An Elemental Balance
Monday morning after a fruitful long weekend of dance, performing, teaching and learning. These species of weekends are followed by a full restful day, one I schedule into my week and move anything I can to the next day.
Typically it's a morning with tea and writing in my journal. What is a journal and a pen but a vehicle to channel our thoughts, the unexpected sweet and sour realizations hidden within our psyche.
A powerfully short and sweet one resurfaced to me about performances and the really good performers I've seen. How those performers have an elemental balance to their repertoire, in the theater and classroom. They extend through and out of their comfort many a times. Elastic that they are, they are still connected, of course, true to their persona, meaning they don't pretend they are someone else, or if they do it's only as an ode, homage, an inspiration to channel a message. They are fierce like fire, sweet and free like air, serene and hypnotizing as water, and grounded as earth.
"While drinking tea, I thought of dance" 2013
In Oriental Dance there is a lot of talk about "grounded-ness" more so than any other element. It may be because many are just not grounded. Too many obstacles in our world hinder that energetic path and it's usually one of the first that we need to understand for Oriental Dance movements. When that is unblocked we can balance the other areas that may be already there - the fire, air and water. Sometimes students come with so much fire in them, they are so excited they just wanted to release all of that fire. Some come very pleasant as water, curious and shy. Rarely do I see air, I think that's the only one where we reach at the end. Earth is one we progress into at the beginning. It's all about that balance and it doesn't necessarily have to be about dance.
A little Monday motivation and inspiration, hope you enjoyed and related!