here some of the old videos of my first year. i like these choreographies. They are very much simple, and still for me much expressive.. we worked in both cases, starting from given codified eurythmical elements, which we eventually had to translate and transform into a spacial group choreography.
Staff choreography:
staff choreography
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS-9P0L0Syc
Evolutionary sequence:
evolutionary sequence
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqnHcpfc3_Y
31 jan 2011
GREEK RITUAL DANCE
An article By Brandy Williams ...for who might be interested:
Ancient Pagans dance across Classical vases holding graceful folds of robes
in their hands, frozen by the artist in a moment of bending and leaping and
twirling. How inspiring they are! Many a modern looks to the vases and says,
"I will reconstruct these dances!" The most famous of these, of course, was
Isadora Duncan, whose simple dances in homemade togas entranced Europe in
her lifetime.
Modern Pagans long to recover the ancient Pagan functions of the dance.
Greeks, of course, never ceased to dance, even while converting to
Christianity. Some of the ancient meanings of the dance remain-certain
dances are performed during the spring with clear fertility symbology. The
social implications have changed little. Dance provides a meeting place for
men and women, an emotional expression of community spirit, a form of
cultural bonding that identifies this person as a member of this village,
this country. But modern Greeks no longer dance in honor of the Gods and
Goddesses, and modern Pagans long to do so. How might we go about this?
In one sense, reconstruction is impossible. Ultimately, lacking actual
videotape of eighth-century dances, it's impossible to say with certainty
that we are performing an eighth century dance.
In another sense, reconstruction is trivial. Modern Greek dance retains a
link to its Pagan origins. The handholds, footsteps, groupings that ancient
writers describe and ancient vases illustrate are alive and well among Greek
traditional dancers. It's a favorite game among folklorists to attempt to
identify an ancient dance with a modern descendent. What we can say is, this
vase represents this ancient dance as having this handhold, and this modern
dance uses that handhold, showing us how to do it.
Most fruitfully, we can say: these are the reasons that Pagans danced in the
past, these are reasons that Pagans wish to dance now, and here are some
dances that fit those functions. In this way dance continues to be a living
part of Pagan religion.
Research and discussion are very important components of reconstructing
Pagan ritual, and dance is no exception. Ultimately though my advice to
Pagans interested in Greek dance is: learn to dance. I can post a syllabus
of a dance, make a reference to a CD that contains the right music for the
dance, but unless you've seen it, held hands with other people to do it, it
won't make a lot of sense. Like any other magical skill, it must be learned
and then practiced. That being said, here are some notes about ancient Greek
dance and modern equivalents.
Ancient Greeks danced in lines, processions, on festival days. The
procession might involve the entire populace, or only a portion of it-only
men, only women, only young women. Some processions were held in honor of a
particular deity, and might involve singing a praise to that deity, walking
to the deity's temple, or strolling before the deity's altar.
The procession is the easiest dance for modern Pagans. At its simplest it
can involve simply walking to a rhythm in a particular direction while
holding hands. Line dances, especially slow ones, are quite popular in
Greece, and any number of these can be adapted to the purpose of procession.
Sta Tria works especially well, adapting to both a slow and a fast rhythm.
In practice modern Pagans use a grapevine step most often-what the Greeks
term the in-and-out step: step right, cross in front, step right, cross
behind. The idea here is more than simply getting from one place to another;
the focal point of the dance will often be an altar constructed to honor the
deity. The dance forms one of the traditional offerings to the gods, along
with incense, meat, and flower garlands.
Modern Pagans are often tempted by Dionysiac dancing, intended to produce an
ecstatic trance. The ancient technique is physically dangerous, involving
snapping the neck, and I have seen a modern teacher substitute a different
movement that posed less risk to the dancers. In practice most modern Pagans
simply bounce up and down in place, or spin.
Other deities might have specific dance requirements. If the deity is
associated with an animal, the animal's movements might be imitated in the
dance. Zeus and other male deities require leaping movements, and the
banging of weapons and shields to make loud noises. (Here's a dance best
done in an isolated place!)
Those wishing to offer a dance to a particular deity do best to research the
deity and collect any writings which describe dances to the deity. That
makes a starting point for figuring out what type of movements to make-slow,
fast, leaping or processional, any special movements of part of the body.
Next, find a modern dance that approximates the basic movement, and use this
as a framework to build the specific movements upon.
There is that in the spirit of modern Greek dance which I believe
encapsulates the spirit of dancing, why we dance, the joy the gods mean to
impart to us and we mean to share with them through the dance. Modern Greeks
call it kefi, a feeling of high spirits, enthusiasm, which is expressed
through the skillful manipulation of the dance, through flair, panache.
Experiencing kefi involves dancing, learning specific dances, finding and
making places to dance them, and dancing them regularly. It's amazing what
understanding, joy, and communion with the gods will automatically follow.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hunt, Yvonne: Traditional Dance in Greek Culture, Centre for Asia Minor
Studies Music Folklore Archive, Athens 1996
Anyone hoping to find Pagan remnants of dance among modern Greek dances must
understand the cultural influences on Greece and Greek dance since the Roman
conquest. Hunt's book catalogues regional styles in exhaustive detail,
making it possible to find the oldest and most Greek dances. The book also
takes a snapshot of traditional dance at a moment when it stands in danger
of dying out and severing the link between modern and ancient dance.
Lawler, Lillian B: The Dance in Ancient Greece, Adam & Charles Black,
London, 1964
Lawler's extensive work catalogues the known types of ancient dance in
geographical and chronological order, quotes the ancient writings describing
the dances, and makes an attempt at defining the dances and with some dances
identifying a modern equivalent. A must-have for the Pagan choreographer.
Stratou, Dora: The Greek Dances Our Living Link with Antiquity, Dora
Stratou, Athens, 1966
Stratou's book gives hints of ancient connections with modern dances. Hunt
covers the same territory, and more clearly, in a single chapter of her
book.
copyright © 1996 Brandy Williams
Ancient Pagans dance across Classical vases holding graceful folds of robes
in their hands, frozen by the artist in a moment of bending and leaping and
twirling. How inspiring they are! Many a modern looks to the vases and says,
"I will reconstruct these dances!" The most famous of these, of course, was
Isadora Duncan, whose simple dances in homemade togas entranced Europe in
her lifetime.
Modern Pagans long to recover the ancient Pagan functions of the dance.
Greeks, of course, never ceased to dance, even while converting to
Christianity. Some of the ancient meanings of the dance remain-certain
dances are performed during the spring with clear fertility symbology. The
social implications have changed little. Dance provides a meeting place for
men and women, an emotional expression of community spirit, a form of
cultural bonding that identifies this person as a member of this village,
this country. But modern Greeks no longer dance in honor of the Gods and
Goddesses, and modern Pagans long to do so. How might we go about this?
In one sense, reconstruction is impossible. Ultimately, lacking actual
videotape of eighth-century dances, it's impossible to say with certainty
that we are performing an eighth century dance.
In another sense, reconstruction is trivial. Modern Greek dance retains a
link to its Pagan origins. The handholds, footsteps, groupings that ancient
writers describe and ancient vases illustrate are alive and well among Greek
traditional dancers. It's a favorite game among folklorists to attempt to
identify an ancient dance with a modern descendent. What we can say is, this
vase represents this ancient dance as having this handhold, and this modern
dance uses that handhold, showing us how to do it.
Most fruitfully, we can say: these are the reasons that Pagans danced in the
past, these are reasons that Pagans wish to dance now, and here are some
dances that fit those functions. In this way dance continues to be a living
part of Pagan religion.
Research and discussion are very important components of reconstructing
Pagan ritual, and dance is no exception. Ultimately though my advice to
Pagans interested in Greek dance is: learn to dance. I can post a syllabus
of a dance, make a reference to a CD that contains the right music for the
dance, but unless you've seen it, held hands with other people to do it, it
won't make a lot of sense. Like any other magical skill, it must be learned
and then practiced. That being said, here are some notes about ancient Greek
dance and modern equivalents.
Ancient Greeks danced in lines, processions, on festival days. The
procession might involve the entire populace, or only a portion of it-only
men, only women, only young women. Some processions were held in honor of a
particular deity, and might involve singing a praise to that deity, walking
to the deity's temple, or strolling before the deity's altar.
The procession is the easiest dance for modern Pagans. At its simplest it
can involve simply walking to a rhythm in a particular direction while
holding hands. Line dances, especially slow ones, are quite popular in
Greece, and any number of these can be adapted to the purpose of procession.
Sta Tria works especially well, adapting to both a slow and a fast rhythm.
In practice modern Pagans use a grapevine step most often-what the Greeks
term the in-and-out step: step right, cross in front, step right, cross
behind. The idea here is more than simply getting from one place to another;
the focal point of the dance will often be an altar constructed to honor the
deity. The dance forms one of the traditional offerings to the gods, along
with incense, meat, and flower garlands.
Modern Pagans are often tempted by Dionysiac dancing, intended to produce an
ecstatic trance. The ancient technique is physically dangerous, involving
snapping the neck, and I have seen a modern teacher substitute a different
movement that posed less risk to the dancers. In practice most modern Pagans
simply bounce up and down in place, or spin.
Other deities might have specific dance requirements. If the deity is
associated with an animal, the animal's movements might be imitated in the
dance. Zeus and other male deities require leaping movements, and the
banging of weapons and shields to make loud noises. (Here's a dance best
done in an isolated place!)
Those wishing to offer a dance to a particular deity do best to research the
deity and collect any writings which describe dances to the deity. That
makes a starting point for figuring out what type of movements to make-slow,
fast, leaping or processional, any special movements of part of the body.
Next, find a modern dance that approximates the basic movement, and use this
as a framework to build the specific movements upon.
There is that in the spirit of modern Greek dance which I believe
encapsulates the spirit of dancing, why we dance, the joy the gods mean to
impart to us and we mean to share with them through the dance. Modern Greeks
call it kefi, a feeling of high spirits, enthusiasm, which is expressed
through the skillful manipulation of the dance, through flair, panache.
Experiencing kefi involves dancing, learning specific dances, finding and
making places to dance them, and dancing them regularly. It's amazing what
understanding, joy, and communion with the gods will automatically follow.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hunt, Yvonne: Traditional Dance in Greek Culture, Centre for Asia Minor
Studies Music Folklore Archive, Athens 1996
Anyone hoping to find Pagan remnants of dance among modern Greek dances must
understand the cultural influences on Greece and Greek dance since the Roman
conquest. Hunt's book catalogues regional styles in exhaustive detail,
making it possible to find the oldest and most Greek dances. The book also
takes a snapshot of traditional dance at a moment when it stands in danger
of dying out and severing the link between modern and ancient dance.
Lawler, Lillian B: The Dance in Ancient Greece, Adam & Charles Black,
London, 1964
Lawler's extensive work catalogues the known types of ancient dance in
geographical and chronological order, quotes the ancient writings describing
the dances, and makes an attempt at defining the dances and with some dances
identifying a modern equivalent. A must-have for the Pagan choreographer.
Stratou, Dora: The Greek Dances Our Living Link with Antiquity, Dora
Stratou, Athens, 1966
Stratou's book gives hints of ancient connections with modern dances. Hunt
covers the same territory, and more clearly, in a single chapter of her
book.
copyright © 1996 Brandy Williams
BMC-Body Mind Centering
I am still following some courses related to it. And i personally advise it to all eurythmists who miss anchoring in the body. It is a method developed by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen.. it is a research on experiencial anatomy: becoming more aware about our body through movement. the approach is very complete and involving thinking, feeling and action! so basically the soul in all its antroposophical aspects : )
the work is based on quality rather then quantity
and, not unexpectedly, many things we are studying in eurythmy departing from a cosmological perspective, are to be found back right into our body ...into our fluids, bones, organs... and for me, my all eurythmy training becomes rooted into a concrete feeling of my instrument.. space and weight get their right place!
there are courses and schools and workshops everywhere..
here below the site where you can find more about it!
the work is based on quality rather then quantity
and, not unexpectedly, many things we are studying in eurythmy departing from a cosmological perspective, are to be found back right into our body ...into our fluids, bones, organs... and for me, my all eurythmy training becomes rooted into a concrete feeling of my instrument.. space and weight get their right place!
there are courses and schools and workshops everywhere..
here below the site where you can find more about it!
ARTICLE FOR THE "EURITMIE KRANT"
Den Haag, november 2010
Last 9th october, Doorways (Patricia van der Molen, Peer Westerink and Elisa Martinuzzi) presented for Try Out two new pieces: “Autumn's reflexes” and “EpePa”. I was asked by Imke Jelle van Dam to write something about the public reactions and my personal reflections on my solo piece “Autumn's reflexes”. I had already performed this piece for a dance festival in Rotterdam but still not for a public accustomed with eurythmy, which was quite scarring me! Through this solo, I explored and stretched the borders of eurythmy, the codified eurythmical gestures are hidden and contaminated by my own felt personal interpretation and dramaturgy. What is it what I am doing? Can I define it as eurythmy? For the public seemed not an interesting question.. Beyond definitions, for many people it was an individualized form of art, it was sincere “work in progress”, it was genuine and felt from the inside. I also received very interesting reactions about the relationship between space and body movement: “you were very present in your instrument, but not as much in space”... what is it to really be able to fulfil space? These is the main topic I want to focus on in the further development of this piece. I want to reach deeper into my inner relationship to my movement/voice and, from there, develop roots and branches anchoring in space. I am very thankful about the many student's reactions, willing to find also their personal, individual truth in relation to eurythmy and all the people who are encouraging me to pursue my research.
Last 9th october, Doorways (Patricia van der Molen, Peer Westerink and Elisa Martinuzzi) presented for Try Out two new pieces: “Autumn's reflexes” and “EpePa”. I was asked by Imke Jelle van Dam to write something about the public reactions and my personal reflections on my solo piece “Autumn's reflexes”. I had already performed this piece for a dance festival in Rotterdam but still not for a public accustomed with eurythmy, which was quite scarring me! Through this solo, I explored and stretched the borders of eurythmy, the codified eurythmical gestures are hidden and contaminated by my own felt personal interpretation and dramaturgy. What is it what I am doing? Can I define it as eurythmy? For the public seemed not an interesting question.. Beyond definitions, for many people it was an individualized form of art, it was sincere “work in progress”, it was genuine and felt from the inside. I also received very interesting reactions about the relationship between space and body movement: “you were very present in your instrument, but not as much in space”... what is it to really be able to fulfil space? These is the main topic I want to focus on in the further development of this piece. I want to reach deeper into my inner relationship to my movement/voice and, from there, develop roots and branches anchoring in space. I am very thankful about the many student's reactions, willing to find also their personal, individual truth in relation to eurythmy and all the people who are encouraging me to pursue my research.
AGAIN ABOUT ART..
"In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay.
and unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable.
And help to change it. " Ernst Fisher
I think these two elements are together important: showing, denouncing, picturing and incarnating the decadent sides of our society and ourselves, and at the same time creating the alternative, the renewing, the rebirthing possibilities..
art as a social activism!
art as social commitment!
and unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable.
And help to change it. " Ernst Fisher
I think these two elements are together important: showing, denouncing, picturing and incarnating the decadent sides of our society and ourselves, and at the same time creating the alternative, the renewing, the rebirthing possibilities..
art as a social activism!
art as social commitment!
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