I just want you to know that you are doing a really good job

Photo by Ivan Mayes

just 4 of us. A really relaxing open MIL. We all came with absolutely no expectations. Kind of milling about chatting about this, and that, sliding around, stretching. And then we decided to just simply begin with corridors. I put on a thunderstorm, and off we went. The experience felt free, un-trapped. We'd all felt that without some contained warm up or didactic exercise to start off with, the improvisational exploration was left to develop more on it's own. Although we'd reminded our self that we'd had encounters with s p a c e, s h a p e, and t i m e. And it isn't that it needs to be like this every time necessarily. It was just the mood of the afternoon. A warm, long sunset in the east valley of Boulder, Colorado.

...and then there was 3.

The diagonal journey. Seated. Rocking. A complete evolution from OM to the other end of it. 3 of us had been slightly bizerk around the traveler. Once he'd reached his "destination" though we'd all fallen still and he rolled and lifted and fell all around us sporadically.

...and then there was 1.

LOUD------------------------------------------------ENERGETIC
ECHO. VOLUME. TRAIN. OOOO OOOOOoooo

This beautiful little moment. Where he danced so openly, so honest in front of us. I'd just recently had a solo show and had watched the video documentation and was extremely quick to be my own worst critic. Harsh. But in this moment of improvisation and being present with the self, I saw the simplicity and vulnerability. This kind of precious awkward uniqueness that is just as awesome of a gift as any technique might be.

....and then there was 2.

The jester and the hedgehog talking away, ramdoozling about. Laughing, playing, teasing, rolling.

i m a g i n a t i o n

The 2 men were just so B R I G H T .

HEDGE HOOOOoog. Heeeedge hooooog. Hogging the hedge. Hedge HOG. And then he threw me over his shoulder and ran around the room as I bounced over his back. hedge.hog.hedge.hog.hedge.hog.hedge.hog.hedge.hog.hedge.hog.

I am a pancake with butter and I smother you both because you are getting out of control. Ooooh no!

I AM GOING TO EAT THE PANCAKE!

Nooo! Not the pancake?

Why not?

Because she's special....

I just want you to know that you are doing a really terrible job.

...2 and 2

How to make 2 duets more interesting?

....and then there was 4.

QUIET ---------------------------------------------------------------STILL




It all kind of began with this gentle rolling gestures close to one another near the hall door. We'd made a slow procession down the length of the floor and gently migrated our way around and drifted apart briefly. I was left in the high corner of the room next to cracked open door where the late afternoon sunlight poured through. I said, "I want you to see me like you would view a sculpture. From all three sides. 360." I was moving extremely slowly. One by one they slowly surrounded me and very softly, with such extreme care, began to lightly tap and make contact with my body. I'd listen, and respond. They had guided me down to the ground and my eyes were covered by my shirt. But I had this warm, hovering sensation of them all around me still. Protecting. Holding. Breathing. Waiting, without waiting. The quiet and the stillness and slowness was so full. We'd suspended time for what could have been a year in that corner.

Photos by Amelia Charter

Thunderstorms rumbling away.


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