Tsunami Studio

Thursday Explorations Class ~ Fire Dance

                              

"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire. "~ Ferdinand Foch

In last week's Explorations class, Elia invited us to explore what it might look and feel like were we to imagine ourselves dancing in and through water.  She crafted a playlist of music that moved my body in such a way that I returned to swimming in the pristine, clear-blue pools of my youth as well as the emerald-green river waters where many a summer afternoon was spent.  While the dance brought back some wonderful memories of my childhood, it also inspired me to move my body differently than I normally do. That's just one of the things we like to do especially on Thursday nights at Tsunami; invite people to be inspired by the exploration of their own dance.   

For the next three weeks, we'll be exploring the rest of the four elements in our Explorations class.  This week we'll be playing with fire.  (I couldn't help but use that expression and the fire-engine red color.) Fire is energy and light.  It represents passion and desire. It has the power to destroy, purify, and transform not only landscapes, but our hearts.  What would it look and feel like if you were to dance your passion, your enthusiasm, your spark for life?

Come dance by the light of fire.
Come dance your desire.
Smoldering embers, small flickers and bright-burning flames.
All are welcome.
Come Thursday night.
Explore the fire in your dance. 

Water Dance

We are surrounded by water. Literally of course our bodies are mostly water, and here in Astoria we have the rivers, bay, and oceans surrounding us with their ever-changing energies. Remember what it feels like to move through a swimming pool? or to dive deep when snorkling? or even, for that matter, to float in the bath--if you are lucky and have a deep enough tub! The graceful weightlessness, the slowed movement, the power of cutting through a glassy ocean or lake with a kayak or surfboard. Water subsumes but also supports. And what of the creatures, the plants and fishes and mammals that live beneath the surface of water. How do they move? With what speed? Grace? Power? Intention?

What would your dance look like if you moved as if moved by water?

Come to class Thursday and explore!

p.s.: 

Check out these pictures! Behance Network
Visionary Dance Productions

Being in the moment

I had one of my first cross country runs today in my back-to-running life. I ran for the first time on part of the Fort to Sea trail south of Astoria, from the beach end to the highway tunnel and back. On my way out, as it was a new trail, I didn't have my headphones on so that I could get an idea of the sensory input of the new trail. I felt like I was back in England, running along the cow pastures and through the stiles. But a great feeling--even the "M101" in the distance. There are wetlands, lakes and creeks to run by and over too, and a bit of forest. The first two miles were over before I knew it and I turned to run back, pausing to switch on my ipod. Running to music is totally different to running without. I like both, but I tend to be more in the moment and "concious" (that word again) when without. This time I was invigorated by the tunes on my little shuffle, and when I got to the wide wooden bridge crossing Neacoxie Lake, I just had to stop for a dance. The sun was beaming down, there were all kinds of birds on the lake, I felt high on my endorphins and the interconnectedness of all life . . . I was fully present and full of joy! That is what mindfulness is all about. Take a moment, wherever you are when you read this, and get fully present. If you can, have a little dance. It will do your heart good!

elia

Guaranteed to make you smile!

Ahhh yes, the power of dance moves the masses!  It took eight weeks of planning, four-hundred dancers, and countless details to pull this off in the Liverpool Train Station four weeks ago. A friend of mine sent this to me late Monday night and I haven't been able to get the grin off my face since. This is brilliant...just brilliant!  Enjoy!

Flying Solo

 

"Creating dance is the thing I know best.  It is how I recognize myself.  Even in the worst of times, such habits sustain, protect, and, in the most unlikely way, lift us up.  I cannot think of a more compelling reason to foster the creative habit.  It permits me to walk into a white room...and walk out dancing." ~Twyla Tharp 

As I write this post, I'm sitting amongst the pillows in our studio's comfy window seat.  It has recently become a sweet writing haven of mine and for this, I am grateful. In addition to having a kick-ass sound system to listen to my favorite tunes and free Wi-Fi to get online, I have plenty of writing projects to keep me occupied in between our two classes on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.  There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with this scenario.  I am a lucky woman to have such a beautiful space to create and work in and I know I should not complain in the least bit. 

So...I won't consider what I'm about to say next as a complaint, but as a call for creative help.  First, let me say a thank you to those of you who have taken a class with us in the past four months since we opened our doors. We appreciate you checking us out and we welcome your return. Secondly, a bigger shout-out to those of you who come and dance on a regular basis every week. Your support means A LOT to us and we thank you for loving dance as much as we do.

Having handed out the kudos, here's the thing...we want to know how we can better serve our coastal community.  How do we attract more people who love to dance into our studio?  What might we offer in the way of classes, workshops, special events, etc., that would appeal to you, your family, and your friends?   How do we get the word out that our space is available for others to rent?  We are all ears and are open to hearing your thoughts and ideas. 

We started Tsunami Studio for so many reasons, but the most compelling one was to create a space and a place where people could come together and dance.  What are we missing? 

We're missing all of you.

Thursday Explorations ~ Dancing with Shadows

"Where there is much light, the shadow is deep." ~Goethe

No mirrors adorn the walls of our studio. We purposely did not include them in our decorating scheme because we want a dancing environment that makes people feel comfortable from the moment they walk through our doors.  Dancing in front of mirrors may help ballerinas perfect their plies, but when it comes to free-form dancing, watching how our bodies move doesn't necessarily make our dance better. 

Elia and I have danced in a variety of studios and a room definitely feels different when you can see yourself staring right back at you. While it might be entertaining for some, for many, our reflections can be the very thing that inhibits our dance.  That, of course, goes against everything we're creating in our space. We want people to feel safe, comfortable and uninhibited when they're dancing and we've found that that kind of experience is more easily achieved when mirrors are missing.

Having said all that...in Thursday night's Explorations class, we'll be bringing in some additional lighting into the studio and dancing with our shadows. 

• What might the dark reflections we cast on the walls tell us about ourselves and our dance?
• Does your dance change when you can see how your body moves?
• How "deep" is your shadow?

Come to class on Thursday and find out.

It's like . . . a rainbow

Our dance is a continually unfolding work-in-progress. A painting that is never finished, or a song that keeps getting an added verse. Sometimes we might find ourselves with writer's block, or painting over the same space over and over. We have our "signature moves" as we talked about last class, those that we feel comfortable with and that make us feel good, or at least safe and like we "know what we're doing."  Music and mood often dictate how we move and where our dance goes. And we can go on autopilot, even in our dance.

But as we've explored, if we're willing to open up and look a little deeper, our bodies have some wonderful stories to tell. These physical wrappers we walk around in offer a whole spectrum of possibilities to us, in terms of expression and movement, from big to small, soft to rigid, disciplined to chaotic. Thursday night's class will explore going more deeply into this spectrum of movement to open up our dance.

The dance is like a rainbow . . .