I tried the water ritual that I created for the last assignment during an artists' panel at LASSI (Los Angeles Summer Solidarity Institute) last month. I ran out of time for feedback, but Shruti had some interesting thoughts and I'll invite folks who participated to make comments if they wish as well. Special thanks to Shruti for inviting me to participate and trusting me with trying something new, and to Yo Yo and Jools for feedback and information how to support Native communities and water protectors.
So as not to be the representative of the Water Protectors I also shared this video of La Donna, owner of the land that housed the Sacred Stone camp where 1000s of water protectors had gathered: (we watched from 1:45min to the end)
Seeing without naming connecting
Resources for those interested in supporting the work of the water protectors:
RED (Red Earth Defense)
www.lakotalaw.org
The Environmental Indigenous Network
https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/who%27s-banking-dakota-access-pipeline
SHY'S THOUGHTS
It took much longer than I anticipated, and I could have taken even longer. But even so, I was impressed at the shapes and connections everyone made for a group of people in which only a couple considered themselves movers. I think they were surprised that it was fun (they had expressed trepidation about what I was going to have them do with all the lines on the floor), and they seemed amazed that the water really was from the Austrio-German border!!!
Interesting thought: Shruti thought I could be a character when giving directions, perhaps something like a border guard, since I dictated when people could go and which areas they had to stay in. I think they said it was interesting to feel how the borders were restrictive, even as they went about their activities or tasks and how they were conscious about not being able to cross the borders.
Overall, I think this works well as a workshop. I"m not so sure about getting random audience members to connect and build bridges etc. Though the seeing eye practices while moving in, on, and over the borders can work. Perhaps a combination of these and some of Babli's water ritual ideas would be interesting to do with an actual audience?
FEEDBACK
If you were a participant, please leave any thoughts in the comment section below. If it helps, here are a few guiding questions you can answer.
1. What was it like for you participating in the ritual?
2. What part was the most interesting to you and why?
3. Was there anything you wondered about? If so, what?
4. If you are comfortable sharing your water freewrite let me know. I took pictures of several of them but won't post unless you are comfortable! you can write me separately to let me know shydance@gmail.com
CONTEXT:
I gave an overview of The Post Natyam Collective's long distance process and shared our Cyber Manifesto: https://vimeo.com/67838947
I shared our current project Borders Resurfacing and the March 2016 assignment from Cynthia that inspired my "10 little" exploration: http://postnatyam.blogspot.com/2016/03/
I performed live an expanded version of "10 little" which became titled "Not knowing of the taking" after learning of intense challenges of the water protectors at the DAPL in Oct 2016:
https://vimeo.com/192784112
https://vimeo.com/192784112
So as not to be the representative of the Water Protectors I also shared this video of La Donna, owner of the land that housed the Sacred Stone camp where 1000s of water protectors had gathered: (we watched from 1:45min to the end)
WATER RITUAL
Inspired Ilaan Egeland Manzzini family dance jam (tape lines and building bridges), and Barbara Dilley’s 5 eye practices (as learned from Carol McDowell)
Free Write:
Participants did a 3 min free write about their own experiences/associations with water and borders. Then circled 3 interesting words or phrases. To include in a group poem
Group Poem
Eyes Closed Water Body Meditation
Ask participants spread out standing with eyes closed or soft focus. Notice breath like waves, notice wetness in mouth, imagine blood and fluids in body circulating. Remembering and honoring: Our bodies are about 60 percent water! Connecting that water to water outside your body.
Soft Focus Earth Water Walk
Invite participants to open eyes to soft focus if closed, taking room in without focusing on any particular thing. Direct participants to begin to slowly walk around room between other bodies keeping soft focus. about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. Honoring this thought as walk. Whenever want can pause and be still, noticing the movement around you, and then continue.
Seeing without naming connecting
Without naming them in your mind, begin to see the things both still and moving around you. Notice the shapes on the floor and if you are inspired, perhaps follow one (before start, I will have put down tape in long curved lines that sometimes criss cross). If you come across another who is moving pause for a minute and if you would like, I invite you connect briefly with a body part (head, arm, knee, back)
Seeing between bridges and tunnels
Noticing the spaces between the lines, begin to find ways to navigate over them without touching them. If you come across another person think about how you can build a bridge, or a tunnel for others by connecting body parts. If you come across bridges or tunnels go through them. Feel free to move on if you have made bridge and look for other connections or keep looking for spaces to go under, between, through.
Seeing direct, borders and shapes
freeze and notice which lines you are between. You may find yourself with a specific group of people within the same lines. Stay with this group and do not cross into another area. If there are others in the same space you can look them in the eye, make a group shape, adding in one at a time. Once the shape is built any one may shift positions in the shape making the shape shift slowly as different people step out and build a new shape, you must stay within the lines around your group.
Water shapes:
Introduce a bottle of water to each group. These waters have come all the way across several borders from rivers in Germany and Austria, one of which was the site of huge arrival of Syrian refugees. If you get a bottle of water, carry it preciously without your hands, this is your permission to go to another group, take the water with you and present it/offer it to someone else and then take their place in the group shape.
Stay with new group and make a new shape including the bottle of water in your group. While everyone was in their last group shape, I read the group poem out loud.
Resources for those interested in supporting the work of the water protectors:
RED (Red Earth Defense)
www.lakotalaw.org
The Environmental Indigenous Network
https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/who%27s-banking-dakota-access-pipeline
SHY'S THOUGHTS
It took much longer than I anticipated, and I could have taken even longer. But even so, I was impressed at the shapes and connections everyone made for a group of people in which only a couple considered themselves movers. I think they were surprised that it was fun (they had expressed trepidation about what I was going to have them do with all the lines on the floor), and they seemed amazed that the water really was from the Austrio-German border!!!
Interesting thought: Shruti thought I could be a character when giving directions, perhaps something like a border guard, since I dictated when people could go and which areas they had to stay in. I think they said it was interesting to feel how the borders were restrictive, even as they went about their activities or tasks and how they were conscious about not being able to cross the borders.
Overall, I think this works well as a workshop. I"m not so sure about getting random audience members to connect and build bridges etc. Though the seeing eye practices while moving in, on, and over the borders can work. Perhaps a combination of these and some of Babli's water ritual ideas would be interesting to do with an actual audience?
FEEDBACK
If you were a participant, please leave any thoughts in the comment section below. If it helps, here are a few guiding questions you can answer.
1. What was it like for you participating in the ritual?
2. What part was the most interesting to you and why?
3. Was there anything you wondered about? If so, what?
4. If you are comfortable sharing your water freewrite let me know. I took pictures of several of them but won't post unless you are comfortable! you can write me separately to let me know shydance@gmail.com
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