leela

Sanctuary and the Inner Fire

2011-12-31T23:04:00.000-08:00

An angel told me, "The only way to walk through fire without getting burned is to become fire." Drew Dellinger

It seems there is so much peace within our hearts and at the same time such a passionate and wild fire.

While care-taking for my elderly mother, who is recovering from a femur fracture and surgery in her nursing home, I am reminded of the necessity of an open-heart of compassion while holding onto an inner fierceness while being her advocate.

There is such a tendency, it seems, to over medicate seniors with morphine so they will not experience any pain. But how is the pain determined and what is too much medication? How do you determine pain when the patient is unable to speak because there is too much medication? If there is too much medication, my mom is 'snowed,' as they call it, so she can not eat or drink - which would mean a certain dwindling into dying.

This dance was inspired by the challenge I have been having of finding balance for my mom's well-being so she could move into a place of healing and so she would not pass away because of a broken leg - from the reprocutions of being overly medicated.

This dance was a prayer for her, and for all the elders who are in pain, as they move closer to their end of life, towards the realm of light, spirit and the realm of mystery... May they find inner peace on their journeys...

Here, at my childhood home, building a fire in a rusted old steel drum I found in the garage, on a frosty star-filled night in the woods behind the house - dancing the wildness of the inner flame - the fire of the soul's inner sanctum.

Thank you for viewing my blog - it means a lot. I hope you may find some inspiration here. I enjoy your comments immensely!

New Years blessings to you!

Lee

Please view Momobutoh Dance Company Collaborative blog here: Momobutoh

oil sands, pipelines and oil spills

2011-11-20T19:08:00.001-08:00

Britannia, B.C.

"...if you're a poor forlorn oil industry feeling unloved and under assault, what do you do?

There's really only one answer: Flash your wad...

The other side -- that is, scientists, Nobelists, and the kind of average people who went to jail in record numbers this summer to block the plan -- doesn't have that kind of money. We've had to figure out other currencies to work in: spirit, passion, creativity... But if money's the only thing that matters, we're done for anyway. So we'll keep using science and art and courage." Bill McKibben

Blog catching up - dance /photos from several weeks ago... I have been so deeply moved by the peaceful protests occurring in both Canada and the United States against the Keystone XL Pipeline, the Northern Gateways Pipelines and also, more importantly, the Alberta Tar Sands themselves. I have been feeling that as much as we seem, as a species, to be evolving in very inspiring ways towards a 'unity consciousness,' a sense of being related to not only one-another around the planet, but also to other beings, we are also moving towards a directly opposing, but just as strong trend, towards destroying our mama earth and all that reside upon her, at all costs.

"But it is hard to speak of these things / how the voices of light enter the body / and begin to recite their stories / how the earth holds us painfully against / its breast made of humus and brambles / how we who will soon be gone regard / the entities that continue to return / greener than ever, spring water flowing / through a meadow and the shadows of clouds / passing over the hills and the ground / where we stand in the tremble of thought / taking the vast outside into ourselves."

Billy Collins

When I feel overwhelmed with despair for the destruction of our world, and the wild beings that reside upon her, I dance... i wrote the following several weeks ago:

i am dancing because i have to... for the bears, the salmon, the caribou, the wolves, the migrating birds and all the creatures whose lives are being threatened from the increased pollution and habitat destruction... because i am canadian and it is unconscionable to me that the current government is supporting an oil extraction method that is the dirtiest energy project in the world, one that is devastating to all beings on our precious mama earth...i am dancing in solidarity with the indigenous peoples whose health and lives are being jeopardized by the alberta tar sands upriver of their communities... because human rights are being violated... i am dancing because i have to... because sometimes it feels my heart will explode with pain and anger at the lack of respect some human beings that run corporations have for all life and for future generations... i dance... i dance...

Thank you for viewing my blog. I hope it may inspire you in some way.

Lee

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

May all beings everywhere be happy and free from suffering, and may our thoughts and actions contribute to that happiness and freedom from suffering for all beings...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q4eLK35yAc

Music: Dean Evenson

Photos: Brooke

Visit Momobutoh collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Dance Company

desert weave dance

2011-09-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

For a Father

The longer we live,

The more of your presence

We find, laid down

Weave upon weave

Within our lives.

John O'Donohue

In the Yakima Canyon I was inspired to dance spontaneously wearing my recently passed father's hat (circa 1940's), embodying my inner feeling tones amongst the stark surroundings - barren but filled with light. I adore the desert landscapes as it is a place of wide open spaces that allows for such a feeling of connection to that which is greater than ourselves.

Wearing his woven, wool, plaid hat, I was reflecting also on the First Nations story of how Grandmother Spider wove the web of life that interconnects all beings - animate and inanimate.

"When the Universe was still so dark that not even shadows could be seen in the night, Grandmother Spider sat in her web in the Sky World, waiting and watching. No one knows how old Grandmother Spider is, or how long she sat waiting for the Universal Mind to awaken. But, every Creature Being who has ever lived knows her song and dance as the weaver of the Web of Life.

From her web, Grandmother Spider observed the first thoughts as the Universal Mind awakened from the dream... Grandmother Spider took a very deep breath and softly began to sing her weaving song while she danced across the Sky. As she spun her thread, Grandmother Spider envisioned the Web of Life.

Dancing with the colored light, shadows came into being as the darkness took form. More thoughts flowed from the Universal Mind, entered through the Doorway of the Seven Stars, and took their places in the Sky World. These became more stars, suns and planets. Then, many other thoughts entered the Universe, each one taking a specific place according to the universal dream of harmony.

Each thought was a spirit essence who dreamed an individual dream for manifesting life. Grandmother Spider spun her web around each new energy being and the Universal Web of Life shimmered in the reflection of Great Mystery's light."

Told by Susun Weed

Dancing with so much gratitude in my being for the beauty of our Mama Earth / Ocean home...

Thank you for viewing my blog - it means a lot to me. I hope it may inspire you in some way.

Kindly,

Lee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7sUUqaXgaM

Music: Philip Glass

View our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Company

seven seven eleven moon

2011-08-23T23:59:00.000-07:00

"Heart is like the moon. Don't keep sorrows in it. Cast them off in waters deep." Rumi

After spending a few days alone in my childhood home one month to the day after my Dad passed (7/7/11), I could feel his presence as I left. Unexpectedly, the motion detector lights at the far end of the house turned on mysteriously as I was packing up my car. I was reminded of the ritual Dad and I had of him standing at the door, waiting and waving as I backed out of the long driveway after visiting with him.

Missing him, tears began to flow and I felt inspired to dance my grief, so I threw on a sweater and hat that belonged to him, and just as I set up the camera, a thundercloud overhead began to send rain to the earth - the hugest drops I have seen in a awhile, feeling like they were my tears, washing my spirit's grief...

Driving home, I was inspired to pull off the highway onto a deserted country road to take a photo of the moon, which suddenly appeared through a crack in the clouds. As I pulled to the side of the road, a white barn owl flew across the moon's light and onto a nearby barn roof. Once again I felt insipred to dance, feeling my Dad's presence in the infinite night sky, reminded of the connection I felt with the moon and his passing...

Right after Dad passed in the hospice a visitor in the lobby began to play Debussy's 'Clair de Lune,' a song that I remembered hearing waft through our home as a child. Hearing the song so soon after he passed, felt like Dad was being serenaded into the spirit realm with the sounds of the moonlight...

Connecting to my Dad, the moon, the owl, the cosmos and the mystery...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpLQUO9fsJM

Music: Clair de Lune

Thank you for viewing my blog posts of grieving. I hope they may inspire in some way to embrace and embody your own grief, when the time arises, in a way that is nourishing for your being -- body, mind and spirit.

Lee

Visit our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Company

consciousness stream

2011-08-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

...dancing with MomoButoh Dance Company 11 /11 /10

Photo: Susan Elizabeth Cowperthwaite

'stream of consciousness' installation

Momo and I... 11/11/10

Spontaneous dance exploration of connecting to the infinite cosmos / consciousness in the finite - in urban North Vancouver with Katherine Kerr's stream / bridge / installation... feeling connection to the life cycles of the salmon... and nostalgia and excitement for Momobutoh's upcoming 11/11/11 dance dedicated to the wellness of the salmon at Oyster Creek... and throughout the Pacific Rim....

Momo and I... 11/11/10 Oyster Creek

Momobutoh Company at Oyster Creek 11/11/10

i dream of salmon coho crisis sockeye collapse bear scat food web tear i marvel again rest its time now nowhere deep...

Thank you for viewing this dance blog of exploring inner and outer environments of my soul... I hope you may feel inspired in some way to dance your own dance, to express from the soul in whatever way may resonate with your being...

Lee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg9E_JZ0RfA

Music: Mountain Man

Visit our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Company

butterfly metamorphosis

2011-08-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

During the weeks of my Dad's passing there were so many images of metamorphosis that kept appearing, including the card that was placed on his door by the hospice staff right after he passed - two butterflies in flight.

So many times I reflected on how in life we have to surrender to the natural cycles of life, no matter how desperately we may may want things to be a certain way... life, and death, unfolds in a way that ultimately, we have no control over.

Since then, I have been wanting to honor his passing with a dance of metamorphosis... of honoring his transition from this realm into the realm of spirit... and the courage required to enter through the doorway into the greatest mystery of all...

After creating this dance, I found this poem from Mary Oliver, and once again, as she often does, felt so moved by her sentiments... providing such inspiration for my imagination and nourishment for my soul...

One or Two Things ~ Mary Oliver

Don’t bother me.

I’ve just

been born.

The butterfly’s loping flight

carries it through the country of the leaves

delicately, and well enough to get it

where it wants to go, wherever that is, stopping

here and there to fuzzle the damp throats

of flowers and the black mud; up

and down it swings, frenzied and aimless, and sometimes

for long delicious moments it is perfectly

lazy, riding motionless in the breeze on the soft stalk

of some ordinary flower.

The god of dirt

came up to me many times and said

so many wise and delectable things, I lay

on the grass listening

to his dog voice,

crow voice,

frog voice, now,

he said, and now,

and never once mentioned forever,

which has nevertheless always been,

like a sharp iron hoof,

at the center of my mind.

One or two things are all you need

to travel over the blue pond, over the deep

roughage of the trees and through the stiff

flowers of lightening—some deep

memory of pleasure, some cutting

knowledge of pain.

But to lift the hoof!

For that you need

an idea.

For years and years I struggled

just to love my life. And then

the butterfly

rose, weightless, in the wind.

“Don’t love your life

too much,” it said,

and vanished

into the world.

Mary Oliver

Feeling grateful for this practice of dance / embodiment as taught by my mentor, Momo. Thank you for viewing my blog. I hope this dance of metamorphosis may inspire you in some way...

Lee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggn-rJIdJjY

Music: Stefano Bataglia

Photos of dance by Brooke / photos of nature and edits by me :~)

View our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Company

flying into the cosmos

2011-07-09T23:11:00.000-07:00

last night's sliver moon was held in the mauve twilight sky above the silhouetted north shore mountains... has time stopped? days have become hours... hours have become minutes... just this... holding my father's hand, stroking his forehead, face to face with impermanence... the challenge of surrendering to the unknown with trust, boundless love, forgiveness, and gratitude.. breathing in, breathing out... just this.

- from notes I took during the weeks of my dad's passing.

Being with my sister, my brother and his son while my Dad passed was such a sacred gift. Because the process was one that extended for 3 weeks, it enabled us to be with him in such profound ways and to be by his side as he took his last breath.

During the weeks prior to his passing we all felt like we were in another plane of reality where time literally stopped, as we were so present with him breath by breath, moment to moment... listening, being, and speaking only that which felt important to say - expressions of forgiveness, gratitude and love.

When we felt like we had opened our hearts fully to one another, and the days continued to pass, we children just kept saying to each other, "Okay, lets go deeper, what else needs to be said to Dad? Let's peel back more layers..." Although Dad's words were very few at the end, he continued to respond with big smiles, sparkly eyes and by squeezing our hands.

In the last five days of his life he was in the hospice where we were able to camp out with him in his room day and night. The last three nights were quite sleepless as it felt like we were getting so close to his last breaths. We sang songs from our childhood camping days for him - so many old campfire songs, accompanied by my brother playing my Dad's old harmonica.

Dad from the 1940s

One of our favorite songs that we sang with our Dad playing harmonica was 'Swing Low' which we sang several times to him in his final hours and at the time of his passing.

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Swing low, sweet chariot,

Comin' for to carry me home;

Swing low, sweet chariot,

Comin' for to carry me home.

I looked over Jordan,

And WHAT did I see,

Comin' for to carry me home,

A band of angels comin' after me,

Comin' for to carry me home.

If you get there before I do,

Comin' for to carry me home,

Tell all my friends I'm comin' too,

Comin' for to carry me home.

My brother took this film of my dance in Vancouver close to the airport after dropping my sister off there a few days after my dad's passing. I am wearing Dad’s hat from when he was a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

When he was in the hospital suffering with pain, he told us at one point after he was given morphine that he was ‘flying’ and that he saw heaven and that it was beautiful... Years ago he had shared that he used to have dreams of flying, too... that it was a place where he felt free.

Inspired to dance this dance of grief at the loss of my Dad and to embody the experience of his passing - the acceptance of his transition into the great mystery, the realm of spirit... out of his body and his suffering and into the realm of light... to embrace the feeling that he has transcended into a higher plane that exists beyond the physical realm, but that connects us all to the great unknown and the cosmos.

This dance also embodied for me the challenge of witnessing his struggle - his relentless holding on... literally, too - to the bed rail, the catheter tube, to the blanket, when we were not present, and to our hands when we were. His grip was so strong...

Dad as a pilot with his RCAF hat.

Goodbye Dad... I love you.

Mom and Dad... 1940s

Dad pointing the way to their future... Touches me deeply to see this photo now... pointing the way into the heavens and the great mystery...

Thank you for viewing this most personal blog post. I hope it may inspire you in some way.

With gratitude,

Lee

I was thrilled to find this version of Joan Baez's 'Swing Low' as our family had met her in the late 1960's while we were hiking in Garibaldi Meadows - she was camping in the same meadow - high in the alpine beauty of wide open skies and flowers...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhZzQ4uc9gQ

Music: Joan Baez

During the time of Dad's passing the symbology of metamorphosis was very predominant... transitioning into a new 'being'... after the above dance I loved seeing these kites flying high into the cosmos... with the image of a butterflies upon each one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhX4hANKI94

for dad...

2011-07-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad, Manitoba, 1940's

A couple of days after my father passed, my brother, sister and I went for a walk to Rice Lake to spend time in contemplation - with my Dad's old harmonica, camping hat, and a camera in hand.

We had a collective memory of times with our family sitting around campfires listening and singing to my Dad's harmonica playing, and we thought Rice Lake would be a perfect place to let the sound of the harmonica resonate out into the cosmos across the still lake, in honor of our Dad.

I told my brother how my medicine ways teacher shared that native peoples created songs from the landscape in which they lived and we all loved seeing the waves of song / sound waves in the silhouette across the lake. And so the spontaneous dance began to my brother's harmonica improv, with my sister filming.

In my mind I had anticipated some somber funeral dirge that my brother would likely play. I was so surprised as I stood on the trail, wearing my father's camping hat, that the improv my brother created from the landscape was a joyful-kind-of-jig song ;~)

And so the spontaneous dance below resulted...

And yet, the lilt of the song seemed perfect in retrospect - a way of letting our Dad know we are alright and we will all be fine - all will be well...

For a Father

The longer we live,

The more of your presence

We find, laid down

Weave upon weave

Within our lives.

John O'Donohue

Thank you for viewing my blog - it means a lot to me. I love receiving comments and would love to hear from you if you feel inspired.

Lee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5snFhXUgus

Visit our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Dance Company

Another of my brother's harmonica improvs for my dad...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO0LebhqIsA

white spirit bear

2011-07-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I found it difficult to read three news articles while in Vancouver at my childhood home.

The first was the news about the starving bears and eagles in the early spring in B.C. - both starving due to the lack of pink and chum salmon returning to their spawning grounds last fall. Young starving bear cubs ended up in wildlife rehab centers and hundreds of eagles at a time were scrounging for food from a garbage landfill site near Vancouver, B.C.

I was also saddened and maddened by the second news I read of the proposed tanker route off the westcoast of B.C. that would transport oil from the Alberta tar sands. The tar sands and projected pipelines are enough in themselves to be environmentally disastrous for our planet, however, the projected route would take the tankers into the head of Douglas Bay - a pristine land and habitat to abundant wildlife including the black bear and the rare kermode or white spirit bears where a potential oil spill would be catastrophic.

An oil spill in this region could wipe out wildlife in the area both directly and indirectly - directly by destroying salmon runs, and indirectly by starving the ecosystems that rely on salmon for food - including bears, eagles, wolves, sea lions, orca and humpback whales... An online petition is available to sign: here.

I highly recommend the following film, describing the plans to try and save this unique ecosystem:

To top it off, the third news I read was about bear trophy hunting in the Great Bear Rainforest, located along Canada's Pacific coast, spanning 21 million acres of some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. As one of the largest temperate rainforests on Earth, it's stunning mountains, forests, fjords, and waterways are home to thousands of species of birds, plants and animals – including grizzlies, black bears and also the white spirit bear. Although the spirit bears are protected, they are born from black bear mothers - it is a particular recessive gene that makes them white. Reducing the population of black bears in general could potentially wipe out the population of white spirit bears whose total number is less than 200. A petition is available to sign here: stop trophy bear hunting in British Columbia.

I have loved bears for as long as I can remember and feel a deep spiritual connection to them. When I lived in Whistler B.C. many years ago I had many close encounters with them while hiking in the wilds. Unfortunately, many bears began to rely more and more on garbage from the landfill site as their habitat was being developed into an all season resort. As a result, the bears were also coming more frequently into neighborhoods for 'garbage-food' where they were inevitably destroyed.

The more recent news of the bears and their habitat being threatened broke my heart. When it feels like I am carrying a lot of grief for the suffering of our world's wild habitats due to our actions, I feel like there is a mini time-bomb inside that is ready to explode... and it is what often is my inspiration to dance - to dance my grief, my prayers, my hopes, and my optimism...

When I met wonderful and talented Rex for a photo / dance session (see one of his sessions with Momo here: 'Tough Love in the Gravel'), he had no idea I had a dance of grief in mind, nor that I was prepared with a bag full of costumes and props! I was grateful for his willingness to capture this dance of connection to the suffering of the bears in film and to be my witness.

Spring

Somewhere

a black bear

has just risen from sleep

and is staring

down the mountain.

All night

in the brisk and shallow restlessness

of early spring

I think of her,

her four black fists

flicking the gravel,

her tongue

like a red fire

touching the grass,

the cold water.

There is only one question:

how to love this world.

I think of her

rising

like a black and leafy ledge

to sharpen her claws against

the silence

of the trees.

Whatever else

my life is

with its poems

and its music

and its glass cities,

it is also this dazzling darkness

coming

down the mountain,

breathing and tasting;

all day I think of her -

her white teeth,

her wordlessness,

her perfect love.

Mary Oliver

Thank you for viewing my blog... I hope you may find some inspiration within it - to dance your own dance of grief, eco-activism, protest, connection, optimism...

Heart-full thank you, Rex, for taking the photos and for your open mind and heart!

Grateful for this dance practice as taught by my butoh mentor, Momo and the other members of Momobutoh who inspire so lusciously. See our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Company.

(The above photos of bears are from the internet and I am sorry there were no credits to the photographers that I can share here).

frogs, seaweed, birds, shells

2011-07-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

After completing a water ceremony at the delta of Oyster Creek just before the sun set, the frogs were croaking loudly in the nearby pond.

The sun had such an incredible golden glow, that I wanted to capture the inner feeling tone of interconnection to this magical place and it's inhabitants with a dance practice.

Connecting here to the earth, the seaweed, the shells, the sun, the birds... with the symphony of frogs to move my spirit into movement of body....

Toad

I was walking by. He was sitting there.

It was full morning, so the heat was heavy on his sand-colored

head and his webbed feet. I squatted beside him, at the edge

of the path. He didn’t move.

I began to talk. I talked about summer, and about time. The

pleasures of eating, the terrors of the night. About this cup

we call a life. About happiness. And how good it feels, the

heat of the sun between the shoulder blades.

He looked neither up nor down, which didn’t necessarily

mean he was either afraid or asleep. I felt his energy, stored

under his tongue perhaps, and behind his bulging eyes.

I talked about how the world seems to me, five feet tall, the

blue sky all around my head. I said, I wondered how it seemed

to him, down there, intimate with the dust.

He might have been Buddha— did not move, blink, or frown,

not a tear fell from those gold-rimmed eyes as the refined

anguish of language passed over him.

Mary Oliver

Thank you for viewing my blog... I hope it may inspire you in some way... to dance in the beauty of our natural world...

Lee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmVuK3NBnFA

Music: Mountain Man

See our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Dance Company

prayer, dance, ceremony, life...

2011-07-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

While dancing daily in 2009 inspired by Momo and her idea of a daily dance practice honoring her sensei, Kazuo Ohno, I realized and experienced deeply that there is the potential for no separation between dance and daily life, and daily life and dance... Whatever was being experienced internally or externally in the inner / outer environments could be sources of inspiration to dance. And often the practice became therapeutic, as an outcome, not as an intention.

The following three dances were water ceremonies. After the earthquake in Japan, Momo, several women and I took part in a water healing ceremony - sending prayers into water that was being distributed to rivers and ocean's around the world.

The first two offerings here were local - Skagit River and Oyster Creek. The third was Capilano River in Vancouver, B.C. - a dance offering with my sister.

After the earthquake in Japan, I read the following quote from Atsushi Takenoushi regarding the role of butoh dance from his perspective -

"What is dance for us ? " It concerns a lot with prayer. A prayer is releasing and purifying our inner soul. A prayer is beyond the life and the death. I feel it as a dance itself truly.

This time I will perform in Tokyo "Hane no Ki" and "Vers l'Autre Monde" in Kyoto . These pieces were made with theme of "releasing and purifying soul beyond the life and the death."And in Shizuoka, we perform imprivising piece "to the memory of the sea" and "from the memory of the sea," which is reminding the memory of life carrying music and dance from ancient time. Music and dance should have been a prayer since old time.

I hope to dance to resonate a prayer with audience, to send this resonance to the earthquake stricken area, nuclear accident area in Japan and the place of any kind of nature disaster, human disaster, battlefield in the world. And I hope to dance to dedicate the life of now.

Here from my heart, I am sending deep prayer for the people suffering from this big disaster, the people who lost life. As spring comes after winter, I hope the time will come that one can love a tiny flower even in the pain.

Wishing dance and music to be able to become this flower....

Atsushi Takenouchi

2011 Mar 24Osaka Japan

Atsushi's quote resonates so viscerally with me in regards to how I feel about the practice of butoh as taught by Momo - that it is a practice that connects one so deeply with your innermost soul that feels ancient, ancestral and on a certain level seems to alter, if not purify the soul...

Are the films here - dances? Ceremonies? Rituals? Prayers?

The experience of these dances was one of soul connection with other, the element water, and are offerings for the healing of the waters in general and in particular around Japan.

Thank you for viewing my blog. I hope you may feel inspired to dance your soul in a way that resonates for you,

Lee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k7rgjuRhPU

Music: Mountain Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHWp8YIyQdA&feature=related

Music: Jennifer Berezan

Visit our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Company

dancing earth's rhythms

2011-07-02T22:56:00.000-07:00

Heron Rises From The Dark, Summer Pond

So heavy

is the long-necked, long-bodied heron,

always it is a surprise

when her smoke-colored wings

open

and she turns

from the thick water,

from the black sticks

of the summer pond,

and slowly

rises into the air

and is gone.

Then, not for the first or the last time,

I take the deep breath

of happiness, and I think

how unlikely it is

that death is a hole in the ground,

how improbable

that ascension is not possible,

though everything seems so inert, so nailed

back into itself--

the muskrat and his lumpy lodge,

the turtle,

the fallen gate.

And especially it is wonderful

that the summers are long

and the ponds so dark and so many,

and therefore it isn't a miracle

but the common thing,

this decision,

this trailing of the long legs in the water,

this opening up of the heavy body

into a new life: see how the sudden

gray-blue sheets of her wings

strive toward the wind; see how the clasp of nothing

takes her in.

Mary Oliver

After being stuck in very slow moving traffic on the highway, I was relieved to find this wildlife sanctuary at the end of a dead-end street in the scenic Skagit Valley.

After hours in the car feeling rattled and unnerved by the journey, I was grateful to drop into my body and connect to earth's rhythms - initially the stick and log percussions, and then, ending with what felt like the rhythms of the earth herself, feeling so much sweet energy of grounding and connection.

Partway through the exploration of dance and rhythms, a great blue heron flew overhead, in an awkward prehistoric, flapping kind of way... which felt perfect, as this dance felt quite awkward, too, and reminded me that many of nature's rhythms are discordant, and there is so much beauty in the disharmony of it all.

Feeling grateful for this dance of connection as inspired by my dance mentor, Momo.

Thank you for viewing my blog. I hope it may inspire you to dance to the rhythms of the earth where you enjoy connecting to the natural world,

Lee

Music: Mountain Man (Thank you, Patricia, for introducing me to them) XO

Visit our Momobutoh collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Dance Company

sweet honey bees

2011-05-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

let us sing a song to thee

oh my sweet honeybee

let us sing a song to thee

oh my sweet honeybee

you are the one we've been waiting for...

- from Mountain Man's "Sweet Honey Bee"

I have been feeling a sad helplessness lately in regards to the disappearance of the honey bee populations. "Quietly, globally, billions of bees are dying, threatening our crops and food. But a global ban of one group of pesticides could save bees from extinction." (From the AVAAZ petition site).

I have to think that by signing environmental petitions, such as the ones that circulate from AVAAZ, National Resources Defense Council, Center for Biological Diversity, Change, etc. are making a positive impact in preserving our Mama Earth. It would be too unbearable to think that these small actions we take are not being received or listened to.

The following is a recent link to a petition site whose intention is to help prevent 'colony collapse' if you would like to join me in signing it. Mounting evidence points to pesticides -- and three “neonicotinoid” pesticides in particular: clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiomethoxam. http://www.change.org/petitions/earth-to-epa-bees-need-help-now

Although I am assuming pesticides and fungicides are being used to produce such spectacular tulip beauty, today, I was so enamored by the presence of bees bumbling amongst the tulips...

Todays dance practice was inspired by the appearance of the elusive sun, the ocean of color-filled fields and was one of connecting with 'significant others' in the form of tulips and bees...

A dance celebration of beauty in our natural world... oh, and if you look carefully you'll be able to see bees flying by in the film ;~)

Music: Mountain Man

Last year's dance with the tulips and link to that blog post here: 'cultivating beauty..."

Music: Jennifer Berezan

Thank you for viewing my blog... I hope it may inspire you in some way,

Lee

Visist our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Company

don't fence me in

2011-05-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

I was feeling claustrophobic in both my car and within my being, in that 'URGHH!!!' kind of way, after being stuck in a slow moving train of cars heading north from Seattle. It took me three hours to drive a distance that usually takes an hour. I realized the irony that most of the traffic congestion was due to the fact that city folk, including myself, were trying to escape to the country to visit the spectacle of the tulips in full bloom during the weekend's "Tulip Festival" in the Skagit Valley.

Not bearing to drive any further in traffic, I pulled off the highway to find my own personal space to dance freely within. I was stunned by the beauty of this wildlife sanctuary I stumbled upon at the edge of the sea at the end of a dead-end street.

While editing later that evening, I remembered dear Joni Takanikos' version of Cole Porter's song from her album "Love In a Mist, Devil in a Bush.” She is a beautiful soul who I met at a retreat, and also who I shared MomoButoh workshops with in the past.

The lyrics speak so much of what I was feeling earlier that day - my soul's desire to dance freely into the expansive space of sky while at the same time feeling an earthward, grounding connection. After feeling so 'soul-repressed' from the bumper to bumper commute, I felt so grateful to receive so much energy from our Mama Earth that had a balancing effect inwardly - releasing the stress of the traffic-filled commute.

Don't Fence Me In

Give me land, lots of land, under starry skies above

Don't fence me in

Let me ride thru the wide-open country that I love

Don't fence me in

Let me ride my cayuse where the west commences,

Gaze at the moon until I lose my senses

Can't stand hobbles and I can't stand fences

Don't fence me in.

Just let me sit by myself in the evening breeze

Listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees

Send me away, forever, if you please

Just don't fence me in

Don't fence me in...

This moon-time, Momobutoh Company is dancing with significant others in the forms of plants and animals... here, the connection was more with the elements of earth (grounding) and sky (freedom).

Thank you for viewing my blog. I would love to hear from you, if you would care to leave a comment.

Kindly,

Lee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGaOrYrfkBY&feature=player_embedded

Music: Joni Takanikos

Visit our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Dance Company

dreaming of balance

2011-04-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

"The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between asleep and awake, when you don't know the difference between reality and fantasy, when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul that the dream is reality, and it really happened." Unknown Author

My art of Patricia's dream (above)...

Patricia and I shared our dreams once again via 'skype' - drawing each other's dreams as they were being shared...

One of the images I drew of Patricia's dream was of two columns... with a whirlwind (nourishment - a green blender drink :~) swirling in the middle... books and furniture being moved... In another, there was also a strong concrete column supporting an overhang...

Patricia's art of my dream below... a dream of concern - once I made it to the top of the slippery snow covered mountain, how would I descend?

The undercurrent of the dream, however, was one of trust and letting go, and in that process, 'all would be well.'

At my last mentoring session with Momo she spoke of 'Hitobashira' - that which creates a framework, bridge, or pillar. When one dances 'Hitobashira' you gracefully enter or touch the space around you to begin, then establish your axis between poles of opposites - such as above and below, life and death, etc... From this place, you can open gateways of exchange with other beings around you (animate and inanimate) and then explore the poles of opposites... and in the uncertainty, shaking and imbalance might ensue... with the potential of eventually finding balance...

There is a also an element of stepping off into the unknown through this practice... a surrendering into the flow and / or an acceptance of a burden...

Momo's dance performance is incredibly moving, danced just post the earthquake in Japan, a dance of the unstable earth beneath us....

In a friend's garden, with her outdoor furniture strewn about (aka Patricia's dream of furniture moving), I had an opportunity to dance Patricia's dream combined with elements of mine... the 'columns' becoming unstable, the desire to climb up, while being challenged by the slippery 'slope' and the final surrender into the flow...

Feeling grateful for this practice of connection and this means in which to embody the literal challenges of finding balance in life... heart-full thank you Patricia, and Momo...

Thank you for viewing my blog. I hope it may inspire you in some way...

Lee

Music: Yungchen Lhamo

Filmed by Momo

See our collaborative dance blog here: Momobutoh Company

sakura... blossoming dreams

2011-04-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

on the old plum tree

blossom by blossom

the spring thaw is born

Ransetsu

Patricia and I continued to share and dance our dreams via 'Skype'... I shared a dream I had of a woman who was dressed in a black raincoat who was stumbling underneath a street light... she then transformed into a pink blossom and was joined by other blossom-women in a dance...

Patricia shared her dream...

Patricia drew my dream... I drew her dream... with her dream woven in... with her previous dream also woven in... our dreams... dreams within dreams...

my art above...

Patricia's art below...

Patricia's dance...

While walking in the arboretum on this unseasonably cold April day, I was moved to dance my dream / interpretation of my dream / Patricia's art of my dream, my art of my dream, and my art of her dream...

The petals are falling! The petals are falling!... Today, mixed with thunder, lightening, rainbows and hail-pebbles, spring's sweet snowfall...

Love this dance practice of connection... to one another and to the natural world... grateful for the beauty of mama earth that abounds...

Thank you for viewing my blog... I hope it may inspire you to dance with the blossoms near you, before they fall like snow to the earth...

Lee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9ga_bkEMH0

Music: Phillip Glass

Filmed by Brooke

See our dance collaboration blog here: Momobutoh Dance Company

cultivating beauty

2011-04-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

"Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it." Mary Oliver

My post from 4/6/10... Driving en-route to the northland today, I wanted to stop once again in the Skagit Valley as at this time of year the tulip festival is at it's height. As I drove along a hillside adjacent to the tulip fields and rounded a bend that gave me my first glimpse of the fields below, I gasped with the beauty below me - bright red and yellow tulips were glowing in the sunlight while overhead there were dark, grey overhanging clouds creating such a dramatic contrasting backdrop to the vibrant colors... I was awed by the beauty of this creation of nature seen en-masse from above.

I was so excited to do my dance practice with the radiance of the tulips, and headed down a dead-end street to where I had some privacy away from the people who crowd into the valley to view the tulips. Unable to enter the field at this particular location as it is private property, I did my practice on the 'outskirts' of the tulips.

I was struck by so many incoming sensations of the sensual body - the sights, the smells, the sounds, the feel of the wind, the sun, and the air temperature... I also felt called to embody the dramatic shapes prevalent here of horizontal lines and vertical axis's as we have done in Momo's workshops in the past.

I loved feeling like a tulip plant when the sun broke through the clouds feeling the warmth of the light and at times I could feel the depth and darkness of the soil and the strength of the tulips breaking through of the soil into the light...

How

did the rose

ever open its heart

and give to this world all of its beauty?

It felt the encouragement of light against its being,

otherwise we all remain too

frightened.

- Hafiz "Love Poems from God"

As much as this dance felt like a celebration of the beauty of Mama Earth, it also felt somewhat painful to see the cultivation of such beauty. I thought about that which we can see - the flowers and the field were just so 'perfect' but, I couldn't help wonder what about the 'unseen' - the pesticides or fungicides that may have been used to create such beauty that may be seeping into the watertable and leaching into the nearby streams and rivers to the sea nearby...

Years ago, I lived in the Pemberton Valley in BC at the eastern end of the Pemberton River where it joined the Lillooet River. At the head of the valley, at the west end, potato seed farmers have been growing potatoes since the 1940's. It is such a fertile, isolated valley, perfect for seed potatoes, but, in order to keep them disease and pest free, they are not grown organically. I couldn't help wonder about all the farms downstream, including ours, who were trying to grow produce organically - didn't the pesticides get into the water table and then into the river and flow downstream, and then from there, eventually, to the sea???

And so, I thought about how in our quest to produce 'perfect' produce and flowers, what is the result of this kind of pesticide and fungicide use as it seeps into the soil and into the water-table?? A bittersweet dance practice today of love for our Earth and also of forgiveness for how we are mistreating our most precious Mother...

The highlight of this dance today was when I showed my mom, who has dementia and is in a nursing home, this film. She shared with me that when she was in her teens (late 1930's) she danced a modern dance solo on stage wearing a short black dress and bare-feet. She couldn't remember the music, but she said she danced the life of a plant growing from the earth and reaching into the sky, and then receding back down to the earth again - a dance of the life-cycle of plants (and all living things). I had never heard this particular story from her past before and was so happy the viewing of me dancing in the tulips allowed her to recall from her memory that experience. I feel so deeply moved that I am following in her 'dance-steps...'

"We have a beautiful Mother, look around you now... open up your heart and sing your praises for the world... sing praises for the world..." Jennifer Berezan

Thank you so much for viewing, Lee

There is a film in the black space below:

Music: Jennifer Berezan

View our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Company

View my butoh mentor's beautiful blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

ruminating on our dreams

2011-04-13T00:33:00.000-07:00

my spring is just this:

a single bamboo shoot

a willow branch

- Issa

Patricia and I felt moved to draw and dance our dreams from last week again this week... dancing our dreams of sending prayers to Japan.

I loved Patricia's drawings of my dance - a series of paint strokes that to me looked like Japanese calligraphy. She shared that the patterns she drew were representing the film of my last dance - 'dreaming, dancing, dancing, dreaming' - the horizon line of the sea and the sky, the footprints in the sand, the movement...

While on a road trip I had to stop for gas and was moved to dance this dance in the Skagit Valley. Although on a 'mission' to get to my destination, I was taken by the mood and the slow-pace of the the cattle beside a red barn. Recalling vaguely the images Patricia and I created, the movements seemed to come from a place of 'body memory...'

Inspired to slow down, ruminate, and dance this dance, inspired by Patricia's dance from last week, her art of my previous dance from last week, her dance of our dreams... and my art of her dance 'dreaming with lee' (below)... germinating seeds of our dreams /prayers to Japan...

Patricia's dance...

Art, dancing, dreaming, ruminating, creating... boundless...

May all beings in Japan feel the the love and prayers of all of us, near and far, surround them.

Lokaha Samastaha Sukhino Bhavantu ~ May all beings everywhere be happy and free from suffering...

Feeling grateful for this practice that allows me to collaborate with others... to dance our dreams and prayers.

Thank you for viewing this blog. I hope you may be inspired in some way, Lee

Film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWGDfULMJKU

Music: Antony and the Johnsons

Visit our dance collaboration here: MomoButoh Company

dreaming, dancing, dancing, dreaming

2011-03-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been feeling my posts have too many words... Inspired by Carolyn and Patricia's recent poetic posts - "before abrupt awakening" and "sharing our dreams, dancing our dreams"...

I was not looking for particular images in nature or trying to remember specifics of our dreams or art... I was spontaneously dancing with the objects that I found... the reflections, here...

Dream... share with Patricia... walk... seeing my dream reflected back from nature... seeing my collage images reflected back from nature...

... golden shimmering flowers... branch reaching out across the sea to Japan... the sea... oyster shell 'pearls' in the sand... the lights from our hearts...

...dance branch...

... nature reflecting Patricia's dream... nature reflecting Patricia's drawing (below)... earth, dirt, water, wind... waves... wavy waves rippling out from the center...

... branching, reflecting wavy waves of energy... dance waves... dance wavy concentric circles... spiraling into the center... the center of us all... spiraling out...

don't think... don't think...

only soul... ("No thinking....Only soul." Kazuo Ohno, Momo's butoh sensei)

... dance reflecting my dream... dance reflecting Patricia's dream, reflecting... our art...

...radiating out from the center... the hearts of us all... rippling out in all four directions... art / life / dance... no separation... connecting...

... sky...

Love and heart prayers to all beings in Japan...

Thank you for viewing my blog... I hope it may inspire you to dance your dreams... dance our dreams... or, join our collaboration? :~)

Love and light,

Lee

Music: Moby "Walk with Me."

Photos by Brooke

View our dance collaboration blog here: MomoButoh Company

dancing imaginal realms - for japan

2011-03-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

"Light up the fire of love inside,

And blaze the thoughts away."

Rumi

The result of connecting with Patricia via 'Skype'...my collage above... inspired by my meditation of the torn 'Web of Light' over Japan... filaments of light, Grandmother ancestors, nuclear power plants, pearls, oceans, and ravens...

"Light is Love revealed." Sri Chimnoy

In response to the tragedies of Japan, I have been moved to send prayers during my daily meditation practice. An image that came very strongly during one of my meditations was the image of the web of light that I have heard spoken of by the 'Grandmothers.' I visualize the weblike a 'fishnet' of luminescent light 'threads' or 'filaments' that covers the earth, and holds it from above... it connects the body of the planet as well as the body of everything that lives here on earth.

I saw the net of light covering the earth, but, over Japan the net was torn and the Grandmothers were trying to mend it - but, were very tired. As I was sitting with the 'pearl' of prayer for Japan in my heart, a raven came and took the pearl of love / compassion / prayer and flew it to Japan. One of the Grandmothers took the 'pearl' and with it brought two strands of the torn net together. The pearl of my heart / prayer was the 'glue' that helped to mend the net. The raven flew back to North America and started collecting other pearls from everyone's hearts that were also sending their prayers to Japan.

Soon, thousands of ravens were flying from all parts of the world with prayer /pearls in their beaks... all assisting the mending of the net of light over Japan. The Grandmothers were very relieved to be receiving so much light to assist them... The strands of the net being held together by the hearts of our prayers...

Momobutoh Company's practice this moon-time has been dancing our dreams and our imaginal realms with the option of including other modalities into our practice... Fellow-company-dancer, Patricia and I are dance buddies this month, and we planned to "Skype" meet to share our recent dreams and inspire one-another in our dance practices. She lives 1000's of miles away, and yet, via the inter-NET, we are able to connect as if we were in the same room.

We shared our dreams, shared creative drawing time (collaging and drawing) and then agreed to dance on our own time after that - and then share our dances with one another via film - inspired by the time we shared together via Skype.

This is Patricia's drawing inspired by her dream, with some of my dream also integrated within it. I took this photo while we were Skyping.

We were surprised at some of the recurring images that appeared in our dreams and loved how there are so many possibilities to this process - the potential of dancing the integration of our dreams; dancing each other's dreams; dancing with one another's dance films; with one another's images that were created etc....

Later that day, while walking in the park, I was called to spontaneously dance my imaginal realm when we came across a 'strand' of rolled hay intersecting a narrow 'path' that reminded me so much of the intersecting light filaments of the net of light... I was also struck by the fluorescent orange painted post, marking the 'tear' in the net / path...

The above is from the artisit, Arnotho: "we are all with you, thinking of you and pray for you."

Patricia sent me the above image that was posted on Twitter as it reminded her of my imaginal image of the ravens carrying pearls of light from afar to Japan - it was a submission from a call to artists from Takashi Murakami via GEISAI実行委員会 : "That is the idea that perhaps the power of art may be able to provide some ray of hope for our society in these dark and trying circumstances. With the theme of providing encouragement to the victims and those who have despaired in the quake's aftermath, will you join me in uploading artwork to Twitter's affiliated image posting sites?"

Grateful for this practice of deeply connecting to soul, spirit, dreams, the imaginal realms and each other, as taught by my inspiring mentor, Momo. Thank you, Momo, for connecting us soul-fully using computer technology in this way...

May all beings in Japan feel all-love and light surround them as we continue to hold them in our dances, thoughts, prayers, and meditations...

Lokaha Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu ~ May all beings everywhere be happy and free from suffering...

Thank you for viewing this blog. I hope it may inspire you to dance your soul dreams, too... or join our dance collaboration!

Love and light,

Lee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8ikAwWiKuo&feature=player_embedded

Music: Apocalyptica

Filmed by Brooke

Visit our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Dance Company

dance prayer for japan

2011-03-17T13:07:00.001-07:00

"Each of the rain drops has a tale to tell

about the sorrows of people

about the hardships living things go through

about the arrival of sparrows."

Yamamura Bocho (XXth Century)

I was feeling overwhelmed with the news of the 9.0 earthquake, then tsunami, and nuclear plant disaster. The pain and feeling of inner helplessness for the suffering that so many beings went through seemed to course through my being. I have used dance in the past as a way of expressing, through body, that which is being felt within the depths of the soul and am grateful for this practice as taught by Momo.

On the night before the earthquake we had a kirtan at our studio (musicians and participants who sing chants from the yoga tradition and various other cultures as well). One of the chants that resonated so strongly for me was one to the Buddha of compassion, Amitaba. The day after the earthquake, it poured with rain and I was feeling moved to dance in the intense downpour, but, just as I began, the sun broke through the clouds in the corner of our garden where the Japonica (Japanese quince) is budding. We recently had cold weather and snow and the Japonica buds remain unharmed. They are renowned for their tenacity and ability to survive in challenging conditions.

At my childhood home there is a Japonica growing and I always loved how my Mom would bring in bare looking branches and once inside, they would bloom in the warmth of the house in a few days, bringing an early spring indoors.

Without prior planning of the dance, I knew I had to connect with the Japonica and the stone birdbath. As I danced, what carried me through was the continual repetition of the Amitaba mantra recited out-loud and inside... using song as a means of inspiring movement is one of our themes this month while we work with dreams and the imaginal realms. Because the camera didn't pick up my voice, I added a beautiful, but different, chant to the film.

I had set the camera up on a tripod and didn't know how the light behind me was affecting the dance and I had to cut much of it out as the film was filmed with nothing but light with my feet underneath it :~) A short while later, the rain had returned and on our walk I felt compelled to finish the dance in an underpass in the nearby park... protected from the rain, but still grasping the budding Japonica branch.

At one point, I felt inspired to grasp the branch and 'plant it' in the soil, with the feeling that it really could be strong enough to 'grow again' from the barren soil in the cement, manmade, underground structure.

A mantra I repeat regularly (and join together with our students at our yoga studio) is:

Lokaha Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu... May all beings everywhere be happy and free from suffering, and may our thoughts and actions contribute to that happiness and freedom from suffering for all beings...

May all beings in Japan feel the love that so many of us from around the world are sending in their thoughts and prayers... may all love surround them...

May all beings be free from suffering...

I found the above photo of the full blooming Japonica... returning after enduring many hardships....

Filmed by Brooke

Visit our collaborative blog here: MomoButoh Company

rock steady love

2011-03-09T22:47:00.000-08:00

On a Day When the Wind is Perfect

On a day

when the wind is perfect,

the sail just needs to open and the world is full of beauty.

Today is such a

day...

The living heart gives to us as does that luminous sphere,

both caress the earth with great

tenderness.

This is a breeze that can enter the soul.

This love I know plays a drum...

Peace is wonderful,

but ecstatic dance is more fun...

On a day when the wind is perfect,

the sail just needs to open

and the love starts.

Today is such

a day.

~ Rumi ~

I love what the wind symbolizes - the winds of change, letting worries go into the wind, being taken by the wind... etc. Also, many of the dances I have enjoyed most in nature were ones in which the wind was a dance partner. I have found the wind to be such a good teacher in spontaneity as it is always changing it's direction and intensity - moment to moment. Many of the dances were 'buffets' with the wind!

However, I also find being in the wind very unsettling to my nervous system and after being in the wind will often feel inwardly rattled and mentally space-y. At those times I long to feel grounded and connect deeply to the earth to counterbalance those feelings.

In our last dance mentorship session together Momo suggested I practice with a large rock in the shape of a heart that was given to me by a friend. Not only to dance the symbolism of the 'heart' itself, but with the idea of using it to connect with gravity and the earth element.

Today was a perfect day to spontaneously explore my love / hate relationship to the wind and to express my gratitude to Mama Earth (in the form of rock) for keeping me connected to the Earth as I was being tossed about.

Thank you for viewing my blog. I hope it may inspire you to dance your own dance in the natural world. I love comments and would enjoy hearing from you.

Kindly, Lee

Music: Chopin

Film by Brooke

Visit our collaborative blog here: MomoButoh Company

love and everything that is yes

2011-03-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

I love green and everything that is green...

While walking in the park I couldn't resist doing this spontaneous dance when I saw the tree shadow sword stabbing into the sunny field...

I was reminded of one of my favorite poems by E.E. Cummings...

i thank You God for most this amazing

day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth

day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any--lifted from the no

of all nothing--human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

While dancing I was feeling so grateful to be surrounded by the green trees, the grass and what felt like 'greenly spirits.' I was also feeling much love for the warmth in the sun as I danced the edges of the green tree between light and dark...

A little ways on, this heart appeared in the sky...

Love is everywhere, it seems!

Thank you for viewing this blog. I appreciate it, and hope you may feel inspired in some way to dance in the natural world wherever you live,

Lee

Music: Yungchen Lhamo

Filmed by Brooke

View our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Company

momma bear love

2011-02-23T19:36:00.000-08:00

"Anyway, what's the purpose of our being here? Ultimately, aren't we here to link hearts?"

Kazuo Ohno - Maureen Freehill's sensei

One of the many things I learned from dancing daily for YearOfButoh in 2009, was that the dances that were most meaningful for me were the ones in which I was able to express something that I felt strongly about. On the days I was not inspired to dance, I danced anyway - not caring so much about what my dances looked like as I was committed to my daily practice, regardless. The intention was to dance as freely and spontaneously as I could wherever I found myself in life.

Although the experience of this most recent dance practice held much emotional depth for me, the film itself didn't feel like it reflected my inner feelings... part of this had to do with the awareness that, at any moment, one of the nurses might enter into my Mom's room in the nursing home unexpectedly :~) Not to mention how on the film I am cutoff at the neck for most of it, too... oh well... i am trying to let go of (and am greatly challenged by) my need to create things that have a certain aesthetic... :~)

When I first arrived to my Mom's room, I couldn't help but notice the pink paper heart that was taped to her closet above her head as we were chatting. It was probably put there by her grand-daughter months ago. As the theme for MomoButoh Company to explore this month is "Love and Family" it felt appropriate to dance with the feelings I was experiencing in her room.

I was initially drawn to the teddy bear collection on her dresser. She wasn't sure where they came from, although I knew that friends and family had given them to her as gifts over the years that she has resided there.

I was remembering how bear cubs are born within the darkness of a den in the depths of winter where they are nursed and nourished by their Mommas and then when spring comes, they exit. I was also remembering how Momma bears are one of the most ferocious mammals when it comes to protecting their cubs...

Feeling much love, as well as melancholy, for my Mom on this visit (I never know if it will be the last time that I will see her), I was inspired to take my inner feeling tone of connection to her as well as what Momma bears symbolize, and dance spontaneously...

My Mom asked at one point where the turquoise hat on the end of her bed came from. I didn't have the heart to tell her it wasn't a hat at all, but, a folded blanket... and so I danced it as 'hat.'

Today, dancing with the bears, my Mom's purple straw hat (that was her favorite sun hat that she hasn't worn in years as she rarely leaves her nursing home due to her disabilities), the blanket, and the love I feel for her.

Thank you for viewing this blog... I hope it may inspire you in some way to dance your own dance...

With gratitude,

Lee

Music: Aiko Shimada

Visit our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Dance Company

sand love catharsis

2011-02-14T20:15:00.000-08:00

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." Kahlil Gibran

The theme for Momobutoh Company's practice is 'Love and Family' this month and so today I felt inspired to dance with the heaviness of care-taking for my dad...

As my dad approaches his end-of-life, he has become more and more loving and open-hearted. As his body and mind close down and degenerate, his heart continues to open outward to his family in an expansive way. As a result, our hearts are opening more and more to him, as well - it is a beautiful exchange.

The burden is a result of all the the challenges there are in trying to manage his house and his care-givers while at the same time, trying to stay strong and be the pillar that is able to take care of his increased personal-care needs. It feels like during much of the last few years I have been emotionally drained by this responsibility and I continue to quest for ways in-which to nourish the feeling of depletion in my spirit.

My dance practice as taught by Momo has been very cathartic... a way to embody that which is being experienced from the depths...

Coming out onto the beach on this chilly, blustery day I was drawn to do a spontaneous dance with a large branch whose heaviness felt like a good analogy for the burden I have been feeling... and yet, it was light enough to maneuver, to trace patterns in the sand (including a heart around my beloved :~)... The dance of embodiment of burden resulted in a feeling of release and increased lightness of spirit as the dance continued.

Dancing on sand is also one of my favorite practices as I love how it is so forgiving and always invites a playful freedom of movement... and a baring of the feet :~) Feeling grateful to connect more deeply to the grounding presence of Mama Earth during this practice.

Also feeling grateful to share my dance practices with you all here, and to, Momo, for inspiring our connection and practices....

Thank you for viewing - I hope my practices may inspire you in some way - perhaps to dance freely with the Earth and her precious beings where you live,

Lee

Music: Deuter

Filmed by Brooke (my beloved :~)

View our collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Company

whose style?

2011-02-08T21:41:00.000-08:00

"Were I called on to define, very briefly, the term Art, I should call it 'the reproduction of what the Senses perceive in Nature through the veil of the soul.'"

Edgar Allan Poe

While walking on this clear but very chilly evening just before sunset, I came across an abandoned building in the park that was 'trapping' the warmth and golden light of the sun. As I approached the building, a fallen sumac branch was laying on the grass, and my first thought was to do a spontaneous dance of connection to other via this stick... dancing 'stick style.'

In viewing the film later, I realized how much assimilation there is, unconsciously, of other dancer's styles simply by witnessing them - I could see moments of Momo, Misty, Carolyn, Rev, Melinda... within this short dance attempt of dancing 'free-style.'

I could appreciate so much Patricia's 'copy-cat style' post (here) - and through this embodied practice I was able to witness how I am a conglomerate of what I view... This made me think that, potentially, how we are also made up of what we hear, what we touch, what we taste, and what we smell and how that all that we bring into our beings through our senses becomes part of us and can directly affect our 'style' and what is expressed outwardly....

Feeling grateful for this practice of connection with you all! Appreciate those that may be viewing our blog collaboration - and hope that you may be be inspired to join us!

Thank you for viewing this blog... I hope it may inspire you in some way,

Lee

Music: Satowa

kiddie style

2011-01-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

I had a bad cold and felt horrible and was feeling sick and tired of being sick and tired :~) To get out of my 'funk', I headed to the park for a walk and was inspired to dance 'kiddie style' at the abandoned playground where Momo has had me dance in the past.

I remember in mentorship sessions with Momo she would encourage me to pay attention to children and how they move freely without abandon, and on this quest to dance freely, children are such wonderful role models!

In the last two years I have danced and played as a child as inspired by Momo's teachings... my favorite experience was dancing in the footsteps of an adorable little girl and her dog... imitating her movements and dance / play - see my blog description here: 'dat dere at the beach' (Ricky Lee Jones' song).

I included the film here as the little girl squealing with fun at the end is priceless and always makes me smile :~)

Music: Rickie Lee Jones

It is hard to break out of the movement habits that have embedded themselves deeply. On that quest, I was challenged to play on the inside with the idea of not thinking too much - just being open to move and be drawn to whatever was 'calling' me to play with it on the outside...

This spontaneous dance play is great medicine for feeling better - thank you, Momo! It is so fascinating to me how bringing 'joy' into the body (kiddie style) can effect so positively the mood and the mind.

Feeling grateful for this practice that allows you to experience all aspects of yourself... the ancient one, the child, the baby... and all the other beings we share this precious earth with...

Thank you for reading my blog of dance practices... I hope it may inspire you in some way,

Lee

Music: Philip Glass

See Momobutoh Dance Company collaborative blog here: MomoButoh Company

sprouting and budding styles

2011-01-26T14:17:00.001-08:00

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anaïs Nin

On our walk today I was soulfully moved by seeing how so much of the plant life was beginning to awaken... with small buds appearing on branches and shoots breaking through the soul. (In re-reading realized the typo - should be soil... or not... perhaps earth soul :~)

I could envision the stirring of new growth in the darkness of the earth-womb and the restlessness of the young leaves on the edges of the branches beginning to poke their faces out into the warmth of the light - some not quite ready to bare themselves - the shy leaves of the willows wearing their fuzzy coats...

As we entered a field I felt I wanted to use the open space to do a spontaneous dance exploration of the idea of connecting to the plants as well as my own inner exuberance for the arrival of an early spring... We have been dancing with the idea of 'styles' this last month with Momobutoh Company, and I was inspired by Rev and Momo's dance of 'styles' - working with different ways of movement...

I was thinking of how all the different plants /move' into new life and growth - each unique and different in their 'style.'

What also came to mind was a poem that was shared by a mutual friend of Momo and mine last week at our full moon gathering... I could imagine all the young life of our plant relatives laughing, singing and chatting amongst themselves and perhaps even to us, if we had the ears to hear them... celebrating such an early arrival of spring-like weather.

The Music We Are

Did you hear that winter is over? The basil

and the carnations cannot control their

laughter. The nightingale, back from his

wandering, has been made singing master

over the birds. The trees reach out their

congratulations. The soul goes dancing

through the king's doorway. Anemones blush

because they have seen the rose naked.

Spring, the only fair judge, walks in the

courtroom, and several December thieves steal

away. Last year's miracles will soon be

forgotten. New creatures whirl in from non-

existence, galaxies scattered around their

feet. Have you met them? ... A feast is set. Listen: the

wind is pouring wine! Love used to hide

inside images: no more! The orchard hangs

out its lanterns. The dead come stumbling by

in shrouds. Nothing can stay bound or be

imprisoned. You say, "End this poem here,

and wait for what's next." I will. Poems

are rough notations for the music we are.

Rumi

Later this evening, in reviewing this film, I was seeing how much more there is to explore with this idea of embodying the styles of sprouting and budding... I feel inspired to dance this exploration of sprouting and budding 'styles' again - and, would love to have you join me! Where are you in the life-cycle / season of the plants... are you beginning to bud - to feel the arrival of spring?

Thank you for viewing my blog - it means a lot to me. I hope you may feel inspired to dance in the natural world where you live. I always love to hear your comments...

Lee

Music: Satowa

Filmed by Brooke

See our Momobutoh collaborative blog here: Momobutoh Dance Company

wooly socks style

2011-01-15T09:22:00.001-08:00

"Please dance free style; imbue every single instant with the heart beat of your soul." Kazuo Ohno - Momo's sensei

This dance practice was inspired as a response to Misty Eve's post "Dizzy, Me and Maybe Even Marlene," and Momo's post on dancing freeSTYLE. Like Misty, I felt called to play music and allow myself to dance freely to the rhythms that often transport you into another realm of experience and a connection to soul. I loved Misty's dance and wanted to be dancing energetically with her and Dizzy! However, my exploration changed it's course as I had been ill last week and my energy was depleted.

I had a conversation with Momo recently where she mentioned how she often dances to inner music she hears... and I was thinking how on a quest to dance freely from the soul, how our inspiration can come from so many sources, as we have done in Momo's workshops in the past - from going inside and listening to that which wants to be expressed from the physical, mental or spiritual realm; to connecting with another being, animate or inanimate, and dancing in a way that you think that being may want to see you dance as a way of honoring it, for examples...

Today, I felt vulnerable and uncertain - can I dance from the soul in a way that is "free" even though there are limitations due to years of moving in-body in familiar ways? Does dancing freely mean I have to learn new ways of moving in my body to broaden my ability to express physically the vastness of the soul? Is it possible to ever remove one's self from one's habitual patterns of movement? Is there a difference between dancing from the soul and dancing in a way that is authentically you but may be perceived as a style?

And so, without audible music, I began this dance from a place of uncertainty and a longing for regaining my strength and feeling of wellness in-body... a dance practice of listening from the inside for inner music... a practice of 'wooly sock style' and 'under the weather style...' a dance of gratitude for this practice that allows me to embody the questions of dancing freeSTYLE and for the connections and inspirations I receive from Momo and company...

Thank you for viewing this blog. I hope it may inspire you in some way to dance your own dance wherever you live... I always love to receive comments...

Music was added at home later during the editing...

Music: Philip Glass

Visit our dance collaboration blog here: MomoButoh Dance Company

art museum style

2011-01-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

"It is the pervading law

Of all things organic and inorganic,

Of all things physical and metaphysical,

Of all things human and all things super-human,

Of all true manifestations of the head,

Of the heart, of the soul,

That the life is recognizable in its expression,

That form ever follows function..."

Lois Sullivan

It was a coincidence that Momo and I were going to be going to the Picasso exhibit at the Seattle Museum on the same day last week.

Unfortunately, the line-up was long and the tickets were being sold for entrance into the exhibit 4 hours later - too long to wait. Fortunately, I was able to spend time viewing the other exhibits currently showing instead.

This month's theme for our dance practice is 'STYLE' and the first thing I think of when I hear 'style', is 'fashion' and what we choose to wear and how we present ourselves into the world - our 'look.'

I loved discovering the many 'styles' that were on display at the gallery - from the traditional, authentic clothing as worn by local and distant native peoples to the modern artistic representations of fashion and also all the styles all the visitors at the museum were adorning themselves in.

Inspired to dance with a recessed light beaming up from a downtown sidewalk, dancing a dance of the 'puffy coat' style (which feels more like 'function' than 'form,' however :~)

Thanks for viewing this blog... I hope it may inspire you in some way...

Lee

Music: Philip Glass

Please se our collaborative blog here: MomoButoh Dance Company

trumpeting in twenty eleven

2011-01-01T21:41:00.000-08:00

The Swan

Did you too see it, drifting, all night, on the black river?

Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air -

An armful of white blossoms,

A perfect commotion of silk and linen as it leaned

into the bondage of its wings; a snowbank, a bank of lilies,

Biting the air with its black beak?

Did you hear it, fluting and whistling

A shrill dark music - like the rain pelting the trees - like a waterfall

Knifing down the black ledges?

And did you see it, finally, just under the clouds -

A white cross streaming across the sky, its feet

Like black leaves, its wings

Like the stretching light of the river?

And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything?

And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for?

And have you changed your life?

Mary Oliver

I received a message from Momo on New Year's Day in which she wrote - "what you do/feel/be sets the tone for the whole of 11...."

On reflection of the previous year I realized how much I have missed dancing as regularly as I was during 2009 YearOfButoh's daily dancing. It was such a profound way of connection to my day to day experience in such a meaning-full way - the practice of dancing from the soul.

En-route, once again, from care-taking for my elderly father, I felt I wanted to "set the tone for the whole of 11" with a dance... thank you, dear Momo, for the inspiration.

The sun was near setting and I knew I had to do my dance practice in the magical Skagit Valley. Mount Baker to the north and Mount Ranier to the south were glowing in the late afternoon light and I was feeling the call to dance with the element 'space' in the cleavage of the open valley.

My Dad went into the hospital on Christmas Eve after a fall and I had many challenges in 'breaking him out' of the hospital where they have so many protocols for discharging seniors - making sure they will have a safe environment to live in if they go home (versus placement in a nursing home). Unfortunately, the hospital was understaffed and my Dad's care there was questionable. And so in the dark of night, against the normal protocol, with his doctor's permission, however, I 'broke him free' from the hellish existence within the hospital where he was sharing a room with 3 others across from the noisy nurses station, with so many seniors groaning in pain heard throughout the ward and many calls of 'please help me,' being unanswered and echoing through the hallways.

My Dad now has 24 hour care at home, is living in an environment of peace where he has lived for over 40 years and where he wishes to pass his final days...

In the Skagit valley I loved how when I parked at this location beside a farmer's field, a flock of trumpeter swans flew overhead, trumpeting into the infinite space of sky heading towards the east, the direction of insight and clear seeing - a reminder to dance freely into spaciousness.

And so this spontaneous dance is one of 'breaking free' into the expanse of the inner and outer landscapes, of getting in-touch with an inner joy that surfaced in the playfulness of the dance expression, of surrendering to the 'marionette-like' spirit that seemed to surface (after going through the hoops of red-tape to find freedom for my father the puppet seemed appropriate in retrospect, but such a surprise) and also of getting in-touch with the feeling of space on the inside, after so many inner emotional challenges during the process of releasing my father from the hospital...

It was so soul satisfying to initially break the ice and hear it crack 'open' which felt like a freeing of an inner expression of warmth from it's cold bondage - an opportunity to lean into my wings...

Thank you for viewing this blog... I hope it may inspire you to dance from the soul connected to nature where you live,

Lee

Music: Philip Glass

See our dance blog collaboration here: MomoButoh Company

water break / down

2010-12-31T15:09:00.000-08:00

“Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong."

Lao Tzu

A few weeks ago I spent several days care-taking my elderly father during which time the weather was chilly and filled with hours of endless heavy rainfall. As we were also approaching the winter solstice, the short hours of daylight also felt as though they were reflecting the heaviness of my spirit...

After driving through torrential rain on the way home, there was a break in the clouds while I was passing through the verdant Skagit Valley. The surrounding clouds were dark, heavy and pregnant with rain but it was sprinkling only lightly. I felt it was ironic that although I was planning to do a dance exploration of water as it was so abundant lately (Momobutoh Company has been working with dancing with the elements this past month), I chose to dance a spontaneous dance under a trestle bridge, out of the rain and the direct connection with water where I could set up the camera...

The support structure of the bridge overhead not only provided shelter from the storm but also seemed to reflect my inner feeling tone, of the need to be 'strong' to handle the challenges of caring for an elderly parent...

I was reminded through this dance of the importance of having a solid frame, but more importantly, connecting to a fluid inner-core... Feeling grateful for water... feeling grateful for a dance practice that enables an exploration of both the inner and outer landscapes... the strong and the soft, the light, the dark, the light, the heaviness...

Thank you for viewing this blog - I hope it may inspire you in some way to dance your own soul-full dance...

Music: Satowa

View our collaborative butoh dance blog inspired by Maureen 'Momo' Freehill here: MomoButoh Company

"In Search of Sacred Bliss"

2010-12-12T21:22:00.000-08:00

"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 touched by Momo's ability to inspire such meaningful, soulful, dance expression and was consequently hooked by butoh.

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...

Photo by: Susan Elizabeth Cowperthwaite

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 yearold 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 by 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...

Thank you for viewing my blog... It means a lot to me... I hope it may inspire you to dance from your soul in the beauty of our natural world,

Lee

Photos by Brooke and Susan

See our collaborative blog here: MomoButoh Company

dance reflections - madrid / cadiz, spain

2010-11-29T09:43:00.000-08:00

"Beauty is as close to terror

as we can well endure...

Pour your emptiness

into the breeze -

the birds may soar

more swiftly for it."

Rainer Maria Rilke

Prior to arriving to Spain, I didn't have any preconceptions as to how our adventure would unfold. All that was planned was that we would spend two nights in Madrid on arrival and then spend the remaining time renting a friend's apartment in Cadiz on the southern coast. So many friends who had been to Madrid said "You must go to the Prado Museum!"

Not knowing anything about the specifics of the artwork contained within the immense museum, I was excited by the possibility of viewing paintings that I had studied from text books in art history classes in college. I was not prepared, however, for the intensity of the subject matter in the majority of the paintings nor how the viewing of them would affect my soul.

The Prado Museum's collection of Spanish art - including work by Velázquez, Carbonero, Zurbarán and Pérez and Goya, along with other Spanish and Flemish masters, such as El Greco, Murillo, Zurbarán, van der Weyden, Rubens, Brueghel,van Dyck, and Bosch - mostly portray a world of inhumanity and death.

Recently I read: "The Prado Museum - The Spanish Art of Horror" and that much of "Spanish art is the stuff of horror - as inhabitants of the land of the Reconquista, Inquisition, Invasion and Civil War, the Spanish have had a lot to paint about."

'Saturn Devouring his Son." Goya, 1819 - 1823

There are also painting after painting of the crucifixion and descent from the cross which are powerful depictions of the suffering of a bloodied Christ. Some paintings show the immense grief of the spectators, as well.

The most impactful images for me, however, were those of Goya's "The 3rd of May 1808" and Antonio Gisbert Pérez's painting of "The Execution by Firing Squad of Torrijos and his Colleages on the Beach at Málaga." Both paintings I had studied in college, and both are very up close human depictions of the atrocities of war, where the artists caught the victims just at the moment prior to death by firingsquad. The description with Goya's painting speaks of how one faces their own death - with courage and hands upheld, or crippled with fear, unable to stand? During the years of the war, it is said Goya vented his horror and outrage of the inhumanities committed by soldiers and patriots with his extraordinary paintings.

Although I have had the training to 'critique' the paintings in an analytical way from my college days, I was so astonished how paint on canvas could affect my soul's depths so profoundly.

"The Execution by Firing Squad of Torrijos and his Colleages on the Beach at Málaga." Antonio Gisbert Pérez, 1888

And so our Spanish vacation, from the start, was tainted by these deeply moving images of the depictions of human suffering.

Goya's "The 3rd of May 1808," 1814

Cadiz is a spectacular city on the end of a spit of land where Spain narrows close toward Morocco. It is said to be the oldest city in Europe and was founded, according to legend, by Hercules himself some 3000 years ago. The Phoenicians settled there around 1100 BC and in 501 BC the conquering Carthaginians landed. They were followed by the Romans in 206 BC. They were followed by other conquerors, the Visigoths and the Muslims. The rule of the Moors came to an end when Spain ruled in 1262. In 1596 Anglo and Dutch ships arrived and burned the city to the ground. In the 1700's Cadiz bounced back and reached the zenith of its power and prestige when Napolean and his French troops invaded and Cadiz became the capital of occupied Spain. It once was the dominant city for trade between Spain and the new world. In the 1930's during the Spanish Civil War, its towns people fought and lost against Franco's Fascists... History books speak of these events as 'conquers' de-humanizing the pain and suffering of all involved in the battles - including the repercussions on the women, children and seniors...

Although we took daily walks along the seawall promenade that encircled Cadiz and gazed out at the beauty of the turquoise Mediterranean waters, there was a feeling of being unsettled on the inside. I couldn't help think that the deep feelings were somehow connected to all the pain and suffering of generation after generation on this land. My nights were filled with very little sleep trying to adjust to the time change, and were also filled with vivid and strange dreams for the short times I was able to sleep.

And there was, initially, a feeling of being physically lost in a new environment - not speaking the language, and not knowing our way around the city where it is easy to get lost with so many of the narrow, apartment-lined and small shop-lined streets looking so similar - wandering through them often felt like a maze.

Challenged to dance wherever I find myself, at home or traveling, I felt grateful to be able to dance my soul along the ancient fortress seawall and castle remnants, in the light of sol, the wind, and with the relentless rhythms of the surrounding sea which made me feel a deep rootedness to this place of so much history.

However, I felt less of a connection to the elemental natural world and subsequent feeling of being deeply grounded in the earth (and within myself) which I have danced so regularly with in the past, and more of a connection to the lineage of human beings throughout time.

"Our progenitors densely inhabit our souls... It's as if the spirits of the dead are alive and breathing through us... We are not alone; we share our bodies with many, many others... We've evolved as human beings by the grace of those who

have gone before... You've got to cherish the souls of the dead; without their help we would be bereft of our living force. We coinhabit this world with our ancestors... The realm where I long to dance is one where I merge with the spirits of the dead... Please continue; try to reach out to those with whom you share your body." Kazuo Ohno - my butoh mentor Momo's sensei

Although I have no Spanish lineage that I know of, I had strong feelings of interconnectedness - the universal idea of ancestral relations.

I was thankful to have a dance practice in which I could express my inner longings from the soul. This dance was inspired by my feelings of being inwardly unsettled after viewing the depths of human sufferings depicted in paintings as well as the connection to those that have gone before. It was also a study of imagining facing my own death and darkness with courage, and also the longing to experience the light from the inside, that of human compassion and goodness, even in the realm of suffering and darkness.

I was feeling so grateful during this dance for all the souls who have lived and suffered to enable so many of us in this time period to live with so many freedoms and privileges... a dance study of gratefulness...

While preparing to write this blog I recently came across the below photo - a copy of Goya's etching, "The Disasters of War", inspired as a consequence of the Spanish War of Independence. Between 1810 and 1823, he created several of these etchings which reveal the devastation of war. It is said that Goya's prints had an indelible impact on Ernest Hemingway, who shared the artist's antiwar sentiment and ability to portray human suffering in "For Whom the Bell Tolls," which Brooke was reading while we were there - a timeless classic. It is amazing to me how emotionally powerful colored paint on canvas can be that stir the soul so deeply - images that for me were more powerful than images of war that are depicted in our modern era via the media...

I was struck by the similarity and angles of shadow and light between Goya's etchings and the dance I did at Castillo Santa Catalina in the below film. We were told by a local resident in Madrid that artists go to Cadiz because the light is so spectacular there - feeling so fortunate to have had the opportunity to dance in the light (and shadows) while we were there...

The dance is dedicated to my sensei, Momo, with gratitude, who continues to inspire me with her courage to explore and experience darkness within (and without), expressed outwardly in dance.

Thank you for reading / viewing this lengthy post that holds so much meaning for me. I hope it may inspire you in some way...

Lee

Photos by Brooke

Visit Momo's inspiring blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

cadiz, spain

2010-11-22T20:42:00.000-08:00

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”

Pablo Picasso

After many hours of air and train travel, combined with jet-lag, we arrived tired in body at our destination in Spain - Cadiz. The environs around Cadiz were a contrast to being home in the Pacific North West where I am drawn to practice dance with the elements of nature in the outdoors - often in secluded places in a nearby park.

In Cadiz, our apartment was on a narrow cobbled street adjacent to the seawall promenade that encircles the circumference of the ancient city. Here, the air is filled with the sounds of street traffic, any signs of 'earth / dirt' has been long ago paved over and there is a continual parade of people walking the wall.

The connection to the natural world was most deeply felt from the beauty of the many gardens (although manicured) and from the outlook across the endless looking ocean towards the Atlantic - the kind of vista that invites you to feel expansive in spirit, and limitless internally...

The wind was a constant presence and invited this dance play as we walked the ancient wall... feeling grateful for the beauty of the natural world's presence surrounding the hub of the city's bustling core.

My soul felt nourished while endeavoring to dance freely, with the elements present, even in this urban setting...

Thank you for viewing... I hope this blog may inspire in some way for you to dance freely wherever you find yourself....

Photos by Brooke

View my butoh mentor's inspiring blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

sage wind, horsetails

2010-09-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

"Our kinship with Earth must be maintained; otherwise, we will find ourselves trapped in the center of our own paved-over souls with no way out."

— Terry Tempest Williams

On our way to the Dave Matthew's concert at the Gorge Amphitheater, I felt drawn to dance with the wild openness of the desert landscape which was filled with the alluring scent of sage brush.

I have always loved how the desert environment mirrors our own inner landscape in the way it makes you feel connected to spirit in such an expansive way. This dance practice was a reflection of my inner landscape and was also a playful response to dancing with spirit wind inspired by the horsetail-clouds in the evening sky. Spirit wind is one of my favorite dance partners as I love responding to the unpredictable rhythms of the wind's gusts.

Because of the dryness of the desert environment, garbage does not disintegrate readily, so I was moved to dance with dancing garbage that was caught in the sage brush. Today's practice was one of honoring the beauty of our diverse Mother Earth / Ocean....

Wild Horses Monument is on the hill in the above photos - bigger than life iron horses galloping for an eternity across the desert... a tribute to wildness...

I have been inspired over many years by the writings of Terry Tempest Williams as she has spoken so eloquently about protecting desert landscapes -

“Our sense of community and compassionate intelligence must be extended to all life forms, plants, animals, rocks, rivers, and human beings. This is the story of our past and it will be the story of our future.”

Thank you for viewing this blog... I hope it may inspire you in some way to dance in the wild earth where you live...

With gratitude, Lee

Music: Satowa

Filmed by Brooke

Visit my butoh mentor's blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

sprouting wings

2010-08-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

Inspired today by the blue, liquid silver, silky sea... After finding two feathers that were similar, but opposite, in their coloring - like yin and yang, I felt drawn to dance with them, the sand and the sea. As soon as I put them in my hands to begin the dance, a plane flew overhead with it's engine loudly squealing overhead....

I recently wrote: winds of change a-blowing... strong winds... almost gale-force... time for sprouting wings and letting go into the current...

Happy to be sprouting wings at the beach today... feeling grateful for the beauty that abounds in both the light and the shadow...

Shadow and Light Source Both

How does a part of the world leave the world?

How does wetness leave water? Dont' try to

put out fire by throwing on more fire! Don't

wash a wound with blood. No matter how fast

you run, your shadow keeps up. Sometimes it's

in front! Only full overhead sun diminishes

your shadow. But that shadow has been serving

you. What hurts you, blesses you. Darkness is

your candle. Your boundaries are your quest.

I could explain this, but it will break the

glass cover on your heart, and there's no

fixing that. You must have shadow and light

source both. Listen, and lay your head under

the tree of awe. When from that tree feathers

and wings sprout on you, be quieter than

a dove. Don't even open your mouth for even a coo.

Rumi

Thank you for viewing this blog. I hope it may inspire you in some way to dance with the beauty of mama earth near you...

Lee

Music: Chopin

Filmed by Brooke

Visit my butoh mentor's blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

dancing the earth

2010-07-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

"Well, there is time left --

fields everywhere invite you into them.

And who will care, who will chide you if you wander away

from wherever you are, to look for your soul?

Quickly, then, get up, put on your coat, leave your desk!

To put one's foot into the door of the grass, which is

the mystery, which is death as well as life, and

not be afraid!

To set one's foot in the door of death, and be overcome

with amazement!

...To sit down, like a weed among weeds, and rustle in the wind!

Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?

While the soul, after all, is only a window,

and the opening of the window no more difficult

than the wakening from a little sleep."

Mary Oliver

Today's dance was inspired by the desire to connect deeply to my outer environs in a soulful way, dancing the earth barefooted... I was taken by the silken summer grasses and the warm, wavering breeze as the sun was setting towards the western horizon...

Celebrating the beauty of Mama Earth...

Thank you for viewing this blog - I hope you may feel inspired to dance your dance of connection with the magnificence of our planet ocean where you live,

Lee

Music: Claude Debussey

Filmed by Brooke

Visit my butoh mentor's inspiring blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

sun, moon, pond

2010-07-21T17:57:00.001-07:00

That moon which the sky never saw

even in dreams

has risen again

bringing a fire

that no water can drown

See here where the body

has its house

and see here my soul...

the cup of love has made the one

drunk

and the other a ruin...

love turned my blood

to wine

and my heart burned on a spit...

Suddenly when my heart saw

the ocean of love

it leapt away from me calling

Look for me...

... the sun that hearts follow

like clouds

Hafiz

Today's dance was inspired by my last butoh mentorship session with Momo. For the last seven weeks (since I have stopped dancing / filming / blogging daily) I have developed a 'mysterious,' pretty much continuous headache. I have also just transitioned from my sun dasha, to my moon dasha, according to the science of Vedic astrology (from ancient India).

Momo spoke of the idea of embodying the idea of the headache as being stuck energy, and allowing that energy to flow from the sky downward, to feel the infinity of the blue sky within, while connecting to the earth.

She also had me feel from the inside the coolness of the reflective moon and feel how each eyeball was like an individual moon within my head... opening the windows of my soul / consciousness - to dance in honor of this time of my life embracing reflective energy versus the intense active energy of the sun (which I have spent embracing my whole life, it feels, up until this point).

Today on my walk I was drawn to dance spontaneously beside the pond feeling the brilliance of the sun, which felt interestingly too intense. Consequently, I wanted to embrace the coolness of the moon, the quieting of the soul, the slowing down, the coolness of the pond on my feet and legs... seeing the coolness of blue through the silk scarf, shading my moon eyes from the sun's intensity.

Dancing the coolness of the moon and blue...

With That Moon Language

Admit something:

Everyone you see, you say to them, "Love me."

Of course you do not do this out loud, otherwise someone would call the cops.

Still, though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect.

Why not become the one who lives with a full moon in each eye

that is always saying,

with that sweet moon language,

what every other eye in this world is dying to hear?

Rumi

This was also a dance of gratitude for the beauty of our Planet Ocean...

Thank you for viewing this blog... I hope it may inspire you in some way, perhaps to dance your own dance of connection to our beautiful Earth Mama...

Lee

Music: Chopin

Visit my butoh mentor's blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

study in pink / study in forgiveness

2010-07-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

Photo: Briana Jones

I love you.

Please forgive me.

I am sorry.

Thank you.

Ho'oponopono

Maureen 'Momo' Freehill and the Momobutoh Company were asked to participate in Studies in Forgiveness, created by A.K. Mimi Allin. Many artists were going to be participating in this 12 hour long installation along a 4 mile length of Aurora Avenue in Seattle.

Mimi described her vision as:

"Why Forgiveness? Forgiveness, like art, is a process and not an event. As artists, we pave the way for forgiveness. "Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it," said Mark Twain and Dag Hammarskjöld said, "Forgiveness is the answer to the child's dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is again made clean." The artist sees, but can also make new."

As participants of the dance, we (Momo, Alex Kewitt, singer Jaie Livingstone, her 5 year old son Thomas and myself) didn't have a rehearsal, and were told just a short time ahead of the dance what the different parts of the score were going to be. This was my first time visiting the troll. What transpired was an improvisational, spontaneous dance / ritual.

Because the tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico is so much on our minds and energetically in our collective hearts lately, Momo decided that this would be a dance we could fully embrace and embody. How appropriate that the location chosen for us on Aurora Avenue by Mimi was under the Fremont bridge with the Troll (representing our dark sides and our addiction to oil) in the shadows of the bridge AND who is also clasping in one hand a Volkswagen Bug vehicle (another symbol of our addiction to oil).

We began the dance blind-folded in order to tune inward to our experience of connecting to the troll within each of us - specifically, how we are feeling in regards to the situation in the Gulf of Mexico... fear, sadness, anger, whatever our experience was at that moment.

As soon as I connected to the troll (inner shadow) and placed my hands on him, I began to weep... It felt like the troll was pouring it's pain into me...

"What we must do,

I suppose,

is to hope the world keeps its balance;

what we are to do, however,

with our hearts

waiting and watching - truly

I do not know."

Mary Oliver

Photo: Briana Jones

Volkswagen Bug in the trolls hand...

The second part of the dance was accompanied by the beautiful voice of Jaie, and was an opportunity to embody compassion. We took off our blindfolds and danced our inner sweetness with pink peonies and fragrant 'sweet williams' that were handed to us by her son (the future generation)... Until, we were reminded of our addiction to 'sweet crude,' our addiction to oil...

We then embodied that addiction like junkies, looking for their next fix... guzzling the oil into our bodies and beings with reckless abandon... only to succumb to the toxic poison. While in our stages of dying we also became the wildlife that are covered in oil and are suffering from the disaster in the Gulf. This was most moving for me - my eyes were watering profusely, and I could imagine how the wildlife must feel with oil in their eyes and fragile membranes...

Photo: Briana Jones

All below photos: Briana Jones

We were, once again, revived from our hopelessness with the angelic yet powerful voice of Jaie and the offering of flowers by her son (the next generation and all future generations) - an offering of forgiveness for our actions. We joined together and offered a song of love and forgiveness created by Momo (based on Ho' oponopono, as taught originally by Morrnah Simeona), asking the sea and all it's creatures for forgiveness for our actions that contributed to the situation in the Gulf.

Next photos: Briana Jones

I felt so much gratitude to be a part of Momo's vision in this dance study in pink and Mimi's vision of forgiveness along the length of Aurora Avenue... It was deeply moving to embody our collective experience of the tragedy in the Gulf and to embody the power of forgiveness.

Two other members of Momobutoh Company also were a part of our dance today, but danced with their own beauty-filled visions from afar, in spirit and in body - Patricia and Rev.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope it may inspire you in some way,

Lee

Visit my butoh mentor's inspiring blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

infinitely big

2010-07-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

"We must make room in ourselves for the immensity of the Universe."

Native South American saying

I continue to feel overwhelmed by the situation in the Gulf. At my last mentorship session with my butoh mentor, Momo, she suggested the idea of becoming infinitely large in order to be able to hold that which feels overwhelming in our lives...

At a pit-stop on South Whidbey Island I was drawn to do my dance practice barefooted on this sprawling green field. As I began my dance of expansiveness it was a joy to be joined by several swallows swooping around me and into the infinite space - to be able to fly!! Whhheeeee!

I loved discovering in the film later how the insects in the foreground grasses looked almost as big as me in the distance - the illusion of being very small and yet feeling very large on the inside... Today's challenge was one of embodying and being a large container - large enough to hold that which seems so devastating to the spirit.

And

For no reason

I start skipping like a child.

And

For no reason

I turn into a leaf

That is carried so high

I kiss the Sun's mouth

And dissolve.

And

For no reason

A thousand birds

Choose my head for a conference table,

Start passing their

Cups of wine

And their wild songbooks all around.

And

For every reason in existence

I begin to eternally,

To eternally laugh and love!

When I turn into a leaf

And start dancing,

I run to kiss our beautiful Friend

And I dissolve in the Truth

That I Am.

Hafiz

Thank you for viewing my blog. I hope it may inspire you in some way,

Lee

Music: Philip Glass

View my butoh mentor's inspiring blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

hands across the sand

2010-06-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

Through Your Hands - sung by Joan Baez

You were dreaming on a park bench about a broad highway somewhere

When the music from the carillon seemed to hurl your heart out there

Past the scientific darkness, past the fireflies that float

To an angel bending down to wrap you in her warmest cloak

And you ask "What am I not doing?"

She says, "Your voice cannot command,

In time you will move mountains

And it will come through your hands."

Still you angle for an option, still you argue for your case

Like you wouldn't know a burning bush if it blew up in your face

Yeah, we scheme about the future and we dream about the past

When just a simple reaching out could build a bridge that lasts

And you ask "What am I not doing?"

She says, "Your voice cannot command,

In time you will move mountains

And it will come through your hands."

So whatever your hands find to do you must do with all your heart

There are thoughts enough to blow men's minds and tear great worlds apart

There's a healing touch to find you on that broad highway somewhere

To lift you as high as music running through an angel's hair

Don't ask what you are not doing

'Cause your voice cannot command

And in time we will move mountains

And it will come through your hands...

Today was the day of a worldwide event called "Hands Across the Sand." The intention was for people to come together in solidarity against off-shore drilling and to stand together for future clean energy. I am so inspired and amazed how this event became a world-wide phenomenon in a short amount of time - mainly due to people's connections on FaceBook. I love how the internet can link so many together around the world that normally would not have had a chance to meet.

I was excited about this event happening at Golden Gardens Beach in Seattle organized by The Sierra Club. It felt empowering to be a part of a group on the beach coming together for a common aim. As we arrived, one of the organizers told a story about how when she was volunteering at a bird sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico last year, a pelican came into the center of a group of them who were having lunch. They thought it was just being friendly, but, soon discovered it had a bone stuck in it's tongue and was unable to eat. The group was able to save it by removing the bone, and the pelican, whom they named Peppy, continued to hang out with them for many days after, in seeming appreciation of their kindness.

I remember my last session with my butoh mentor, Momo, where she said that when we share something with others (our words, a story, a poem, music, a dance...) the receiver literally receives that experience - what you have shared now becomes a part of them... that is how I felt with the story of the pelican. It was HER story that became mine because it moved my soul... the pelican, Peppy, now lives within me, too...

This idea feels very profound to me... and such an important reminder that whatever we put out into the world (words, actions and even thoughts) can have a profound affect on all those around us...

At the event today I felt challenged to feel the connection to all the other thousands of participants around the world who were coming together as there was no time set aside for silent reflection (the event was described as having 15 minutes of time to hold hands in silence).

The organizers had us begin to hold hands and our line began close to the parking lot and stretched towards the shore. In-spite of my attempts to encourage the line to keep moving and walk to the beach so we could be a line along the length of the sand, looking out towards the sea, I was unsuccessful. All those present held hands for a few minutes facing the street, the cars and parking lot, which felt very sad to me - it felt that our souls were not connecting in a meaningful way at this event - that it was for a media photo opportunity (which I believe is important but not nourishing to the soul). However, the photos of the events from around the world themselves are very moving to me and bring tears to my eyes...

The sail on the sailboat in the background said "No to Offshore Drilling...." thinking of the future generations...

The parking lot was just to the right in this photo and the road is behind this line... :~(

Our failed attempts at the tail of the line to stretch us out and move us to the beach :~)

On returning home, on our walk to the local beach, I felt drawn to do my own ritual of connection, of joining hands across the sand with intention in a way that had heart and meaning, a time of reflection to feel connected to friends and others who were joining hands across the sand around the world.

My dance began as I was at first feeling the anger and frustration of the situation in the Gulf and the desire to be aggressive and fight all those responsible for the disaster - drawing a line in the sand - taking a stand. And then feeling overwhelmed with the need to embody compassion and love to all the beings that are suffering in the Gulf as a result of this tragedy...

Desiring to stand with those around the world who are imagining the world to wake-up after this disaster - both through the power of our imagination, meditations, prayers AND through our actions... making changes in our world for the highest good of all and for all future generations.

Grateful to the organizers of "Hands Across the Sands" for their vision and ability to create such a successful event attended by so many around the world.

Lokaha Samastaha Sukhino Bhavantu ~ may all beings everywhere be happy and free from suffering and may our thoughts and actions contribute to that happiness and freedom from suffering for all beings....

Thank you for viewing this blog. I hope it may inspire in some way,

Lee

Music: Philip Glass

Visit my butoh mentor's inspiring blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

planet ocean breathing us

2010-06-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

The dance of the ocean and our breath...

"All That is, like You

Breathes in, breathes out.

The more it releases

The more it takes in...

Be still and breathe...

And recognize the utter holiness

Of each breath, of all things.

This is the challenge of love."

Haven Trevino

In the film below, I love the reminder of our interconnectedness with that which is greater than ourselves... we are the ocean... the ocean is in our veins... every other breath that we take is oxygen from the ocean...

May I try harder... may I try harder to love and cherish our home, Planet Ocean... may I continue to learn to walk more gently upon the Earth...

Thank you for viewing this blog. I hope it may inspire you in some way,

with gratitude, Lee

Visit my butoh mentor's blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

beach, feathers and wings duet

2010-06-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Today's dance practice was with Rev, another butoh student of Momo's. It was great to be able to practice in concert with another at this lovely location that Rev knew of called 'Teddy Bear Cove.'

The day before, Rev had found a beautiful feather, and today on the trail to this beach, he found another (from a blue heron), and so these two feathers became our props for the dance. Rev had worked with Momo recently on the idea of dancing while imagining wings on the soles (souls:~) of the feet and thought this would be a good image for us to hold as we danced with the feathers, the deafening train, the shards of beach glass, the sand, the seaweed, and each other...

From the soles of our feet we also imagined wings sprouting from our elbows, from our knees, from our bellies... Grateful to share this dance of connection at such a beautiful place... with thanks to Rev.

Shadow and Light Source Both

How does a part of the world leave the world?

How does wetness leave water? Dont' try to

put out fire by throwing on more fire!

...No matter how fast

you run, your shadow keeps up. Sometimes it's

in front! Only full overhead sun diminishes

your shadow. But that shadow has been serving

you. What hurts you, blesses you. Darkness is

your candle. Your boundaries are your quest...

You must have shadow and light

source both. Listen, and lay your head under

the tree of awe. When from that tree feathers

and wings sprout on you, be quieter than

a dove. Don't even open your mouth for even a coo.

- Rumi

Thank you for viewing this blog. I hope it may inspire you in some way...

Lee:~)

Music: Satowa

Visit my butoh mentor's inspiring blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

insect's view

2010-06-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

Daisies

It is possible, I suppose that sometime

we will learn everything

there is to learn: what the world is, for example,

and what it means. I think this as I am crossing

from one field to another, in summer, and the

mockingbird is mocking me, as one who either

knows enough already or knows enough to be

perfectly content not knowing. Song being born

of quest he knows this: he must turn silent

were he suddenly assaulted with answers. Instead

oh hear his wild, caustic, tender warbling ceaselessly

unanswered. At my feet the white-petalled daisies display

the small suns of their center piece, their - if you don't

mind my saying so - their hearts. Of course

I could be wrong, perhaps their hearts are pale and

narrow and hidden in the roots. What do I know?

But this: it is heaven itself to take what is given,

to see what is plain; what the sun lights up willingly;

for example - I think this

as I reach down, not to pick but merely to touch -

the suitability of the field for the daisies, and the

daisies for the field.

Mary Oliver

Today's dance practice was inspired by my butoh mentorship with Momo. She was speaking of the idea as taught by one of butoh's founders, Hijikata Tatsumi, of brining into one's dance the perspective of another being - animate or inanimate, and by doing so, would lead to an appreciation of 'everything.'

While sprawled in the grass ruminating on Hijikata's quote, I was very aware of all the insects that shared this small patch of tall grasses with us - the ants, wood bugs, spit bugs, and a fluorescent yellow backed spider that was casting it's thread of a web into the wind where it would catch on the tops of distant grasses...

I was also reminded of Mary Oliver's poem where she explores the idea that daisies (all plants and grasses, too) have hearts... but where are those hearts? In the blossom, in the uplifted heads of the grasses, or deep within the roots themselves, within the dark soil, and well hidden?

My dance began with a 'head plant' into the grasses in search of the hearts of the grasses which led to an exploration of dancing / seeing from an insect's perspective, in particular the yellow spider throwing it's web into the wind and the sky (like the jet trails above)...

Grateful for all the living beings on our planet ocean...

Thank you for viewing my blog. I hope it may inspire you in some way - perhaps to connect to the natural world from a different perspective in the wilds (or 'urbans') where you live...

Music: Claude Debussy

Filmed by Momo

Visit my butoh mentor's inspiring blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

tree's hearts

2010-06-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

When I Am Among the Trees

When I am among the trees,

especially the willows and the honey locust,

equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,

they give off such hints of gladness,

I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,

in which I have goodness, and discernment,

and never hurry through the world

but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves

and call out, "Stay awhile."

The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,

"and you too have come

into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled

with light, and to shine."

Mary Oliver - from 'Thirst'

Another stump dance :~) Today's dance practice was inspired by the beautiful rust colored natural monolith - the heart of the ancient still standing tree... feeling connected to the the earth and the cycles and transformations of life through the soul / soles of my feet... remembering that everything becomes everything else, eventually...

Thank you for viewing this blog. I hope you may be inspired in some way to dance and connect with the natural world in your environs...

Lee

Music: Andrew Bird

Filmed by Brooke

Visit my butoh mentor's inspiring blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill

river run trail

2010-06-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

What is the body?

Endurance.

What is love?

Gratitude.

What is hidden in our chests?

Laughter.

What else?

Compassion.

Let the Beloved be a hat pulled down firmly on my head...

Someone asks, How does love have hands and feet?

Love is the sprouting-bed for hands and feet!

Don't ask what love can do!

Look at the colors of the world.

The riverwater moving in all the rivers at once...

Rumi

Today's dance practice was in this incredible river valley near Mazama... I wanted to breathe the beauty into my heart, and allow it to cultivate there... indefinitely...

Grateful for this practice as taught by my mentor, Momo, that enables a feeling of embodiment of the natural word through dance.

Although I have seen many bears while living in rural British Columbia, I have never seen a cinnamon coloured bear such as the cub we saw today - I didn't even know there were 'cinnamon black bears'. Fearful that mama bear might be nearby, I unfortunately wasn't able to film it's beauty... although I found a picture of one - see the link: here :~)

Thank you for viewing this blog. I hope you may feel inspired to dance amongst the beauty of wild things where you are on this incredible planet...

Lee

Music: Deuter

Filmed by Brooke

Visit my butoh mentor's inspiring blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill