Step 58 Eyes Dance

Step 59  Eyes Dance

Pat [While we are freely moving.]

There are two ways that should be part of all your seeing.

I.

Move with eyes closed for short periods.  Feel your internal body/self.  When you open your eyes your internal body-self interacts and plays with all your eyes see.

       II.

Look around without staring.  Let your eyes go on a ride and find ease.

1.   Now look at me without staring.

2.   Look at the space between our bodies.

   3. Look at the space between the parts of our bodies.

   4. Look at the space where our energies meet.
   5. Look at my body. Follow a contour or flow through my body
    6.Look at your body. Follow a contour or flow through your body.
    7. Look at your environment. Become more centered by taking in your plant and walls. 

   8.Your centered body is now more available to me when you look at me again.

   9. Look at me the loving way you look when you see this beautiful sky.

Step 56 Balancing

Step 56      Balancing

Pat: Focus on your experience as you lie on the floor and begin moving slowly.  Rippling through your body is an internal momentum--letting the different parts of your body articulate so there is a wave moving from one body part to another.

Spiral to standing, allowing your balance to shift the way a rope has a little play in it. Standing allows your pelvis and heart to hold your head up. Your arms help your balance and lighten your heart.

Enjoy falling into or away from balance and enjoy arriving into balance.  Play, in an emotional way, with the play in your body.

Go through stages in your development while you are dancing. You might focus on the kinesthetic: sensation, breath, physical structure, floor, gravity, momentum.

Of course focusing only on the physical without focusing on your emotional, mental and spiritual interactions misses much of the soul magic of the dance. 

And if you let your eyes, emotion, heart, or smiles dominate you may go into your mind and out of the physical magic of a dance.

Notice how what you are focusing on impacts you and your partner.

Step 54 Ways To Be Moved

Step 54     Ways To Be Moved

Pat:  Respond, elaborate and exaggerate your unconscious movement.

Mike: [My breath moves my arms to be wings.]

Pat: Be moved by your emotions.

Mike:  [I close my eyes and squeeze tears.]

Pat:  Be moved by your images.

Mike:  I see a small boy playing in a sand box. The sand oozes through his fingers. [My fingers tickle the air.]

Pat: Be moved by your desires.

Mike:  The air tickles me. [I smile through my tears.]

Pat: Be moved by your visions.

Mike: [I pour a glass of water over my head.] Sensations feel fun and funny.

Pat:  Lick a drip to feel humor flowing within and without.

**

Step 25: Touching Demons

Mike:   There are many frightening sub-personalities roaming around in me.

Pat: Who scares you most?

Mike: Sadistic Man with his evil smile on my lips.

Pat:  Let the curl of your lips uncurl.  Feel the shape of your jaw bones with your hands.   Your jaw bones are your true smile. 

Mike: [Frowning.] Since my jaw bones are smiling I don’t have to smile.

Pat:  You’re pelvic bones are also shaped like a smile.  Let the smile in your pelvic bones move your arms and legs.

Mike:  [I lie on my back shaping my arms and legs into a smile.] My finger nails feel like claws. I’m a Vampire Man.   [I scratch my arms and legs.]

Pat: Put your finger nails on your heart.  Let your finger nails move to the drumbeat of your heart.  What do you feel?

Mike:  My heart is cold.  I’m “Heartless Man.”

Pat: Don’t put yourself down.  It’s my job to criticize. [Pat Goes down to the floor reaches a hand towards Mike.]   “Sadistic Man,”  “Vampire Man” and Heartless Man” are expressions of NOT-IN-TOUCH-MAN.  Feel the sensations of your hand touching my hand.

Mike:  When you touch me these frightening men vanish. 

Pat: Not-In-Touch Man is crying to feel touch.   So feel the floor and air while we rise up.

Mike [I start to sing as we rise up] “One of these days I’m gonna rise up touching.”

Pat: [Pat leads us down and as we fall to the ground. He sings and I join him.] And we’re gonna keep on sensing as we fall down.

Step 20 Kicking Dance

Step 20  Kicking Dance

Mike: How can my desire to kick help me dance?

Pat:  Shift your weight onto one foot.  Feel your head, heart and belly supported by your standing leg. Your kick can come from your heart.  Movement comes from support. 

Mike:  [I start kicking and Pat imitates me.]

Pat:  Look me in the face and growl while you kick.

Mike and Pat: Grrr. Grrrr.

Pat:  Your kicking prissy.  Feel the weight of your torso and supporting leg join into your kick. 

Mike and Pat: Arrgh! Ahhhhhg!

Pat: Look at me and say, “I’m mad at you!”

Pat and Mike: I’m mad at you.

Pat:  Kick your hate around the room.

Mike:  [I accidentally kick Pat’s foot while we are practicing kicking.]

Pat:  Rest.  Feel the sensations in your foot.  It’ll help you heal.

Mike: [I hold my pained foot—feeling my skin, bones and blood.]  The pain is leaving. Now I’d really like to kick you.

Pat: Kick near me--carefully.

Mike: [I circle around Pat kicking.] Kicking feels like dancing.

Pat: Now take some stomping steps around me.  Each step can bring energy from the earth to your feet and leg.

Mike:  it’s scary how freeing and fun this feels.

*****

Step: 15: Dance Rage

^{Pat: Let your impulses move your body.}

^{Mike: [I push Pat outside my door and slam the door in Pat’s face.] My basic impulse is often rage.}

^{Pat:  Dance with your rage without hurting anyone—including yourself.} 

^{Mike: [I bang with my fists on the door.]}

^{Pat:  [Opens the door.] Let your rage move your feet.}

^{Mike: [I kick towards Pat.]}

^{Pat:  Let your kicks move you around the room.}

^{Mike: [I start stomping around.]}

^{Pat: Take care not to hurt yourself as you let the momentum from your rage keep moving you.  [Pat turns on wild loud music.]}

^{Mike:  [Like a drummer I beat the floor with my feet.]}

^{Pat: [He dances with me.]  Allow momentum to keep moving you while you look at me.}

^{Mike:  [I stare and stop moving.]}

^{Pat: You look like a deer paralyzed by headlights.}

^{Mike:  Dancing with someone is scary.}

^{Pat: [Pat turns off the music.]  Stay with your paralysis until, without any effort, you discover you’re moving.}

^{Mike:  [I stay frozen for many breaths until my head starts to droop.]}

^{Pat:  Let the momentum from your drooping head begin to move you.}

^{Mike: [Led by my plopping head my body begins to plop around like a rag doll.]}

^{Pat:  [Turns on very slow music.]  Let the music join your momentum.}

^{Mike: [I begin to sway slowly to the music.]}

^{Pat: [Pat sways with me.]}

^{Mike: This could go on for a long time.}

^{Pat: As long as you respond to new impulses.}

^{Mike: [I take Pat’s hands and we sway together.]}

Step 16: Leading In The Present

Step 16:  Leading In The Present

Agenda:  How to lead?

Pat:  Lead with whatever impulse you feel now. 

Mike:  I need time to discover my impulse.  [I stop moving.]

Pat: So far so good.

Mike:  I must have the courage to do nothing until . . . 

Pat:   Our truest desire is always to be present.

Mike:  So I don’t have to force myself to be present.

Pat:  We can keep warming up with the faith that we’ll keep discovering what we want to do right now.

Mike: [I lift Pat’s arm up and twirl Pat under our arms.]