Witnessing Somatic Experience in Maya Lila

By Emma Meehan

I wrote an article on www.choreograph.net about my experience of witnessing in the Maya Lila performances of Joan Davis, an Irish choreographer who works with Authentic Movement. As a participant-researcher, I have tried to deepen my understanding of Davis’ approach by interacting with the work on a practical level. In attending training modules with Davis, I have been particularly fascinated with her emphasis on tracking and reflecting on experience through different layers of witnessing. This is what I hope my writing grapples with, as I seek to find a way of articulating my relationship with the work, rather than attempting to document Maya Lila in an objective way. Please follow the link if you would like to read the full article, and I welcome any responses. http://choreograph.net/articles/article-witnessing-somatic-experience-in-maya-lila

Thanks,
Emma.

© 2010 Emma Meehan

Anonymous said...

I could not get into the link.

Saturday, December 4, 2010 8:16:00 PM EST

Emma said...

Hi there, you could go to www.choreograph.net, my article is on the lower left side under Recent Articles. Emma

Monday, December 6, 2010 4:42:00 AM EST

Email Correspondence, after a weekend Authentic Movement workshop with Alton Wasson in NYC edited by Aileen Crow

Excerpts from an Email Correspondence, after a weekend Authentic Movement workshop with Alton Wasson in NYC. Alton started back in the 60’s with Ed Maupin (who was working with Mary Whitehouse) and with Janet Adler, in the 70’s. The exercise Viktor Raykin describes evolved over the years at the Contemplative Dance Week taught by Alton and Daphne Lowell, and was set up in this workshop by Eileen Kelly and debriefed by Alton.

Viktor Raykin writes: Alton Wasson, one of the veterans of AM, has visited New York City. His workshop last weekend was one of the most powerful in my life (I am relatively new to AM but have done a lot of other practices). Not to be too verbose I'll describe a process that has changed my view of the role of Witness. Participants were divided between 2 groups 4 in each, and given following roles:

A - Mover
B - Mirroring Witness: mirrors A, including voice expressions.
C - Expressive Witness: expresses in movement any impulses that may arise from witnessing A; anything is allowed but voice expression or physical interaction with A or B. (NB: it would be interesting to allow interaction between Cs of different groups)
D - "Regular" Witness.

Ds were placed in a separate part of the room dedicated to Witnesses. Bs and Cs moved freely in the space for the Movers, without preventing each other's moves or those of A’s.
Every 10 minutes, by the sound of a bell, roles rotated, i.e. B becomes A, C - B, D - C, and A becomes D. Every participant experienced each of the four roles. After the process had finished the group got in a circle, and each participant could share their own impressions about their own experiences.

I happened to start as C and finish as D, and "regular" witnessing gave me - for the first time - a real pleasure. My mind was stilled by moving in three other roles. My body was also loosened and "allowed itself" free moves (though with a lower amplitude, not to get distracted from observing the Mover), reacting to what I was seeing. I experienced freedom from the role of a Witness as I'd understood it (a composed, "dedicated" observer). I was relaxed, uninhibited and attentive at the same time.

One more discovery. As a C I was moving freely - and stayed in a quality contact with the Mover. I simply loved her - just because I was allowed to be myself, fully express myself while reacting to her moves. This experience goes far beyond AM as it teaches me the new way of a quality contact with another human in "ordinary" life. First thing that popped in my mind was the inhibition I habitually experience when relating to my father. P.S. I had another profound moment in this process, and I think it is quite characteristic of it: a sense of continuum, of unity of all that was happening. I was struck by it when I was in the Mover role. I guess closing eyes was important for the experience: sounds, moves, energy, co-presence of all and everything. Ocean of Life. One Soul.
There is much more, but I'd like to stop here.

Later, Viktor writes: Yesterday morning I posted, in Russian, to LiveJournal “Authentic Move” dedicated to AM. I described briefly the ABCD process that has struck me most. It took them less than 24 hours (accounting for time difference between NY and Moscow) to try out the structure in their AM Laboratory in Moscow, Russia and post back a short but profound analysis!
Here is the link for your curiosity, but, sorry, it's all in Russian: Russian web page: www.community.livejournal.com/authentic_move

Blog editor writes: Can you translate it for the Blog?

Viktor answers: U-uph! I've done it - I've translated it into English as was requested. It was quite a job, but interesting, I've learnt something new. I am sure some of the expressions are not very English (you know, English is my 22nd language).

Any comments, questions, exclamations, mutilations, aggravations, condemnations, exaltations, solicitations - are cordially welcomed!

Here is a comment by Alexander Girshon from Moscow, written after they tried out the process in their "laboratory" next day after I posted.

Alexander Girshon comments: We tried this format out, 15 min in each role. Naturally, more attention was given to the less familiar roles: Mirror Witness and Moving Witness. As Sasha S correctly noted, these roles implicitly exist in the Witness, and this format allows them to unfold. Mirror Witness role allows to define more exactly physical side of the process, but seems to lessen the emotional side of contact. Moving Witness is a borderline role, as you don't stop asking yourself: am I moving from what I am seeing, or these are my personal movement associations? We observed 2 positions: identification (mirror variations) and complementarity (moving in counterbalance to the Mover). Essential contact (meeting of M&W) - or the absence of it - may happen in any of these roles. It was also noted that this format has under taste of performance art, and it would be nice to introduce in it a Meta-Witness as observer of the whole scene. All in all, thanks to Viktor and to Alton.

Germaine Fraser writes: Thanks, Viktor, for this great translation effort. The response from Alexis was very interesting. I was struck by the analysis aspect; the fuller experience (such as you described in your own experience impression) seemingly quite absent. Alton's universal question of 'how does this have to do with me' begs for us to be more whole and all-encompassing in our being when engaging in AM. Empathic compassion for self and others is an integral and necessary aspect of the work. Even though clear structures offer safety and often help create a container, analyzing a technique for its value as a structure solely, kind of misses the point of why we engage in this way.

It is a tribute to Alton that our weekend's experience was so expansive; he (and Eileen Kelly) model holding space in this complete way, infusing the movement/witness space with a sense of holism, allowing others’ (and their own) work to be deeply spacious and safe. I am certain this fact is quite grounded in longevity and decades of practice / trial and error. As simple as the form is, my sense is the 'normal' human factor response to a relatively new anything is prone to initially get bogged down in the 'technique' and structure before it is comfortable enough to allow for other. So be it. Aren't we lucky to be human and have the influences and opportunities we have?

All my best, Germaine

Viktor responds: Hi, Germaine, I totally agree. Alton and Eileen have created a wonderful field where we could work, and play, and experience. I felt truly safe to go as deep as possible, never felt a danger. There was a Field of Acceptance. I was also struck by the dryness of Alex's analysis, but I was told by my friend in Russia, who is a part of this AM Lab, that they use this sort of very concise formal report to inform those who missed the Lab about the general course of events. These reports are always dry and don’t contain any experiential / emotional stuff. This is important to know. I know that at least one participant in Russia had a very deep process, but it's up to her to share. I believe that absence of intellectual analysis was very important in our group. I also believe that absence of direct verbal sharing of witnesses to the movers gave a totally different slant to the process. These two factors allowed deep integration to happen effectively and safely.

Enough analysis!

Love! Viktor.

Lisa Fladager said...

Viktor, thank you. I feel changed and opened after reading your post. I can't wait to experiment with this! best, Lisa

Thursday, November 26, 2009 2:00:00 AM EST

"AM is about not Knowing"

This summer from 13th to 17th of August International Gathering on Authentic Movement took place in Vienna, Austria. People from different countries: Brazil, Norway, Russia, Austria, Ukraine, Holland, Germany, Switzerland got together to practice AM. Initiative of organizing an International peer group (without a leader) belonged to the wonderful and hospitable people- Isaias and Clarissa Costa who invited us all for the practice of Authentic Movement in the Therapeutic Center "Gersthof".

It was mutually enriching experience for the practice AM, for personal and professional development. We clearly felt the importance of this meeting, the process and the connectedness.

Every day meeting yourself and the others we received new experience, new embodied understanding, went through the stories of the present and created the stories for the future.

The peer group experience was quite new for the AM community in Russia and certainly it was interesting to observe and participate in a such process of the group without a leader. Attention to details, tolerance – these are the other lessons of this meeting.

"My trip to Austria was following the flow. Everything: deeply touching Meetings that were happening, the process of Authentic Movement itself, magic of Vienna and responsiveness and care of the space in the Center "Gersthof" nourished me and the process that led me further. After that I traveled around Austria, to its towns and Alps allowing the new impressions, awareness and people to come into my life and get close to myself". Irina Muterperel.

"For me Authentic Movement practice is a moment of bigger awareness of myself in life, in the relationships with myself and with the others. It was important for me: the experience of being, connection in the group, contact, following the flow of the present moment – authenticy which the space brought up. Vienna gave me the feelings of beginning, inspiration and trust in the process". Elena Starikova.

"The Meeting in Vienna became for me incredibly refreshing and inspiring event. It is the meeting with the old, tenderly loved friends and meetings with new interesting people. It is the comfort space of the Center "Gersthof" and supporting atmosphere allowing to deepen into the own process. It is a lot of movement and long midnight talks about Dance and Movement Therapy and more… And the most important was the feeling of connection to the community. As I told on the ending circle: "I feel as some part of me came back that was lost and which I missed a lot"." Julia Morozova.

The other wonderful event following from AM International Gathering was the workshop "Authentic Contact" led by Brazilian participants Guto Macedo and Soraya Jorge, where the object of research became Contact Improvisation and Authentic Movement. It seems that Contact Improvisation can be enriched with the practice of witnessing, the "present moment" meeting and safety that gives AM. Guto and Soraya are the pioneers in this field of Authentic Contact; we wish them further advancement in their research and ideas.

The experience that we received in International Group of AM can provide the base for the going on AM projects in Russia and SNG countries. The following Gathering 2009 is scheduled in Brazil and 2010 in Russia.

© 2008 Irina Muterperel, Elena Starikova, Julia Morozova 21.09.08
First published in Russian Dance/Movement Therapy Association Newsletter


germaine fraser said...

It's so great to hear international voices! Thanks for letting us know of your very interesting experiences and invite me next time! (I'll come!)

warm wishes from a safe-to-come-out, about to reclaim her country (finally) American. Germaine

PS. I think a book should be written on your title alone. It says it all. If you need contributors, let me know.

Saturday, November 8, 2008 8:12:00 PM EST


Thank you so much for your comment! So let the international AM community be strong and grounded in inspiring meetings, new understandings and books with meaningful titles!

Irina

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 9:45:00 AM EST