Meditative Dance / Danse Méditative

__________________________________________________________Concepts

1) A general idea: In theater, actors are supposed to host a second character in their body which is the character of play. In this case, the second character is more important than the frost one which is actor’s own character. In dance, dancers do not need to introduce any character even their own. Then the question is : can we dance without exposing any character? If so, how is it possible and how is it going to look like? This is a real challenge. aproaching the emptiness, living in an empty body.

2) Meditation in motion: The method is studying on a body-mind state called Meditation in motion. This concept is mainly focused on power of imagination and meditation. In this method, body is considered as an object or a tool to be used by a subject called Mind. The body is something to be carried, something to be danced with.

3) I & ego: The method considers mind as the foundation and body as a construction. It follows a paths through Meditation and starts a journey from I (ego) to end up at I (without ego).

4) Persian sufism: The method is also inspired by Persian sufism and its belief on Transmogrification. Sufis believe that there is a universe inside each of us which needs to be discovered. Becoming a part of nature instead of imitating it, feeling the life as a tree, as a stone, etc, etc. And after feeling all this, coming back to human but without ego this time. It means becoming nobody, nothing or the Empty body. In this method, physical exercises start from this point on.

What exactly is the EMPTY BODY?

Empty body is the most proper form of body for dancers as well as for performers. An empty body is the purest form of being which does not carry any character nor any characteristics. So, an Empty body can easily represent any elements in the world. It can remain stood up as a tree for years, or stay motionless as a stone for ages, it can breath as the air and wave as the wind. To avoid any fake and naive image from the method, this all needs a deep understanding from spirituality, poetry, Meditation and Sufism. The workshop Meditative dance is trying to give a basic taste of all this to its audience.

Conclusion: Through the course participants would learn basic lessons of creating choreographies inspired by poetry, nature, imagination as well as everyday life. On the way of looking for an new dance style, the method gives a try to different dance forms, bodily expressions, cyclic yoga, body/mind research styles and of course the Poetry.