Day 1
The theme of the first class was "getting to know you... (music plays)". We began by flipping through the pages of Albinus on Anatomy – a book introduced to me by Lisa Wymore. We looked at the illustrations of the full skeletal system and the many layers of muscles. We then observed these systems in our own bodies. Using our hands and our minds eye, we moved from the toes to the head, feeling our bones, then the thick sinewy muscles, and the skin. We then found our energetic bodies through a basic connection exercise (borrowed from Budo master Akira Hino, via Amy Raymond), where we stood in front of our partner, connecting to each other’s (energetic) “center”. This seemed to be a great ice-breaker and got the whole group talking. We then returned to the floor for some warm-up exercises, with our attention and intention on moving from our bones. As we moved to standing, we discussed alignment: keeping the floor of the pelvis parallel to the floor of the room, scooping the belly to open and support the sacrum and low back, and keeping the tailbone down and the weight towards the heels. During pliés, we discussed whether our legs in parallel or turned-out position was easier on each of our own bodies. During tendus, we practiced shifting weight from on foot to two feet, remembering to keep the heels always moving towards the floor and energetically connected to one another, even in the stretched position. We clarified some key terms regarding directions and movement planes: undercurve, overcurve, horizontal and vertical plane. And we put these ideas to practice through simple step combinations across the floor.
Whew! That was a lot of info to cover in the first day. Next time, we'll continue to practice these new skills and focus a little more of our awareness on the pelvis.
