My eyes have already been opened and it's only Monday...

Today started out with learning the technique and the warm up skills we will be using for the rest of the week. And the thing I noticed the most was not only my own adaptation to the movement but everyone else. Whether they be crazy good dancers who take the movements to the extreme, or the differently abeled who can only move their arms.

Everyone was united by dance...someone today told me "if you can breath you can dance" I believe they were quoting a teacher of theirs...

The whole experience dissolved the stigma of disability and everyone was just a dancer interpreting their movements in their own way. I was truly inspired by how different we are and that we can be united so instantly...

We moved on to choreographing movements to describe objects which in turn brought duets we then performed for the group. That in itself was interesting to see how someone interprets a rock, or a basket, or a stapler... crazy beautiful

Towards the end of the day we had an open contact improvisation. I was transfixed by some of the people, how they fully trusted each other and were so comfortable with the proximity to each other. I honestly at some points felt like they were performing a choreographed piece, but it was all improv.

This is something I am going to have to work at... I don't feel comfortable enough yet to even move freely when there is another body next to me. Part uncertainty, part inexperience, part fear... all I need to get over by this week.

That is my goal... to let go...something I need to do with a lot of pieces of my life...maybe this will be the beginning...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKcsKXTzd4s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpTc605QQUM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v​=iKn5AbJd4CM&feature=youtube_g​data_player