At once profound, casual, cozy and creatively playful a shop in which we express the sheer delight of physical mobility and the joy of moving and growing together. This is not a typical dance class of routines and dance steps imposed upon the body. Here, the format and the content of our learning environment perpetually changes itself to meet the ever growing needs of its participants. We can describe this workshop more with metaphoric phrases like ‘meditation in motion’, ‘yoga on the go’, ‘tai chi on tap’ and ‘ballet ala belly’, to point to the flexibility, flow and the synergistic nature of its dimensions.
Inspired by each other and with the help of our mentor we exercise our creativity to make not only functional moves but also aesthetically pleasing ones best suited for and intrinsically arising from our unique anatomical/physiological makeup. Then delightfully challenge ourselves to extend and perfect our moves through controlled spontaneity and integrated breathing, progressively upgrading our moves for flexibility, strength, balance and coordination, resulting in ease and flow, not only in our dance, but in all our daily movements. Likewise our creative work in making personal dances will spill over into other areas of life including all artistic media. Actors and singers may find this of special interest as we work with the voice as an integrated part of the full body mobility. Rhythmic breathing is the creative link between voice and movement, both generated by the moving parts of the same dancing body.
We celebrate the fact and the miracle of the body as the temple for spirit and marvel at the ever changing relationship of its parts as we move. Observing the working of the body in this way, we realize that we are not a body having a soul but a more ethereal being with body as its physical manifestation. We learn about deep breathing and the energy fields surrounding and within the body as the link between our physical and spiritual dimensions.
We turn all competition into compassion, cooperation, company and kindness as we work and play in the party of together-ship; giving and receiving help freely to overcome blocks and release our stale habitual movement patterns in order to reveal our inherently fresh mobility potential. Each of us will be growing at our own level and pace and through our common work, we develop a sense of fellowship and community as the nurturing canopy supporting and sustaining all of us.
Your guide for this extraordinary tour through the kinesthetic landscape will be Darius, a dancer and dance maker who has been active in choreography, performance, improvisation, lecturing and education of dance for over a half of century. He has conducted numerous workshops, conceived and performed hundreds of concerts, in solo and in collaboration with other artists. He taught dance at USC while completing his doctoral work in movement arts and physical education (1974) and is former professor of dance at Tufts University in Boston. He also happens to be a mathematician (Cal Poly University 1968), a philosopher and a transcendental poet. He publishes his writings and visions directly through the public performance of aesthetic movement and sung poetic words. And last but not least Darius is a gypsy who during the last 40 years has traveled, lived and performed all over the globe. He has adopted a nomadic style of life in his search for simplicity in order to have more space and time to continue his pilgrimage to divinity. This offering is a part of that yearning deep in the core of his being.
Session 1 is offered free of charge, on Friday’s 7:15-8:45 pm from Sept.14 thru Oct. 5, 2018 in the Great Hall of St. Paul’s Cathedral. The only price of the enrollment is your devotion to your own personal advancement in mobility and a dedication to our communal growth. It is open to all regardless of physical ability. Novices and professional dancers, young and old can inspire and grow alongside each other. Physical health and graceful aging for all will be one benefit of our work. If the spirit calls you to join please feel that you’ll be welcome. Also welcome will be media artists who like to perform their art (music painting, poetry, sculpture……) inspired by the dancers who, in turn, will be inspired by their creative output.
Dance Workshop, mentored by Darius Mozafarian, begins September 14: Fridays 7:15-8:45 pm in the Great Hall. Free of charge, open to all.
