Being Seen, Being Moved

The article by Andrea J. Olsen, discusses the Authentic Movement which I found both intriguing and different from what we have done in class so far. Described as ‘moving and being moved’ by Mary Wigman, the movement sounds quite simple. A mover closes his or her eyes and moves about as a result of impulses by the mover. On the other hand, there is a witness who observes the mover and at the end of it all, offers some critic of what he or she saw. Much as this sounds very easy, it is something difficult to do in practice. This is because many of people are very self-conscious and insecure about the faults they think they posses. As a result, doing something in front of someone else without seeing their facial expression could be quite daunting. This is exactly what Olsen points out in her article. She says that as we begin Authentic Movements, we may face basic fears. Nonetheless, there is a lot to be gained by engaging in the Authentic Movements wholeheartedly and without fear. One of the benefits of doing this is realizing the richness of our inner world. This can only be experienced if we push aside all the negative thoughts. Olsen also talks of how we can gain trust in our own abilities. She talks of how childhood memories could hinder ones movements but by internalizing a supportive, nonjudgmental but discerning inner witness, we can develop self-trust at a deep level. Finally, Authentic Movement is a resource for performance. As Olsen says, it provides images, movements and energetic states which can be drawn on in the choreographic process. This is beneficial to both the choreographer and the person performing the dance as the practice allows the dancer to incorporate patterns that he or she has learnt from other places.

Anthony

Dance 0163