Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Training: East meets West

Working with Bharatanatyam master teacher and performer Saju George has been a great way to get back in the swing. I am amazed at some of the similarites in principles with the training that we have been exploring and the training that Saju brings.
A few quick things from me:
Awareness: Calling our attention again and again to not only the doing of the action, but having an intention of what you are doing. After a rigorous work of some of the choreography, Saju quite calmly will call us to close our eyes, quiet ourselves and look inside. "See what you are doing." A great moment of breath that removes the momentary panic of encountering the new. Taking stock again and again. Noticing and adjusting.
Repetition: Amazing to note the amount of new vocabulary we have appropriated just by committing to the discipline of going over it again and again. Very much like the "scales" we've created for our work with western techniques, these "scales" of gestures and movements from Bharatanatyam work within us on a deep level just by allowing them the time and space to do over and over again.
Any other insights from training from others? Let's hear.

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