The Ribs
A movement poem for April 26, 2020 by Jill Randall
ferns
peacock feathers
cabinet of curiosities
breathing
mobility
softly holding
a small sized dance
yet still spacious
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Hello!
Today's music selection = "KS" by Michael Wall. It is 3rd on this playlist. ("Together Alone A," which is 4th on the playlist, is also a great additional option.)
Today's poem is all about sensing/feeling/exploring. I am channeling my studies of Feldenkrais with Mary Armentrout and Body-Mind Centering with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. I am thinking of Asuka Tada's book Flora, of bones and skeletons made out of leaves and flower petals. I also want to reference this particular piece of art by Katie Daisy:
Image respectfully pulled from Etsy. Artwork by Katie Daisy.
I would begin today with a simple walking/pausing improv around the space. Bring awareness to your ribs. How would you describe this area of your body today in this moment? Do this walking/pausing dance for a minute or two. Walk forward, sideways, backwards, in a circle, in a zigzag pathway.
Then, I would find a spot to stand or to sit. You can sit on the floor or a chair. Place your hands on your ribs in different places. Breathe into those hands. Connect with the side of the ribs, back of the ribs, front and back at the same time, etc. Try this about 4 different times. Connect with breath and movement; create space in the rib cage.
Now, what is the dance of the ribs? How can it circle, stretch, press, inflate, retreat, and much more? Explore this little dance. How do the ribs move when you are moving in one place, traveling, and on the floor? How do the ribs move on the floor when one hand or two hands are pressing the ground?
How do the ribs move in relation to other body parts? How can they move in conjunction? Or towards and away? (Ribs+knees, ribs+head, ribs+hips, ribs+tailbone, ribs+collarbone, ribs+throat, etc)
Choreograph a short phrase today based on the lines of the poem, or simply the essence of the poem.
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