By Ilana Slomowitz Up until the age
of 24 from the age of 4, I danced every day of my life, filling my being
with
the pure joy of moving and expressing my essence through dance. Ballet
was the
first stage, then my tits got too big for a tutu and I switched to
Spanish
flamenco which suited both my developing figure and my flamboyant
personality.
I got so good at it that I became a principle
dancer in a flamenco dance company called the Mercedes Molina Spanish dance co.
We toured all of Southern Africa, what was then Rhodesia and even as far afield as Israel and Greece.
But then I got
married and my then husband gave me an ultimatum .”EITHER THE DANCING OR ME.”
I chose him then,
today I am quite sure I would have chosen differentlybut I was so desperately in love, stupid and
needy of his love and approval , I could go on and on but suffice is to say it
was the end of my passion and my dance career came to a deathly halt. It was as
ifsome one had cut my legs off.
I pick up the story 45 yrs later. I am now at
this point 65 yrs old and living in Israel. I see a dance course offered in Cape town to study a teachers diploma in something
called Nia dance. I apply and I come to Cape town to do the “white belt” training with the
idea that I will bring it back to Israel and hopefully start teaching in Israel.
But as life has its own great master planner,
I fall in love with Cape town and decide to leave Israel and return to live in Cape town. I forgot to mention that I was born in Johannesburg where I lived till the time I immigrated
to Israel in 1988.
Once back here I
got a job teaching dance classes at the virgin active health clubs all over the
city. That was five years ago.
I am giving you
this back ground to lay the scene and put things in context.
Now at the age of
69 almost 70 , I am teaching 12 dance and stretch classes a week.
I have reclaimed
my passion, my aliveness and my vitality. I am filled with joy and enthusiasm
every day and wake up celebrating being alive.
So off I go to a movement medicine workshop at
the persuasion of Liz Bullen with whom I was sharing time in the steam room of
the gym but not quite sure what to expect.
The Venueof the workshop is way across town at a
schooIhall. I step into a hallthat embraces all my senses, the hall is an
exquisite architectural domed space with light filtering through a blue glass
star shaped window washing the room with a gentleblue glow.
In each corner is
placed an alter depicting one of the 4 elements. Abundant bunches of
multicolored roses spill out of containers and in one of the corners the gentle
sound of trickling water from a lavishly ornate water feature seduces my ears
In the center
stands asmall Protea tree surrounded by
a heart shaped log .with candles glowing all around the room.
The music starts
and people move into the space moving in their own unique ways to the sounds,
stretching, bending, reaching out, rolling on the floor, leaping twirling and
swaying. Each one, in their own space, aware of the others yet unperturbed by
anyone else.
This went on for a good hour and I was
beginning to wonder if there was to be any facilitation at all or if this was
to be a totally free dance session.
But my concerns were then put to rest as
Ya’acov moved from behind the sound system in to the room and things started to
change and we were wisely and caringly led through a number of different
processes.
Over the week end
the intensity grew, the energy in the room rose the level of expression
expanded and the waves of high and low energy flowed like a roller coaster
moving up and then soaring down with gusto and verve and then once more gently
climbing up hill slowing down taking time to breath before the next downhill
run. My 69 year old legs needed to rest but somehow the momentum of the energy
in the room kept them and me dancing in ways that were unfamiliar to me.
Finding new and different ways of moving my body, finding different and new
ways and expressing my feelings through my movements, finding new and different
ways of connecting to others through movement ,finding myself in the rhythm and
style of the other opposite whom I was dancing at any given time allowing
myselfto just be present without
needing to perform but simply to find authentic unschooled and raw untaught or
rather unlearned ways of using my body through the dance.
The joy of this I can equate to how it feels
after an orgasm. Spent but fully satisfied.
Thank you for
this joyous re-affirming of my aliveness once again through movement. This is
my home, this is my sanctuary, this is my sanity and my salvation. This is what
keeps me young and vital. This is who I am and what I am and how I am and I
love it and I am filled with joy and gratitude.
A wonderful week
end! Well done to you all for the impeccable space, the attention on detail,
the impeccability of the organization and the gentle unassuming and yet
extremely holding egoless style of your facilitation Ya’Acov.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of the School of Movement Medicine.
Roland Wilkinson, Nappers Crossing, Staverton, Devon TQ9 6PD, UK Tel & Fax +44 (0)1803 762255 http://www. schoolofmovementmedicine.com