momma bear love

"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

"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?

"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

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

"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

"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

"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