Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all!

2011 was full of many amazing moments, thanks to so many wonderful people.  I’m sharing this bomblog interview again that I did with Lauren Bakst.  Making this piece for Dance and Process at The Kitchen was one of my favorite (and most challenging!) moments of 2011!

http://bombsite.com/issues/1000/articles/6333

From 'Hello, I need you' at The Kitchen, Dec 2011. Photo by Ian Douglas.

Lindsay Clark and Michelle Boulé. Photo by Ian Douglas.

 

‘Hello, I need you’ @ The Kitchen

There is one more performance tonight!
The Kitchen
512 W 19th Street
New York, NY 10011

Here is a BOMBLOG interview by Lauren Bakst about the making of the piece:
http://bombsite.com/issues/1000/articles/6333
And we’re still working towards our $3,000 goal.  Please help us reach it by clicking on the donate link!

Performed by Michelle Boulé and Lindsay Clark
Music by Okkyung Lee and Beyoncé, and Mozart
Costumes by Reid Bartelme

Thank you to my amazing collaborators; to the Kitchen staff; to Yasuko Yokoshi, Julie Alexander, and Martin Lanz; and to my family, wonderful friends and inspiring artists who have supported me throughout the creation of this work.  I feel honored to be able to put art into the world.  Thank you.

DONATIONS for Dance and Process at The Kitchen

We’ve reached about 86% of our $3,000 goal and have just a bit more to raise.  Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far.  The support has been amazing!

If you would like to make a 100% tax-deductible donation to help cover the actual costs of making  a piece, please make a contribution here.  Please be sure to select my name from the drop down menu on the second page! To donate by check, please make checks out to “New York Live Arts” with ‘Michelle Boulé’ in the memo line, and send to 361 Clinton Ave, #10B; Brooklyn, NY 11238.

Donors as of 12/19:  David Birnbaum, Jonathan and Elizabeth Tunney, Anneke Hansen, Brad Schenkel, Patrick Meagher, Miguel Gutierrez, Todd Shalom, Jon Moniaci, Talya Epstein, Kyli Kleven, Joseph Isler, Patricia Knowles, Mark Haim, Toni Yagoda, Angela Boulé, Christine Elmo, Ingrid Nachstern, Melvin Boulé, Ruthann Rains, Kathy Romary, Sarah Klapman, Brad Hampton, Eva Birnbaum, K.J. Holmes.

Michelle Boulé is a member artist of New York Live Arts, Inc., a non-profit tax-exempt organization. Contributions in support of Michelle Boulé’s work are greatly appreciated and may be made payable to New York Live Arts, Inc., earmarked for “the New York Live Arts member project of Michelle Boulé.” A description of the work and current project activities for which such contributions will be used are available from Michelle Boulé or New York Live Arts, upon request. All contributions are fully deductible to the extent allowed by law. (Note: A copy of New York Live Arts’ latest annual financial report filed with the New York State Department of State may be obtained by writing to the N.Y.S. Dept. of State, Charities Registration, 162 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12231, or to New York Live Arts, 219 West 19th Street, New York, NY, 10011.)

Consciousness and Art

Consciousness and Art

I had 15 minutes today to look at the Agnes Martin exhibit at Pace Gallery in Chelsea, NYC.  Agnes Martin was an abstract expressionist painter, her classification of choice.  Her work is also referred to as minimalist, being identified by lines, grids and very subtle fields of color.*

I had a profound experience of seeing her work today, which feels relevant to discussions happening now about consciousness.  I had looked up the exhibition online, saw photos on the Pace Gallery website, and thought ‘oh, maybe I’ll skip this’, but I happily made it there before the gallery closed.  My immediate reaction was that online photographs of artwork don’t do it justice!  This is what we say in dance about video recordings of our pieces.  There’s something vibrational and immediate about having a 3D experience in real-time in a theater or other space as audience or witness.  Similarly, I felt as though I could immediately sense the vibration of Martin’s work as soon as I entered the large gallery space.  Her minimalist work immediately gave me so much space to reflect and experience.  I don’t know much about her, but I picked up a press release and read that she favored looking at her work from a personal and spiritual vantage point rather than an ineffectual one.   (Ha!  That was supposed to say ‘intellectual’ but I must have had a Freudian typo.)  I became aware of the amazing rigor of her work, which I most definitely experience on a relatively uninformed level, not knowing the technicalities of what it takes to create that type of work.  But what was even more amazing was that it was almost as if consciousness were leaping off the canvases!

It took me back to the ‘Dance and Consciousness’ panel that I spoke on last week.  I had listened to a BodyTalk lecture where BodyTalk founder John Veltheim gave a metaphor for our human consciousness.  He spoke about scientists’ putting a frog in a blender, pouring the contents into a beaker and then waiting for the frog to form as if having all the components is what makes the whole, a biological perspective.  (And…beyond that, as scientists continue to try to find the smallest particle, all they can do is keep finding smaller and smaller particles.  Tangent to that is the ‘way’ alternative theory that we are composed of black holes…had to mention it.)  In other words, we are not simply the sum of our parts…arm, leg, foot, nose, brain.  There is something larger that holds the whole being together.  Consciousness is proposed to be the base matter for all beings/matter in this scenario.

So back to Agnes…  I saw the lines, colors, grids, gray, shades of white….in and of themselves, simply that…lines and colors.  But there was something beyond the pieces…beyond intellectual concept, beyond theoretical composition…that I wanted to call ‘consciousness’.  I experienced an invitation to perceive differently, i.e. consciousness created through the action of perception (Alva Noe).  It was something not easily put into words, maybe not meant to be put into words.  I felt like I experienced all the ‘consciousness’ that went into this creation, and it was quite a beautiful, affecting experience.

Quote from Agnes Martin (1912-2004):

‘It is quite commonly thought that the intellect is responsible for everything that is made and done.   It is commonly thought that everything that is can be put into words.  But there is a wide range of emotional response that we make that cannot be put into words.  We are so used to making these emotional responses that we are not consciously aware of them till the are represented as art work.’

*This information was taken from Wikipedia.

Consciousness and Dance

I’ll be speaking on a panel for a Movement Research Studies Project on ‘Dance and Consciousness’ tomorrow, Oct. 6th from 6-8pm at Gina Gibney Studio.  The address is 890 Broadway, 5th Floor.

There are fantastic people on the panel:  Alva Noë (philosopher and author of Out of Our Heads), Miguel Gutierrez (choreographer), RoseAnne Spradlin (choreographer), Daria Fain (choreographer) and others.  I’m excited to hear what all the panelists have to say about this topic!  And I’m also interested in continuing to dialogue about the relationship of my dance practice to my BodyTalk practice, which is often referred to as ‘consciousness-based healthcare’.

From the website description:

A conversation among choreographers, philosophers and performers on the nature of consciousness and how dance as an artistic practice acts as experiential research into this fundamentally human yet indeterminate and far-ranging territory. In addition to gathering different perspectives on the subject, some questions will be considered: How does dance affect current philosophical thinking on consciousness? How do choreographers and performers engage with theory on the subject? How have personal experiences and artistic practices contributed to private and collective understanding and development of consciousness? How can these experiences enter into broader discourse on the subject?

It happens in a second

In contrast to the somewhat popular ‘slow down’ mentality, energetic healer Dr. Yuen constantly talks about ‘speeding up’ and making our bodies more efficient.  In the same way that technology is getting faster, there must be a similar way that our physical bodies evolve, as we are constantly processing so much information.  I’d like to leap off from this idea and look at how it can be applied to our relationships.

It happens in a second…

Sometimes it seems easy to skip moments of true intimacy.  Behind this, there may be a realization of grief or sadness that one hasn’t actually allowed for this kind of connection in the past.  However, as emotions are essentially movement in the body, this sadness can be followed by the joy of connecting.  There are multiple modes of distraction…working, drinking, talking, eating, thinking, the internet/media consumption, but those moments of connecting to someone (or self) and seeing what we get to enjoy while we’re alive on this earth are too rich to pass by.  Maybe for some, this brings too many feelings to the surface.  But these things pass (move), and the healing that comes from a moment of connecting…which doesn’t necessarily involve ‘slowing down’, rather making a (fast and efficient) choice to connect rather than disconnect…these moments are what make life worth living.

So I’m writing in encouragement (what a great word!) of surrounding yourself with those who support your whole being and its vulnerability for more intimacy with self and therefore, others.  In time it becomes the easiest, most efficient choice.

Borders, Boundaries and Support

I’m going to attempt to bring together a few different elements floating around in my mind right now. It doesn’t feel quite full and complete, but I’m inspired to write and post it in this moment…

We live in a world (and a body) where clarity springs from division. The cell divides to expand and within even one cell there are multiple, necessary specializations made possible by a division of matter.

I write this in light of the recent events in Egypt. I was talking to a family member about this and the conversation eventually led to talk of the Israeli settlements in Palestine and to divisions of class and race within the United States. I’ll admit that I don’t always follow current events information closely and was grateful that this particular family is so well versed in current events and the socio-political history (and beyond) of so many different cultures! The information is fascinating.

It all made me think of something that I experienced teaching class this week, working with everyone present, on the idea of support and release. We did a very simple exercise of moving in and out of the floor while receiving support from a partner. We took moments of stillness to really allow ourselves to either truly and fully support another person’s weight or be supported. A general observation that came from the experience was that once that sharing of weight and support was achieved, the boundaries of our separate bodies seemed to disappear. (I’ll even take the liberty of saying that it felt magical!) It led to an amazing feeling of expansion and power, which all resulted from a combination of letting go, giving support (which is its own form of letting go…in this situation, the two seem interchangeable), and the flexibility around the removal of a boundary.

There is so much happening in this world to increase division, to create boundaries. And yes, there are times when it’s necessary and productive (on a micro or macro level), but it’s amazing to see, even within one’s own body in relationship to another body, when the surrendering of this boundary, a softening around this boundary, is actually incredibly empowering.

What is BodyTalk?

Happy New Year!
Here’s a nice simple description of BodyTalk from Lucy Taylor:

BodyTalk is a simple yet powerful way to communicate directly with our bodies, finding out what really lies at the core of our physical or emotional symptoms. Combining modern science with traditional healing methods, BodyTalk gently encourages our systems to reveal what needs to be addressed. Really big changes can be made without having to relive the past or make huge efforts, simply by asking the body what is going on right now. By tapping into the innate healing wisdom within each of us, BodyTalk stimulates recovery, balance and good health on all levels. So, discover your body’s wisdom!

And here’s another from friend and practitioner Ben Manalo:

BodyTalk is a simple Consciousness-based health care system that accelerates your body’s healing process and prevents disease. To experience optimal health, every part of you needs to work together effectively and efficiently as a team. By improving the cooperation and communication throughout your bodymind on all levels, BodyTalk enhances your natural capacity to quickly heal and adapt to the stresses of day to day life in subtle yet profound ways.

Giving love and receiving love….

“Giving love and receiving love can change the world.” -Dr. Linda L. Brown

I just found this in a BodyTalk newsletter written by a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer.  It’s so simply put but so affecting.  I’m writing this while taking a ‘sick day’ on tour and receiving the amazing care of my friend in Berlin.  Sometimes ‘receiving’ love can be viewed as a weakness and something we avoid, but it’s a moment to be vulnerable, to share and connect.  And genuinely giving love, stepping out of ourselves for a moment can connect us more deeply to what is most important in life.  But beyond or even underlying all of this is simply acting from love…making the choices that resonate most strongly for ourselves and simultaneously the rest of the world.  It’s time to strengthen that subtle internal meter that discerns our choices around love.  Finding the strength and power that comes out of those moments can definitely change the world.

Enthusiasm

My friend Miguel just showed me a youtube video of opera star Cecilia Bartoli in rehearsal.  He pointed out how one shot shows how excited she is about her work and singing.  It’s so inspiring to see that simple, beautiful enthusiasm and know that it forms a foundation for her beyond amazing capabilities as an artist and singer.  It makes me want to to find a moment for that in my life everyday, in my work and in my interactions.  It brings lightness and effortlessness to life.  Listen and enjoy!

(She begins speaking about the work around 3:20.)