Yesterday afternoon I spent three hours at a "five rhythms" dance class. You may remember I did one of these last year, in October 06, and really liked it, so I tried it again. It was a different teacher this time, but again I enjoyed it very much.
The advert said: a structured dance practice that focuses on opening and freeing the body to move deeper into meditative movement, becoming truly part of the whole self: fluid, spacious and expressive.
I've just had a look at what I wrote in INWAP last year:
There were a few ground rules, including no talking, and generally no physical contact; and a few more implied ones, like no bringing other people down, no "taking centre stage", no clowning , and no becoming a passive observer.
. . .
A bit like a good disco, but without the alcohol, the "social" agenda of who's dancing with whom, or the option of not joining in.
. . .
There was no learning of "steps". You have to get past self consciousness, and the effect of being in a group helps with that. It's also very enjoyable, and good physical exercise. The theory behind it, though, was not really talked about -- it wasn't a talky kind of a day at all -- but my guess is it would be about integrating body and mind. Trusting the body to produce spontaneous action, with no advance thinking about it.
There was even less instruction this time. The teacher just put on music and told us to do whatever we felt like. Money for old rope, perhaps ... but interesting. It took me about ten or fifteen minutes, this time, to stop thinking ... thinking about what to do, thinking about what other people were doing, thinking how I'd look to them ... and start letting my body respond to the music ... and then it was great.
The teacher occasionally intervened, to ask us to work in groups of four, for example, or to exhort us to be aware of our breathing, or of our feet -- but there was no instruction in how to dance or what the five styles are.
Anyway, somehow I find it useful, and will do some more when I can.
