CDP/NYC reflections from 8/16

CDP/NYC reflections from 8/16 (last date of summer session):

Myself, Carolyn, Taavo, Deb, Jeremy and Jessica:

We continued in the format of "flow" from sanctuary, sitting and personal awareness.

Warming up around perception: Jeremy quotes from CTR: "three levels/types of perception:

emptiness (recognizing space)

experience (noticing what's actually there and interacting with it)

luminosity (clarity to ?)

Taavo notes: In the search as actor for kinesthetic delight the support of gravity, weight & momentum act as support (great to have something fundamental occur as an "insight!)

* How does kinesthetic delight find support in character, story and image?

We continued the evolution of "the Solo Quads Aunt" with sound and light!

* How is the witnesser not part of a duet if they are holding a light

* How do we negotiate simultaneous music choice?

* Where is the line between influence/support/collaboration?

* How do we deal with questions around discretion, light as support, sound as support, witnesser as support (an exploration of all the elements via red square?)

The suggestion was made for each of us to contribute to a bag of support objects (lights, props) that may remain in the space/in circulation. evolving our recycled vocabulary.

Reflections from 8/9

FROM LAST SESSION 8/9

Jessica, Carolyn, Taavo, Deb, Teana, Benj and Damaris.

We tried a "seamless flow" from PAP to Open Space (one hour of open space!) Very delicious. General consensus of much more sustained kinesthetic delight. We finished up with a "five minute recall aunt" (rough changing brain works from lengthy open space to tracking...).

FOR 8/16

Our last session for the summer/721 Broadway!

We will repeat last weeks format of "seamless flow" from PAP to (45 minutes of) Open Space.

I would like to continue with the solo quad evolution, incorporating the call for witnesser to have the option of selecting music, AND having the witnesser have the option of a lighting instrument.

After practice we are going to Veselka, and there we can pick our next "evolution meeting" date.

We begin our fall session monday september 20th at Bill Young Studios 100 Grand, and continue for twelve consecutive mondays.

CDP/NYC refelctions from 8/2

FROM LAST SESSION 8/2

We discussed a quote of CTR's from Training the Mind & Cultivating Loving Kindness:

"When neurosis arises, you first have to recognize it as neurosis. Then you have to apply a technique or antidote to overcome it. Since neurosis basically comes fro selfishness, from placing too much importance on yourself, the antidote is that you have to cut through the ego. Finally, you have to have the determination not to follow the neurosis or continue to be attracted to it.There is a sense of abruptly overcoming neurosis."

We took a long sanctuary and sat, we then went into PAP and then played in open space.

CDP/NYC reflections from 7/26

Hello,

FROM LAST SESSION 7/26

We finally read and discussed the dharma art letter - thanks Taavo! (let me know anyone if you want a copy, I can make some).

Words/questions/ideas that came up:

aggression, neurosis, benefit, insecurity/overconfidence/the healthy ego, any situation being workable, intention to ourselves and to others, gift, cutting through spiritual materialism, in conversation, humble.

So pithy and short that it's somehow threatening (genuine art?). Or, a call to action - examine what you do/mindful. Can we bridge the gap ever between audience and creator?

Last session we discussed the DAL after PAP, and then started a new PAP directly into open space.

although kinesthetic delight was strong at beginning, it seemed there was very little play between folks, compositionally more of a quality of holding something lightly, like red square; what would support a deep connection to kinesthetic delight AND a strong compositional eye in open space?

what would it be like to go from PAP into open space without any in between event (not our discussion of the DAL)?

how do we define entrances and exits?

what would it be like to actually answer "yes" to the self question "I can't really do this for the whole time, can I?"

We also did a solo quad aunt that built from last week with witnessers and added the option for each soloist to use their own music in one of the two speaker systems. Any two quads could be occupied simultaneously.

How much influence do you take from your soundscape?

How do we negotiate feeling the other soloists energy and awareness of their choice/volume in music?

What would it be like to have your witnesser chose your music for you?

What would it be like to do this practice wit hall these layers for a couple of hours?

FOR 8/1

Sara, Jeremy, Teana and Taavo will not be with us next week, We will be small but mighty!

I would like to share a very short reading that is in the same vein as the dharma art letter, and is also from CTR.

I would like to continue with the solo quad evolution, incorporating the call for witnesser to have the option of selecting music, AND having the witnesser have the option of a lighting instrument, but if there are only four of us, it may have to wait...

Are there any other calls?

xoxo

CDP/NYC reflections from 7/19

Hello!

FROM LAST SESSION 7/19

we were joined by drop-ins Caitlin and Steve.

some categories of qualities of text:

judgement/observation, stream of consciousness/deliberate or intentional, poetic abstract/logic or compositional commenting/non commenting

we worked last night on an aunt with the constraint of when choosing to speak, noting whether you are following a judgement or observation and then staying with that one "thought" 'till it's done:

does directness in speech (non-self-consious) allows the audience to relax and absorb?

does use of props act as an entry into conversation with other improvers (a way to break through the "membrane"?

does bowing in/out of open space support clear endings of moments? what would bowing out in open space the moment you noticed you were "out" support?

is there a relationship between hight of audience eye gaze preference and village view? proscenium? what view supports which eye practices inside and outside?

we also did some solo quad practice with witnessers:

with solo quads which eye practices allow the quad witnesser the most support in viewing?

Carolyn, Benj and Sara had some aunt ideas for evolutions of solo quads relating to the role of the witnesser and moving the solos through open space.

We note that outside audience watching solo quads layers a lot of story on.

FOR 7/26

Sara, Jeremy, Teana will not be with us next week, but we should be joined by Benj (and rejoined by Jessica).

Meet again by guard desk by 5 'till so we can get changed and in space at 6p.

I have made a call to continue evolution of my solo quads aunt. PLEASE BRING A PIECE OF MUSIC YOU WOULD LIKE TO SOLO WITH EITHER ON AN IPOD OR IPHONE. (Maybe Carolyn, you might bring your radio/cd player?)

I suspect we will have another text/corridors aunt...

For reals we will also look at the dharma art letter, so bring that too if you have it.

CDP/NYC reflections from 7/11

Hello!

Some reflections from last week's session:

What is unselfconsciousness in relationship to text? Can we work with the intention of that?

How do constraints support?

Does pedestrian movement support deeper discovery in text work?

Also, we note some have a preference for proscenium, others for village view, as far as feeling supported in open space.

Let's meet a little before 6p at guard desk again.

Teana will not be with us for the next three sessions, but Ben will!

Our schedule:

traditional format with open space

and two aunts: one based on solos from me and one an evolution of the "commenting aunt" from Jeremy (Taavo?) last week.

Dharma Art Letter the next week for reals!

Also, us in the core group should probably set an new date for the next evolution meeting...

xoxo

THIS VERY MOMENT: Portland Workshop

THIS VERY MOMENT:

Disciplines for Improvisation and Composition

"This very moment is always the occasion."

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Saturday August 28, 1-4pm

FINDING FOUNDATION: Using the Four Postures of Mindfulness as a source for

dance improvisation and TAMING THE DISCURSIVE BODY with Stillness,

Slow Motion and Repetition to make solos on-the-spot.

Sunday August 29, 1-4pm

THE RED SQUARE: Investigating composition practices beginning with seeing yourself

in the space and engaging with props as 'allies'.

With New York based teaching artist Damaris Webb

Damaris is a performer, director and teaching artist

whose work explores

the intersection of

contemplative dance, improvisational performance art,

and contemporary theater.

She holds an MFA

: Contemporary Performance

from Naropa University,

and a BFA from The Experimental Theater Wing of NYU.

With an extensive background in Viewpoints Practice, Moment Work,

Composition & P

erformance Making

and Psychophysical Acting,

she merges her love for deep play, artistic discernment and search for personal sustainability.

$50 for both sessions.

Bodies in Balance

208 Southwest 1st Avenue #340

Portland, OR 97204

A $25 non refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot.

Please contact damaris.webb@gmail.com with

“This Very Moment”

in the subject heading to make a reservation

or for further questions

Limited to 10 participants