Movement and words. For me, those things are the basics, the two places where I find my core being.
So when I saw a workshop called Writing From the Body, I pretty much had to sign up. It was taught by Joe Goode, a long time dancer, choreographer, and movement teacher in San Francisco.
I admit to having been a bit nervous. The main way my body reminds me that I’m old is with physical limitations. I ache in some spots and have lost range of motion in others.
And, mind you, mine is a body that was never designed for most of the movements associated with dance of the performing kind. I could not do splits or backbends even when I was six.
Fortunately, while there were dancers in the class, the focus was not on those skills. We started with a series of exercises Joe calls “Movement for Humans” that did not require perfection but that, in fact, did wonders for my physical being.
We ended with an exercise that included a motion of throwing things away. And that led us into writing, starting with a thought about what we were throwing away.
This workshop addressed two things that I sorely need.
First of all, I always need movement and these days in particular I’m looking for new movement practices.
Secondly, I need to do things that open my mind to new possibilities. You might call this sparking creativity though I suspect it’s much broader than that. Continue reading “Words and Movement”…