With Olu we discussed ‘What is body?’ We discussed how the body uses circles naturally with your hinges such as your hips and shoulders. Feldenkrais uses circles within many of his practices, often calling the body ‘a clock’. “Try once more to shift most of the pressure of the pelvis on the floor to the point marked six o’clock, the coccyx”(Feldenkrais, M. 1990:116) When creating circles with the body we interact with other performers, create shapes to guide the focus of the audience, or drop shadows on our surrounding stage.
“Space – my space – is not the context of which I constitute the ‘textuality’: instead, it is first of all my body, and then it is my body’s counterpart or ‘other’, its mirror-image or shadow; it is the shifting intersection between that which touches, penetrates, threatens or benefits my body on one hand, and all other bodies on the other” (Lefebvre, H. 1991:184)
In the practical side of our lessons about the body, we practiced body strengthening and core balance. We placed our hand out to the side, and walked in a circle around it as if holding an invisible pole. This was a focus exercise, as keeping your hand in the same place proves more difficult than expected. We also did some animal stances, based on a martial arts movement called Thai-Chi, as well as his own interpretations and a Capoeira influence. For example the Bear stance is where you stand with your legs shoulder width apart with your hands facing outward. This prepares you for attack or defense, and puts your body in a centrally balanced position ready for quick movement. These lessons are great for body strengthening, and even general focus.
