Thursday 3 April 2014

Body Mind Centering teaching session

On Friday the 28th of April we have been asked to prepare a 15 minutes teaching session.

I've been investigating the Yield and Push Pattern and there are a few reasons for it.

First of all I have missed the class when Natalie was teaching it so I've decided to pay more attention to it, to read about it and try to embody the theory I've read. And one interesting thing happened. It felt like a deja vu. My body felt familiar with this pattern even if I never was aware of it before. I made a connection between 2 different classes I have participated to: Katye Coe morning session at ID, London and Kirstie Simson Winter Laboratory, ID London.

Katye Coe leaded a skull exploration where the partner takes the weight of you skull and supports it while moving. Between my partner and I happened a playful exchange in terms of weight given/received which implied pushing through the crown of my skull into her hands. At other times she was pushing through my skull. The exploration started on the floor by releasing ourselves to the floor, in other words yielding into the floor and then finding that moment to send out directions of energy. The moment of initiation felt like a push.

Throughout the workshop week Kirstie Simson was talking about our center as humans and dancers and its connection to the ground or Earth. There is a clear pattern in our bodies that connects our skull, center and ground. While exploring Yield & Push pattern I found this connection as I was yielding into the floor and then pushing out through the crown of my skull by being aware of my centre.
So I have decided to combine these two intentions and to put them together into a partner exploration. It has been a long process of inhabiting this pattern before the 28th. I've started by:


  • reading academic information about it
  • I was surprised to find other artists' blogs in order to gain a deeper understanding of the use of the patter in different situations (e.g. improvisation and set work), 
  • I have been conduction little experiential sessions and reflective discussion with course mates in order to understand how the impacts of this exploration
  • Reflective writing in my journal after studio sessions

I found it very captivating as I was delivering from an embodied point of view. I tried to share with the class my experiences/sensations while being involved in the exploration but also I enjoyed offering space for the students to enjoy finding their own approach to this task. I have offered different levels of awareness and I noticed different levels of engagement with the task. I have tried to use a clear professional terminology. 

I will also post some pictures and videos in regards with this teaching session.