YOGA DANCE WORKSHOP. We rarely hear the inward music, but we're all dancing to it nevertheless. ~ Rumi. My Personal Journey

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1 YOGA DANCE WORKSHOP We rarely hear the inward music, but we're all dancing to it nevertheless. ~ Rumi My Personal Journey Dancing has always been my first love. I have taken classes and performed my whole adult life. A dancer s life involves lots of hard work, exhausting rehearsals, the thrill of performing, and sooner or later injury due to misuse, overuse or age. As I was forced to curtail my dancing, I began exploring other ways to stay fit and use my body as well as satisfy my soul. From Dancer to Yogini: Danced 25 years; performed with tap dance company, community theatre Types: tap, jazz, ballet, ballroom, swing, folk and whatever else! Knee and foot injuries! no more dancing Arthritis and middle age! yoga! Why I Love to Dance Enjoy process of learning choreography &technique Internalize movements and learn music!i become one with them, feeling them instead of intellectualizing

2 Why I Like Yoga Helps me heal injuries Reduces mental stress, slows me down Uses my body and mind in new ways Applies to my daily life Teaching yoga gives me satisfaction of helping other people feel better Dance and yoga likely have a long and rich interrelated history dating at least to the rise of tantra in the latter part of the first millennium of the Common Era. There are well known dances ascribed to various deities and mythological figures in Indian culture, most notably Shiva and Parvati. ~ Mark Stephens (Yoga Sequencing: Designing Tranformative Yoga Classes, p. 140) Both dance and yoga feed the body and the soul. Dance and yoga have many similarities, but also important differences. Here are some aspects I have considered; you may think of others. Benefits of Dance and Yoga Enhance awareness of body Build flexibility and strength Promote alignment and balance Give ability to focus on different parts of body and on subtle movement Get you out of your daily thoughts, mental loops Can lead to higher level of awareness, whether artistic or spiritual

3 Commonalities Between Dance and Yoga Constant practice is necessary to improve ability Constant practice is beneficial to body Can practice in group or alone Give and receive positive energy in group; tune in to each other Practice is about individual mind and body experience but also about interacting with world around you Breathing is important element gives you energy, helps you do movements, focus your mind Ground yourself in earth as you extend upward and outward (in dance, push off floor to get height) Movement of one part of body comes from another part of body; if one part is not working well!movement is inhibited or can cause injury Rodney Yee, Moving Toward Balance o Creation of balance--physical, mental, and emotional o Connection of movement and breath o Connection with people, environment o Vulnerability open yourself up (in dance: to audience, criticism, self-criticism; in yoga, to sensations, thoughts, emotions) Differences Between Dance and Yoga Dance: o Intended for performance o Form of artistic expression Yoga: o Not for performance o Shapes can be beautiful but not intended as art form

4 Why do Yoga to Music? Music is energizing, emotional Drumbeat is connected to heart slow beat is calming, more frenetic beat excites or even stresses us Music can be therapeutic lullabies calm babies Music and dance have a magical way of accessing deep levels of emotion, freeing chronic stress, and restoring a sense of lightness and well-being. Gentle yoga relaxes people so they can more deeply feel the music, thus move more freely. (Interview with Beth Rigby, April 1, 2002, Music and Movement Stir the Soul ) Forms of Yoga and Dance Lots of Yogis and yoga teachers are former dancers; there are lots of different methods of combining yoga and dance. Some focus more on movement, others on philosophy or energy. Some have even been trademarked: (Beth Rigby) transformational dance fun start with gentle yoga then soar into explosive, exhilarating, transformational dance journey Awaken each chakra energy and feel more alive. Yogadance Therapy (YDT) systematic application of yoga principles in the art of dance, combining a movement-oriented sequence of asanas and purification techniques...inspired by three world dance traditions Indian classical dance, ballet and contemporary dance and is an integrative art form based in the philosophy of Ayurveda.

5 Expressive Yoga Dance Often referred to as A Transformative Journey, we begin by exploring Sacred Dance Fusion movements to clear the body of static energy through the use of serpentine, tribal, Middle Eastern, exotic belly dance and West African dance styles. Fused into one energetic dance, this class can be described as exotic, dynamic, sultry, expressive, celebratory, transformational and a divine sweat! (Sara Avtar Olivier) " Shakti is the primordial creative energy of the soul... All existence is animated through her Divine Breath Shakti Dance works energetically to develop the art of intuitive and free movement through a state of mystic, meditative union. Gently opening the pranic current (life force), the body and mind are able to surrender and merge with the intelligent, creative flow of Shakti, giving life to a sacred dance form Shakti Dance has its roots in the science and tradition of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. It implements insights drawn from yogic philosophy to awaken and embody universal principles of harmonious movement It fuses breath, motion and mindfulness to expand the practitioner s consciousness... Choreographies to mantric music are danced in geometric group formation. Self-repeating sequences stimulate the meditative mind and help realign both individual and group energy.

6 Yoga Dance in Practice Dance classes usually begin with stretches to warm up the entire body, then move on to learning individual movements or pieces of choreography, putting them together and practicing them, often (but not always) with music. If you practice until you don t have to think about the movements, you can really start to feel like the movement is coming from within you and you are expressing yourself through it. Classes generally end with a cool down. This is the basis for my yoga dance workshop. Four segments: Full body Stretch Static poses ( choreography ) Free Flowing Dynamic Movement to music incorporating stretches and poses (Get in the Zone!) Cool Down/Pranayama or Meditation/Savasana Warm-up Neck/shoulders Ear to shoulder Right & Left Look toward shoulder Right & Left Sweep head (shoulder, chest, shoulder) Circle head Roll shoulders Hands/wrists Start with hands overhead; Spanish dancer as lower arms Play piano (fingers curved) Bongo drums (shake wrists up and down) Fluff pillow (shake wrists in and out)

7 Forward fold vinyasa Mountain pose, hands in prayer Arms overhead Fold forward at hip crease Halfway up to flat back Forward fold With knees bent, sweep arms overhead as stand up Hands in prayer Six Directions of Spine (hips stay still) Move chest forward and back Move chest R and L Circle chest to R, then L Side Openers Hands in T, reach out Right, then reach Left Hands in T, tip down Right, then Left Twist to Right, then Left Hips Move pelvis front; center; back; center Move pelvis Right; center; Left; center Circle pelvis to R, then L Do the Twist! Work everything! Feet, knees, hips Point and flex feet (R then L) Circle feet inward and outward (R then L) Low march in place, moving through ball of foot High march in place, moving through ball of foot Circle leg at hip joint, inward then outward (R then L) Swing leg at hip joint, forward then backward (R then L)

8 Choreography (first hold asanas static, then do as flow sequence) Static lunges & twists " Wide leg lunges R and L side " Hands on floor, twist and lift one hand to sky Flowing lunges & twists Legs wide, hands on thighs, sweep torso side to side One hand on floor twist and lift other hand to sky; walk hands to other side and lift other hand to sky Tailbone up, let head hang Static spinal movements " ½ Sun Salutation: Mountain, swan dive, forward fold, flat back, forward fold " Lateral stretch, R and L " Arms in T; stretch, R and L " Hands on hips; stretch hips R and L, forward and back " Hands on thighs; stretch rib cage R and L, forward and back Flowing spinal movements Start in mountain pose, hands in prayer Inhale arms overhead and down to sides Inhale arms overhead and clasp hands, roll upper body (rib cage) in full circles Arms in cactus, swinging twist side to side Full arms swinging twist Arms in T; reach fluidly side to side Hands on hips fully rotate hips Hands on thighs, undulating spinal movement forward and back Forward fold Come to table, then child s pose Self-Directed yoga to music

9 Static All fours " Cat and cow, " C curve " Sink hips to R side, L side " Thread needle All fours Flow Sequence Cat and cow flow C curve flow Hip circles flow Sink hips to each side Twist flow (one arm up to sky, thread needle) Cow to child s flow Rest in child s pose Self-Directed yoga to music Static Warrior Poses " Down dog " Lunge, R foot forward " Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) " Warrior II (Virabhadrasana ii) " Peaceful Warrior (stretch front hand overhead) " Side angle (Parsvakonasana) " Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) " Wide leg forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)

10 Dancing Warrior Sequence Down dog (can explore hip movements) Three-legged dog Lunge, R foot forward Warrior I Warrior II Peaceful Warrior Side angle Warrior II Wide leg forward fold Mountain (facing long side of mat) Repeat other side Self-Directed yoga to music Transition Mountain; Uttanasana (forward fold); Ardha Uttanasana (1/2 fold, flat back), forward fold, let head hang; Malasana (squat) Sit Meditation Savasana The heart of yoga is the practice of settling the mind into a state of absolute stillness (Alistair Shearer s introduction to The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali)

11 Final Thought There is vitality, a life force that is translated through you into action. And because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. It is not your business to determine how good it is, or how valuable it is, or how it compares with others expressions. It is your business to keep it yours, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your works. You have to keep an open mind and be aware directly to the urges that motivate you. ~ Martha Graham