Spiraling: Contact Improv Dance

I had my second (or is it 3^rd) experience with contact improv dance tonight.  The first experience had me yearning for another chance to try it again.  After the first time, I had announced to the group that it was so special that I had touched each and every person in that room, which was more people I had touched the entire day.  It dawned on me today, that before contact dance class, I hadn’t touched ANYBODY ALL DAY! What a crazy thought that I could go through a day without touching a single person. 

I have been noticing a lot on energy… energy exchange, transfer, sharing, giving, taking, etc. Before the dance I made a conscious effort to play with certain energies; some songs really intense, some very light. Before the dancing begins, there is an hour guided class prior.  In this hour, an instructor speaks you through exercises with partners or leading you to partners.  Today’s lesson was spirals.  Knowing this, I was very excited as spiraling is what I do best (being Sway-like and all J ). As the reigns were handed over for the next hour long dance (by candlelight, no voices, open space, plenty of different partners and loud music), the coordinator commented on the spiraling energy of the group and later added that it was like jumping onto a moving train. 

Energy amazes me.  Such an unexplored concept, yet people can permeate these invisible aura’s that can actually influence your environment.  Imagine what we could do if we truly learned how to harbor it more fully.  I am learning this quickly and working on my energy.  I have been given feeedback that I permeate high energy vibes and boy was tonight no exception.  Between the spiraling and the intense contact dance I had shared tonight, I was reeling out of control! (Meanwhile, I am trying to work on my root chakra which is supposed to be grounding, here I was spiraling!) I left the class still freewheeling- I started playing with my glass mason jar that I was using as a water bottle.  I had drank all the water and now started tossing it in the air, spinning it and catching it, the excitement of the glass possibly busting to the ground, from there, I drove to Butler Hill where there is a water fountain that shoots out water. And I danced in the water until I was soaking wet.  See picture below for visual of fountain.

I then proceeded to follow the meditation path up the hill and danced all the way up and of course dancing on the top of the hill, overlooking the Austin skyline lit up in multicolors at night.   I still pinch myself that I live in this city, it is so breathtaking.

From there I start to drive home, still energetic and rocking out to music.  On my way home, I decide that I am going to continue to dance and bust out my hoop.  I drive over to my favorite corner on Congress Ave and Monroe where redswingproject.org has a swing.  I dance with my hoop and the swing, my car windows down, and the music on MAX.  And if that wasn’t enough, I then proceed to dance in the street, the adrenaline of a car possibly coming my way.  When a car finally does, I decide it is time to move on.  I get in my car and have my all too familiar feeling of wanting open road to just gun it! Of course, the windows down, music still on MAX, I drive all over the neighborhood as fast as I can and avoiding as many stops as possible.  One of my favorite things to do in this state of mind while driving is let go of the wheel and outreach my hands and flap them in the wind of the open windows… total freedom, total auxiliary.  I am on such a high that the thought literally entered my mind, that someone may have spiked my water with some amphetamines while at dance class.  Of course this thought entered my mind right before doing donuts in an abandon parking lot. Dear god! 

After recounting my night, I realized that it was full of spirals!  The fountain, the meditation path spiraling up the hill, hooping, and even driving (avoid stopping with U turns, sharp turns and donuts!), all of these places and activities unconsciously calling to me to flow in their pathway, drawn to the same form of movement.  What a powerful spiraling flow!

I was feeling so alive tonight.  My blood and energy rushing; my body out of control. Not wanting to follow any rules (or as our society likes to call them, laws). Free and energetic.  That is what improv dance is for me.  Coordinated, instructional dance is like rules that you must follow, people telling you what to do, how to dance.  Escatic and improv dance is freeing and unrestrictive.   The ultimate release and liberation from any restraints.  Release your energy, release yourself.