A little gasp of surprise. I didn’t know I still had that bright chartreuse skirt, or that pink fringed shawl. But why should I be surprised? Although they’d moved on from my regular wardrobe, I had been aware of what they represented to me. They are tools or props in my on-going adventure with awareness.
Let’s back up a little for a story. Years ago, sometime after a year of intense sorting of my parents’ and grandparents’ homes, one day I opened the trunk that was playing coffee table in our living room and pulled out a piano shawl, a large square with very long fringe, meant to decorate the top of a baby grand piano. I threw it over my shoulders and began to move, fascinated by the way the individual strands of fringe moved in response to the way I moved. I just kept going, immersed in the process. Not only did my movement influence the fringe, but the fringe began to influence what I did with my body. I tried on attitudes, characters, and moods, from sultry to coquettish, to flowing. From draping to flying. And then my curiosity took me beyond what might be expected ways to wear a shawl. I tried out my martial arts kicks and blocks. “Can I do this in a shawl? Ooh! That’s fun!”
While I was initially merely playful for my own amusement, an idea began to materialize. I could share this kind of play with friends and students. We could “try on” the movement forms that influence The Nia Technique, martial arts, dance arts, and healing arts, and even explore some contrasts between, say, a full skirt and kicking. And what if I added a big belt for an element of swagger? It could open up emotional insights, body posture insights, maybe a sassy foray into breaking the rules of how to dress or move that any one of us had carried for much of our life.
There’s a clarity that comes from sorting out belongings before a move. I ask myself, “is this a project I plan to do again?” And if it is not, then that’s the prompt to throw it away, give it away, re-purpose it. When it came to my collection of flowing skirts, I was clear that I wanted share my insights and invite friends to make their own explorations around clothing and how it interacts with the way we move.
This afternoon I just put the skirts in the wash so they would not have a back-of-the-closet scent. Next step: they get to hang on the clothesline in the fresh breeze. (Oh, that’s another practice and piece of equipment that I chose to bring to the new house: a clothesline, which aligns with my dedication to sustainability.)
Now I’m excited to let others peek into my unique perspective on life – a combination of playfulness, rigor, and self-inquiry. You’re invited to join one of my playshop dates:
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 1:00—2:30 https://momence.com/s/116945376
Saturday, May 31, 2025 1:30—3:00 https://momence.com/s/116949130
$18 register in advance with the Momence link above
Location: Dynamic Dance Studio 1012 Harlow Rd., Springfield (at Gateway)
