You've Got to Feel it in your Root Chakra!

Yes, all week I have been getting told that I have to feel everything in my root chakra when I dance. For those of you uninitiated in Eastern philospohies and chakras, your root chakra is your perineum, for those of you still struggling it's the bit just in front of your bum hole.

So now we have that established, try thinking of it everytime you move, even if you move your arm think about your root chakra. Not easy is it? Well, when you can't find it for yourself there's a lady in Chicago who will be more than happy to grope around until she finds it with her middle finger. This lady is Nana Shineflug, the Artistic Director of Chicago Moving Company and part of the old guard of contemporary dancers. She has been dancing since the early 60s, has had 2 knee replacements and a hip replacement and still does shoulder stands with the best of them.

Nana choreographed the piece we performed on Friday night so, along with 4 other dancers, I've been in her rehearsals having my bum felt on a regular basis. Aside from the bum feeling, the work was really interesting, very different from what I usually do, less manic yet more intense and the final piece was beautiful.

Beautiful is really the only word to describe it. The piece involved lots of imagery, again not something I normally go for but it suited this, as well as flowing phrases and group shaping. I definitely won't be influenced by her style of choreography but I actually like the effect of feeling everything from your root chakra. It gives each movement a sense of power that's really exciting to watch and dance.

Go on, give it a try...