I am sad to say that class is officially over.
Last Friday were able to perform at Berckley Middle School. While we only had one out of the three scenes prepared due to confusion but Guru handled it well by improving a lesson and activities for the middle school kids. While I think some of the kids were open to our unusual performance, I also heard some negative comments from the sidelines. But se la vie, we had fun and opened these kids eyes to a cultural experience they never would have ever see otherwise.
While the class is over, the banjar has effected all of us. And I will always recognize our community members. I am sad that I wont actively use my dancing techniques anymore but be sure that I will be practicing in the house when no one is home!!!
Happy Holidays.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
WE DID IT
SOOOOO....
Friday's performance at the historic Kimball Theatre was amazing! More than amazing... whether or not we were amazing is a different story. But the experience was insane. First of all, the make up and costumes were incredibly beautiful and timely to get into. Then seeing all of the other groups perform! they were all so talented. Our performance went really well. In fact I can not think of anything we really did poorly or wrong. The lights and audience really just drove our performance. And I can truly appreciate sharing culture with the greater Williamsburg community!!!
That being said... we have to now add the other banjar into our scene because they never finished theirs. Today's class was a little bit un-nerving in that everyone was joking and having fun but no one was serious and I am so proud of my banjar that I want the whole group doing this scene to be great. So Inshallah (God willing) everything will work out and we will put on a good performance for the middle school next week. and then that is the end of my ICAP experience.
It is very cool to think of all of that culture packed into this historic colonial theatre!!
Friday's performance at the historic Kimball Theatre was amazing! More than amazing... whether or not we were amazing is a different story. But the experience was insane. First of all, the make up and costumes were incredibly beautiful and timely to get into. Then seeing all of the other groups perform! they were all so talented. Our performance went really well. In fact I can not think of anything we really did poorly or wrong. The lights and audience really just drove our performance. And I can truly appreciate sharing culture with the greater Williamsburg community!!!
That being said... we have to now add the other banjar into our scene because they never finished theirs. Today's class was a little bit un-nerving in that everyone was joking and having fun but no one was serious and I am so proud of my banjar that I want the whole group doing this scene to be great. So Inshallah (God willing) everything will work out and we will put on a good performance for the middle school next week. and then that is the end of my ICAP experience.
It is very cool to think of all of that culture packed into this historic colonial theatre!!
Monday, November 10, 2008
quick update for last few weeks.... sorry!
The questions and confusion about music/chants/chas was fully realized by the class recently. I felt like knowing music only hindered my ability to understand or help the class because I am so used to western music and rhythm. But it was very obvious that the class was all on the same page of confusion and frustration with trying to make chants line up, and leaving room for the ever present yet beat-less gong.
AND in greater news. We have a performance!!!! it is set in stone for this Friday, Nov 14th at the Kimball theatre. I am scared of course, but more excited because we are being featured alongside some amazing dance groups. Everything from Irish to Vietmanese to Indian to Hip-Hop will be sharing the night with us!
And from friday on the semester is wrapping up. 19th performace outside somewhere on campus and 24th in class final performance. Open to all from what I understand.
The questions and confusion about music/chants/chas was fully realized by the class recently. I felt like knowing music only hindered my ability to understand or help the class because I am so used to western music and rhythm. But it was very obvious that the class was all on the same page of confusion and frustration with trying to make chants line up, and leaving room for the ever present yet beat-less gong.
AND in greater news. We have a performance!!!! it is set in stone for this Friday, Nov 14th at the Kimball theatre. I am scared of course, but more excited because we are being featured alongside some amazing dance groups. Everything from Irish to Vietmanese to Indian to Hip-Hop will be sharing the night with us!
And from friday on the semester is wrapping up. 19th performace outside somewhere on campus and 24th in class final performance. Open to all from what I understand.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
a performance?
In prep for a possible real live performance (at the Kimball!!! ... oh dear)-
As a whole banjar class we are starting to put together scenes. It is interesting, because we get to see our own physical interpretations of the Ramayana scenes, and we then get to see Gurus.
I must be like at least a mile behind the class. I can surrender to the 'chas' or the outer circle chanting, but I do not yet feel that our chanting can change the actions of the performers in the center of the circle.
For now I will have to be content with knowing that if I put effort and rasa into my 'chas' then the performers in the middle will also put effort and rasa into their actions.
It is good for now, but is it good enough to perform for real people... I doubt.
As a whole banjar class we are starting to put together scenes. It is interesting, because we get to see our own physical interpretations of the Ramayana scenes, and we then get to see Gurus.
I must be like at least a mile behind the class. I can surrender to the 'chas' or the outer circle chanting, but I do not yet feel that our chanting can change the actions of the performers in the center of the circle.
For now I will have to be content with knowing that if I put effort and rasa into my 'chas' then the performers in the middle will also put effort and rasa into their actions.
It is good for now, but is it good enough to perform for real people... I doubt.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
I can Rasa
I just wanted to write a quick note because it has been a while (mostly due to frying my fish of job interviews and fall break!) In regards to my last post I incorporated most of it into a Midterm letter to our Guru.
Today was a great class!!!! I have always been afraid of the acting part of this class, the embodiment of the rasa in addition to movement and steps. BUT Kalyani was great today. Teaching us individual emotions and how to portray them. Then we partnered up and performed to each other; happiness, love, comfort, anger, disgust, worry. This embodiment of emotion and internal dialog really brought back a lot of my high school acting memories! It was so nice, plus I felt as if my partner (just met, Eric) and I really did a great job. A key to doing well and truly feeling the emotion is definently having someone there who is just as into it and serious as you are. I think we really played off of each others emotions and rasas!
Then I got to be part of the scene of Dasaratha's death. I had yet to play a role in our banjar scenes so it was exciting and I really enjoyed it! Which is a shock to me because I always was scared or embarrassed to do it, but when I did it- I loved it! My goal had originally been to support the group musically BUT hay, I have a new passion!!!
...but I always get lost when Guru gets a little deeper about meaning...
Great class. I no longer neep my nap!
Today was a great class!!!! I have always been afraid of the acting part of this class, the embodiment of the rasa in addition to movement and steps. BUT Kalyani was great today. Teaching us individual emotions and how to portray them. Then we partnered up and performed to each other; happiness, love, comfort, anger, disgust, worry. This embodiment of emotion and internal dialog really brought back a lot of my high school acting memories! It was so nice, plus I felt as if my partner (just met, Eric) and I really did a great job. A key to doing well and truly feeling the emotion is definently having someone there who is just as into it and serious as you are. I think we really played off of each others emotions and rasas!
Then I got to be part of the scene of Dasaratha's death. I had yet to play a role in our banjar scenes so it was exciting and I really enjoyed it! Which is a shock to me because I always was scared or embarrassed to do it, but when I did it- I loved it! My goal had originally been to support the group musically BUT hay, I have a new passion!!!
...but I always get lost when Guru gets a little deeper about meaning...
Great class. I no longer neep my nap!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Oh My...
Today was simultaneously the BEST and WORST class ever. I am blogging not 3 min after getting home in order to help sort out my thoughts- and there are many.
We started off with a Rama circle, in which I gathered that we were supposed to improve the story of Ramayana, but since I missed last class I did not what to do. And no one stepped in - this led to a LONG conversation about where we are now and what we want and what is bothering us. And things were said and somehow I ended up speaking. Essentially this is what I said:
-this class is hard because we are supposed to be a community SO extremely different from anything we are used to
-how am I supposed to want to be part of this all sharing all helping all understanding community when I know that I will leave class and enter 'the real world' or the world that we (as college ages Americans) know it
-this community is such a small percent of my life, how do I change for it
-I do not know how to do well in this community because there is no standard, no specific steps or goals, and of course I want to do well (not to be the best or close but for my own value of success)
No one said anything after I spoke, so needless to say, I felt horrible and seriously wondered about this community.
I question how I am supposed to be part of this community of 30+ people that I don't know at all. I question the beliefs and spirituality that I think the guru is asking us for. Maybe I am cynical, but I do not have a belief in this higher spirit. I can learn and study and appreciate the cultural studies of this class and I can do the movements and learn the dances, but I do not and don't think I will ever have that higher understanding. AND if that is the case... I am the roadblock for our class, I am what will hinder us moving on.
AFTER ALL OF THIS....
during our ten min break both Sarah and Kalyani (sp?) spoke to me, both agreeing with what I said, letting me know that I was not alone. THANK YOU! ha, it made me feel so much better for not being alone and feel better about the community. It also led me to believe I am not the only roadblock bc other people feel the way I feel.
Then we had a massive monkey begging fight and all the tension was gone form the room and we were just a group again.
I dont know what to feel! Mostly I am upset.
We started off with a Rama circle, in which I gathered that we were supposed to improve the story of Ramayana, but since I missed last class I did not what to do. And no one stepped in - this led to a LONG conversation about where we are now and what we want and what is bothering us. And things were said and somehow I ended up speaking. Essentially this is what I said:
-this class is hard because we are supposed to be a community SO extremely different from anything we are used to
-how am I supposed to want to be part of this all sharing all helping all understanding community when I know that I will leave class and enter 'the real world' or the world that we (as college ages Americans) know it
-this community is such a small percent of my life, how do I change for it
-I do not know how to do well in this community because there is no standard, no specific steps or goals, and of course I want to do well (not to be the best or close but for my own value of success)
No one said anything after I spoke, so needless to say, I felt horrible and seriously wondered about this community.
I question how I am supposed to be part of this community of 30+ people that I don't know at all. I question the beliefs and spirituality that I think the guru is asking us for. Maybe I am cynical, but I do not have a belief in this higher spirit. I can learn and study and appreciate the cultural studies of this class and I can do the movements and learn the dances, but I do not and don't think I will ever have that higher understanding. AND if that is the case... I am the roadblock for our class, I am what will hinder us moving on.
AFTER ALL OF THIS....
during our ten min break both Sarah and Kalyani (sp?) spoke to me, both agreeing with what I said, letting me know that I was not alone. THANK YOU! ha, it made me feel so much better for not being alone and feel better about the community. It also led me to believe I am not the only roadblock bc other people feel the way I feel.
Then we had a massive monkey begging fight and all the tension was gone form the room and we were just a group again.
I dont know what to feel! Mostly I am upset.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
... time to get deep....
Many questions were posed to us this week and in an attempt to discover more meaning to our daily rituals I will answer one now.
Q: How can we as a community, in this class, benefit from Banjar?
The Banjar is in its most basic of definitions defined as a village council; the community extension of the house that governs most aspects of personal and private, individual and communal village issues. While there is a 'subscription' payment to join the banjar, it is mandatory for all males to represent their family within it. It plays the functions of -town council -tribunal -department of public works -welfare council - environment and sanitation control -social outlet -youth mentor ship. They own their own fields and therefore its crops, has an orchestra and dance team, bank and runs the temples, markets, roads and houses (plus much more).
A: Each of us walks into class every Monday and Wednesday as a tired individual coming off of a personal day- but we walk into a group and become a community. Everything that each individual has experienced that day or week affects them personally but they way they feel personally affects the group. In ICAP we wait for everyone so that everyone is on the same page and no one feels pressured to move on to the next step if they are not comfortable with it. Therefore when someone walks into our 'banjar,' they bring their attitude, stress, and experiences with them; so we all affect each other. In this class we are encouraged to share both how we are feeling, our experiences and our insights with the banjar, which not only brings us closer but allows us to support everyone. Considering that banjar helps the community with whatever they are going through- we can do the same by providing support, understanding, justice... whatever it may be. I feel that in a way we all have to 'surrender' (which has been a recent key point in class) to the banjar in order to benefit from it. We are all learning to surrender to the banjar and share ourselves with the other community members- this can only benefit us as a group. We will grow closer, read each other and be able to perform or feel our dancing as a group and not as an individual. I have no experienced it yet but can only imagine how it will feel the first time we dance, walk, chant, or sing and are one and not individuals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DexAx3D9BAo
This is a clip of a Beautiful Balinese Banjar- the actually place of community not necessarily the community itself BUT while looking at the images you can only imagine the purity of the community events and gatherings that happen there!!!
Q: How can we as a community, in this class, benefit from Banjar?
The Banjar is in its most basic of definitions defined as a village council; the community extension of the house that governs most aspects of personal and private, individual and communal village issues. While there is a 'subscription' payment to join the banjar, it is mandatory for all males to represent their family within it. It plays the functions of -town council -tribunal -department of public works -welfare council - environment and sanitation control -social outlet -youth mentor ship. They own their own fields and therefore its crops, has an orchestra and dance team, bank and runs the temples, markets, roads and houses (plus much more).
A: Each of us walks into class every Monday and Wednesday as a tired individual coming off of a personal day- but we walk into a group and become a community. Everything that each individual has experienced that day or week affects them personally but they way they feel personally affects the group. In ICAP we wait for everyone so that everyone is on the same page and no one feels pressured to move on to the next step if they are not comfortable with it. Therefore when someone walks into our 'banjar,' they bring their attitude, stress, and experiences with them; so we all affect each other. In this class we are encouraged to share both how we are feeling, our experiences and our insights with the banjar, which not only brings us closer but allows us to support everyone. Considering that banjar helps the community with whatever they are going through- we can do the same by providing support, understanding, justice... whatever it may be. I feel that in a way we all have to 'surrender' (which has been a recent key point in class) to the banjar in order to benefit from it. We are all learning to surrender to the banjar and share ourselves with the other community members- this can only benefit us as a group. We will grow closer, read each other and be able to perform or feel our dancing as a group and not as an individual. I have no experienced it yet but can only imagine how it will feel the first time we dance, walk, chant, or sing and are one and not individuals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DexAx3D9BAo
This is a clip of a Beautiful Balinese Banjar- the actually place of community not necessarily the community itself BUT while looking at the images you can only imagine the purity of the community events and gatherings that happen there!!!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Think slower or Move faster?!
With so many new steps it is quickly becoming apparent what I need to improve on! I need to stretch my thighs constantly in order to be able to stay as low as we need to in all of our moves. And I know that I am never quit low enough like our Gurus.
For the first time today I experienced two new things:
1- I saw what we could do as a group. On Mon we were given a task to do as a group and were able to complete it together. In addition to that today we were able to put together a whole bunch of moves into a mini- choreography! It was soooo exciting to see part of my/our goal come to life.
2- My body wouldn't or couldn't do what my mind thought. I could see in my mind the moves I had to do, but my body could not keep up! It was very funny at first and a lot of us were rolling on the floor, but after a while it became a little upsetting. I will just have to do a little practicing in my dining room.
Counting: Like western 4/4 time or 3/4 time depending
tai ya ta ta (lotus toward R foot)
tha tha tai, tha tha tai (shikara)
tai ya ta ha (lotus toward L foot)
tha tha tai, tha tha tai (?)
Lastly- We did some singing (chanting) which is one of my favorite things to do. But my musicality almost hits a wall in regards to this chanting that is supposed to represent Javanese Gamelan or Balinese Gamelan (faster). I am very count/rhythm oriented and it is very hard to feel that in what we did today; I need to learn to "surrender" to the music and beats instead of trying to impose my western counting on it. Another thing to work on!
Thats all for now, must go stretch my aching legs.
For the first time today I experienced two new things:
1- I saw what we could do as a group. On Mon we were given a task to do as a group and were able to complete it together. In addition to that today we were able to put together a whole bunch of moves into a mini- choreography! It was soooo exciting to see part of my/our goal come to life.
2- My body wouldn't or couldn't do what my mind thought. I could see in my mind the moves I had to do, but my body could not keep up! It was very funny at first and a lot of us were rolling on the floor, but after a while it became a little upsetting. I will just have to do a little practicing in my dining room.
Counting: Like western 4/4 time or 3/4 time depending
tai ya ta ta (lotus toward R foot)
tha tha tai, tha tha tai (shikara)
tai ya ta ha (lotus toward L foot)
tha tha tai, tha tha tai (?)
Lastly- We did some singing (chanting) which is one of my favorite things to do. But my musicality almost hits a wall in regards to this chanting that is supposed to represent Javanese Gamelan or Balinese Gamelan (faster). I am very count/rhythm oriented and it is very hard to feel that in what we did today; I need to learn to "surrender" to the music and beats instead of trying to impose my western counting on it. Another thing to work on!
Thats all for now, must go stretch my aching legs.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Week Two...
Well... week two was a little more intense. Not only are we learning more Balinese techniques from Francis, but we are now learning Indian dancing and Namaskaram; which is just slightly faster paced than last week, ha! This includes lots of stamping, counting and Mudras (hand positions). On top of actually moving we are learning the history of these traditions and the history of their homelands, which only adds more depth and understanding to the movements that my body finds awkward.
When I left class on Tues I realized how good I felt- both physically and mentally. I was in such a peaceful and happy state of mind that most of me could not fathom going home to work, so I enjoyed the outdoors for a little bit first.
The Ramayana is such a great read. Once you get past all those names, it is extremely interesting and an amazing page-turner. On Thurs we were able to watch the WM production of the Ramayana, directed by our Guru, on DVD. It was incredible. The way they summarized the epic and never used English translation but got the plot across to the audience was a feat in itself. My other other thought was, 'I have to do what?' It is a taste of what our end product will be.
This week I need to- increase the length that I am able to squat (thighs are a'bunrin') and not be concerned with what we will eventually have to produce in this course! Stay focuses on today.
I just passed the Golden Deer part of the Ramayana and found this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMdE3fbBp_0
Enjoy!
When I left class on Tues I realized how good I felt- both physically and mentally. I was in such a peaceful and happy state of mind that most of me could not fathom going home to work, so I enjoyed the outdoors for a little bit first.
The Ramayana is such a great read. Once you get past all those names, it is extremely interesting and an amazing page-turner. On Thurs we were able to watch the WM production of the Ramayana, directed by our Guru, on DVD. It was incredible. The way they summarized the epic and never used English translation but got the plot across to the audience was a feat in itself. My other other thought was, 'I have to do what?' It is a taste of what our end product will be.
This week I need to- increase the length that I am able to squat (thighs are a'bunrin') and not be concerned with what we will eventually have to produce in this course! Stay focuses on today.
I just passed the Golden Deer part of the Ramayana and found this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMdE3fbBp_0
Enjoy!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Intro to Ramayana
Thoughts on the beginning: While I am excited about the final product and mindset that I will achieve through ICAP, I realize that I have a long way to go. This type of performance is a meeting point of every aspect of one's being - from the physical to the mental to the emotional. I am slightly intimidated by the raw emotion that can be portrayed through what I have seen of this dance but I have no doubt that I have enough emotion to hold me over!
We will be reading the Ramayana throughout the semester with the goal of performing scenes from this Indian and Hindu epic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramayana
While I am reading - and enjoying- a novel version by Ramesh Menon I am struggling a little bit with names and words that are confusing and hard to understand. I should start understanding more and more soon enough though. I would be interested to learn more about the original poetic versions of the Ramayana as written by Valmiki and perhaps other authors.
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