Light returning...

I

MANY BLESSINGS TO EACH OF YOU AND MUCH HARMONY ON THIS WINTER SOLSTICE!!!

What Elements want to be danced thru me?

Aesthetic Response to Momo and Elements conversation: I wrote/drew up a score; a Recycling of sorts:

Five Elements: Water, Earth, Fire, Air, Wood, Space

Five Directions: North, South, East, West, Up, Down

Levels: Micro, Macro, (Clouds vs Cells)

Materials: Costumes/Fabric

The time is to take 1 hour moving this activity

or 6 ... 10 minute segments.

Space for me is to Start inside (Dance space)

End outside (Natural area)

The second drawing (ended up top for strange reasons) refers to the Activity:

"Choose" is key word

"Draw" is important part of activity.

Poem about my first exploration:

WATER / DOWN

Curled up on Blue blanket for warmth as water images flowed thru me;

Lying Down, FEELING down, disappearing inward, I move horizontally.

Feeling cold, I need water, I need warm water, surrounding nakedness with hot water-

I bathe, stroke the wetness, release into sadness ... missing the "waterbirth" of my daugter?

My son calls me FOMO : Fear Of Missing Out; I know my lesson is one of "Letting Go";

I did dance my children out of my shoulders, my hips, my breasts, my belly!

I chose Water! I chose "Mystic" cards of the goddesses! I danced Being- in the Unknown!

Fabric: long silky blue, rolled up in: Rolling, Winging, Unwinding, Being Pulled, Being Swayed.

Now I move on to NatureMoves .... Love to all, MeHa, Me West Here ... wish I could add my photo here.

Emerging from Womb of EARTH: Happy Birthday Sensei

This past 6 months since master Kazuo Ohno passed have been deep ones for soul searching and development. I had to take a rest from the computer for a while to regroup, recharge and revision the direction to take with MomoButoh. I spent three days and nights just prior to his birthday in October in dark retreat for deep visioning and prayer. I was laying in a hut upon the EARTH without light, movement, food or water. Upon emerging just before dawn, I danced awkwardly with this new body, a new life. (See film below) Thank you dear ancestor sensei for providing the ground, the foundation upon which I dwell (and especially your precious gift of your fabulous long underwear!). May these daily dances build upon and reach beyond the foundation you created for us all. .

Ca11 and Response

What does it take to survive? What is our most precious resource? Basic questions like this applied to The Elements Project are what stimulates me to action today....and every day (thanks to attending a "Dance Making for Performance" workshop with Karen Nelson using the Tuning Score this past weekend).

I would say that it takes paying ATTENTION to survive.

I would say that our most precious human resource is ATTENTION. Think of how often a child calls its care giver to attention. Think of how short life would be if we did not PAY attention. Ask yourself: To what and whom to I PAY ATTENTION? What and whom contains that sort of value for me. Where are my preferences and why?

Then in the context of the CALL that I made to you to join this current MomoButoh project about The Elements; notice what draws, hooks and holds your precious attention. How can you CALL, hook and hold the precious attention of others? What RESPONSE can you offer that would be worthy of that precious gift?

Our entire YearOfCo11aboration will be based upon this simple act of CALL & RESPONSE. One of us will send a message, others of us will pay attention and reply as we are moved.

One of our company members mentioned how collaboration is inevitable as her attention to something actually can manifest it in real-life experience. I wholeheartedly agree. This week, as I was preparing to initiate The Elements Project, I began to spontaneously receive (or maybe just notice more) offerings directly related to this theme. Here are two dance responses to Elements that arrived in the past few days. In this case the dancers placed themselves in proximity to the element and responded authentically and physiologically to it. Interesting they were both on RED EARTH.

Sent to Boulder Contact Improvisation community by Lindsay Sworski.

Sent to me by Juri Schmidt.

I believe we can actually MAKE REALITY by how we choose to PAY our ATTENTION. If we give our attention to the news of gloom and doom that is so overwhelmingly present in the main stream media; that IS the REALITY of the world we are living in. If we create our own NEWs Channel--ca11 it channel 11 if you like--that broadcasts daily reports (like the two above) of a good, true, beautiful & positive nature; an artful & abundant universe; the power of love and so on; then THAT will be our REALITY and daily (dance) experience. I am so grateful to be living an authentic, rich, soulful, creative and joyous life connected with many other body/soul friends who are beaming very similar channe11s to this one. What are your favorite news channe11s? Will you please become a trusted source; a news correspondent if you will, with us by sharing what you pay attention to during the YearOfCo11aboration?

There are infinite scores that can be developed to explore each theme for each moon of this YearOfCo11aboration. I have posted a possible score on the "Current Projects" page of this site. Some possible scores exploring The Elements are more imaginary, others more sensual. For example, take an imaginary journey through the channels that air travels in your physical body and be moved in response to the sensual experience of that. I hope that YOU will report on the scores that you devise so that WE can also try them and post our experiences with following those scores.

Here is a co11aboration that arose from the 5Rhythms class I attended this morning. There was a live trio playing percussion and fiddle, there was a room full of fellah dancers and there was a rare and fiery sun beaming outside the window. After 3 days of non-stop pouring rain and dancing inside a studio; I could not ignore the call to dance with the beams of our greatest FIRE in the sky. This is the resulting film from today's experience of exchange and channe11ing fire light and energy between earth & sky; between passing vehicles and breath; within & without the building and my body; between musicians & dancers....

If you enjoy the NEWS you see on this YearOfCo11aboration channe11 please "pay (ATTENTION) it forward" by offering comments; posting this site on FB, Twitter, your blog or wherever you usually get your updates on reality. Thank you & keep dancing freely!

"Fire in the Sky"

Live music by Joseph, Rachman & Elaine

"In Search of Sacred Bliss"

"Salmon Coming Home in Search of Sacred Bliss." (excerpts)

Weaving the waves together, the salmon

Dance in small, joyful jumps

Scales shine a bright silver.

Riding the rhythm of the breaking waves...

As salmon go home to their mother, the river,

The river goes home to its mother, the mountain

And in the home mountains

Reside the wisdom and teachings of the ancestors.

The rivers that flow there,

The mother's milk of mother earth,

Take from the mountain dwelling ancients

Full measure of nurture

To nourish the salmon.

The single act of love

Risks all.

The salmon die

Ahh, so tenderly.

So fiercely flames their passion,

they love each other to death...

Mieko Chikappu

I first met Momo 2 years ago on November 11th after feeling the call of her invite to dance with the salmon at Oyster Creek. I was new to both dance and butoh, and was so deeply moved to be able to join her and Evan in an expression of so much wild and soulful expression, while honoring the salmon and the life-cycles of all living beings. I was hooked by the dance as I was so moved by Momo's ability to inspire such meaningful, soulful, dance expression.

While dancing and filming daily for 'Year of Butoh' in 2009 (created by Momo), honoring Kazuo Ohno and 50 years of butoh, I appreciated so much the daily connections with other. The majority of my dances were human-solo, which gave me the opportunity to dance with other-beings - the wind, trees, the earth, the waves, eagles, sea otters, rivers, mountains...

Never have I felt more connected to 'other' in such a soulful way than when I was dancing and exploring the idea of separation and connection between self and other... and in these exchanges, I would also long to be as nature, to tune more deeply into the inner instinctual self and be more in sync with the natural rhythms of nature...

Momo's sensei, Kazuo Ohno wrote, in regards to butoh, "not thinking, only soul," and that is what I too, longed for in my dances in and with nature... Inspired by not only the animals that live moment to moment, but also, plants, trees, flowers - growing, blossoming, fading...

I love how the poet Mary Oliver speaks of how the other kingdoms of life, unlike the human species, have "an infallible sense of what their lives are meant to be. Thus, the world grows rich, grows wild, and you too, grow rich, grow sweetly wild, as you too were born to be."

Several years ago, my 99 year old yoga therapist said that one should live their life like a fish swimming in water, in peace and harmony with all that that surrounds, flowing with nature's rhythm and allowing life to unfold with the most ease as possible... In my yoga practice, and within many spiritual traditions, there are beautiful ways of describing our interconnectedness with other beings that we share Mama Earth with. However, what I appreciate so much about butoh, as Momo teaches it, is the opportunity to feel that connection with other by embodying the spirit of other.

photo: Susan Elizabeth Cowperthwaite

In this practice, it also feels like there is a direct experience of the instinctual self as well as the potential of an expression of not only my own soul, but that of others as well. Appreciating so much the idea of not having the dance look like anything in particular, letting go of the idea of 'good' or 'bad' is very freeing...

"You do not have to be good... You only have to let the soft animal of your body loves what it loves..." Mary Oliver

Dancing with Momo and company on 11 11 this year was so powerful as I loved the opportunity to connect with the human-other (dancers and musicians) that arrived from all around the country and Canada, with a common aim - of honoring and celebrating the life of the salmon and all other beings. Feeling grateful that we, like the salmon, have come together from near and far to this sacred spot, to be reminded of the cycles of life that we and all living beings share - the fragility and preciousness of life..... Honored to be a part of this dance ritual - a prayer dance for the continued well-being of the salmon in this creek and also beyond - throughout the Pacific North West.

Particularly moving to me was witnessing the varying stages of end of life of the salmon - so amazing to me that after the salmon release their eggs, they begin to decay. It is so stirring to the soul to witness these cycles amongst so many salmon side by side - the healthy looking salmon on their way up the river passing partially and fully decomposed and dead bodies of others all around them... the beginning of new life and the end of life so near to one another... When we witness the end of life in other beings, how can it not fill us with such an appreciation for the exquisite and preciousness of life?

Grateful to to all that shared this dance and for Momo's creative vision and generous heart to create a dance to ensure the well-being of the salmon...

Photos by Brooke

11/11 Mating and Dying

The core of the 11/11 Salmon Restoration Project is our process of mating & dying. At this point we arrive at a spiral HOME where our collective sex & death leads to stillness and then rebirth. It is the essential re-turning point from/to which the salmon will always return. This film is taken at that point along our journey; perhaps the most potent experience of group unity and transformation as well as the densest sensual and emotional impact for all participant/witnesses. In our full body/soul surrender to this cycle of life; we intend to re-member all beings who have been injured by our human ignorance & greed. Please view this short film and share your comments about our emerging YearOfCo11aboration. If you feel resonance with this work and would like to participate more, receive our daily posts and/or be an on-going witness to share this global project; please add your email address in the form on upper right. Thank you.

11/11 Mating & Dying (Part 5)

shadows...in between...