The Role of the East in Dance
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An Article Written by Paul Douglas for the Dance UK Healthier Dancer
Programme News sheet.
Many dancers consult practitioners of complementary medicine when
injured. There is no doubt that osteopaths and physiotherapists have provided
effective treatment for dancers aiding them on the road to recovery and enabling
them to return to work. In many cases dancers may have also been given advice
and exercises through which to minimise future injury. All of this is extremely
beneficial but I would like to see more dancers going beyond a “repair shop”
relationship with complementary medicine.
Dancing is much more than the sum total of mechanically “correct”
movement. Complementary medicine and martial arts have things to offer which
are, in general, absent from vocational dance training and are not to be found
in fitness regimes which deal exclusively with aspects of bio-mechanical
function. Dance is about movement, freedom of movement and the ability to
express something through the body. It requires all aspects of the person to be
engaged.
There are a range of practices which dancers could explore as resources
for more ongoing self-development. Regular sessions of some form of therapy such
as Shiatsu, Feldenkrais Technique, Thai Massage or Chivutti Therumal (a massage
system associated with the south Indian martial art of Kalari) offer immediate
benefits and are also very informative. In all of these forms the “patient”
is expected to be engaged in a process of recognition. The therapist not only
“treats” the patient but assists in an awareness building process. Many
dancers would benefit from opportunities to quietly reflect upon and acknowledge
their physical and mental states. This may sound self-indulgent but without the
ability to tune in to ones own sensory information the potential for positive
change is limited.
The cost of regular treatment may, of-course, be beyond the means of
many dancers, some might also prefer to participate in something more active.
Classes in Yoga, Aikido, Chi Gung or Tai Chi come a little cheaper and offer
sophisticated processes for self-exploration. All of the eastern forms of
therapy, martial arts and exercise systems deal with Chi (Ki in Japanese) energy
and the use of breath as an integral part of their system.
Energy
Most dancers have been taught to think primarily of their musculature
when training. In the east the emphasis is on generating, controlling and
expressing Chi or Ki - energy. In order to gain an appreciation of Ki we need
only to pause and consider our physical and mental state. Are we calm or
agitated? How are we breathing? At what rate is our heart beating? Where are we
holding tensions in our musculature? These are some aspects of Ki. Energy is in
a constant state of flux and imbalances often occur. It is affected by changes
of emotional states, it can be coloured by imagination and harnessed and
directed through the will. Ki is not just a product of physical fitness,
although this is an important consideration, but is, ideally, an unimpeded
expression of conviction.
Respiration
Respiratory control is something rarely dealt with in any detail during
a dancer’s training, yet it is fundamental to an understanding of how mind and
body interact. The breath can be used in a wide variety of ways producing
dramatically different results. Certain methods of breathing are conducive to
relaxation, others to galvanising the body for dynamic exertion. For Shiatsu,
the patient is encouraged to take full inhalations and then to allow the breath
to fall away with the exhalation maximising relaxation. In martial arts
diaphragmatic breathing is used to build pressure in the lower abdomen. This
lends stability to the lower body and serves to help keep the chest and shoulder
girdle free. Learning to control ones breath can lead to improved stamina and
concentration and can assist with the undoing of extraneous tensions which
inhibit fluidity of movement.
Psychology
For many dancers maintaining self-confidence is problematic. Dance is an
extremely critical and competitive profession. Dancers are expected to create
and learn movement quickly under pressure. Performances are often both
physically and mentally demanding inducing high levels of stress. Traditional
Japanese martial arts such as Aikido and Kashima Shin Ryu have as their primary
goal the development of a steady mind in the face of adversity.
To give more of an idea of what is involved in these two forms, training
in Aikido and Kashima Shin Ryu are done mostly with a partner and are none
competitive. The techniques involve sophisticated manipulation of balance with
the aim of controlling an aggressor’s centre. The joints of the arms are
folded or rotated sometimes requiring the receiver of the technique to roll to
undo the torque. These techniques are applied with the natural articulation and
serve to make the joints both stronger and more supple. Participants gain a
gyroscopic orientation to their balance and a confidence with falling and
rolling.
Kashima Shin Ryu is one of the oldest surviving Japanese sword schools.
The movements of the sword are based on spiral actions emanating from the hips.
Keeping the arms very relaxed and using a kind of hydraulics in the legs the
sword is virtually thrown creating power through velocity. The techniques may
last only a few seconds but contain subtle alterations in rhythm, timing and in
quality of energy requiring a distillation of attention.
Their forms are designed to produce flexible, fluid movement whilst
maintaining a steady core. In performance dancers require acute mental focus
combined with freedom of movement. Aikido and Kashima Shin Ryu have
methodologies developed over centuries designed to instill
just such a balance between mind and body.
The philosophical aspect of eastern forms offer whole life-style models
which can give one a sense of assuredness within a process of long-term
self-development. It is entirely up to the individual how much of an influence
one wants these philosophies to have on one’s life in general. For some people
they can present an alternative way to contextualise their lives.
Paul Douglas is Director of Moving East, Centre for Dance, Martial Arts
and Complementary Medicine and Head of Tetsushinkan Budojo. He has
practiced Aikido for over twenty years and is the holder of 5th Dan. Paul has taught
Aikido to many professional dancers including the following, all of whom have black belts: Sasha Roubicek of Siobhan Davies Dance Co., Peter
Dunleavy - ex-London Contemporary Dance Theatre (now an Osteopath), Dominic
Hickie - E.N.B. (now a remedial masseur, Pilates teacher and studying
Acupuncture) Colin Poole - ex-Rambert now independent choreographer. I think
they would all say that Aikido and Eastern thought had influenced their lives
far beyond merely augmenting their movement.
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