THE FOUR BS
0 Comments | Taos News, The, Feb 14, 2008
TRANCE-FORMATIONAL DANCE ASKS YOU TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SEE
Close your eyes and see.” What sounds like a conundrum is actually a Koan of sorts and more literally an invitation by Gary and Rima Yamane to experience the power of Trance Dance. The couple will be presenting and facilitating a Trance-formational Dance event Sunday (Feb. 17) at 7:30 p.m. that draws on the work of Terpsichory Trance Therapy and Wilbert Alix’s Trancedance workshops.
With combined backgrounds in dance, music, psychology and hypnotherapy the Yamanes seek to offer participants an “opportunity to explore and discover aspects of themselves perhaps yet unrevealed.”
“Trance Dance, in the forms that Gary and I have worked with include several key components,” Rima Yamane said in a press release. “These are the four Bs as I refer to them: The beat, the breath, the body and the blindfold.”
The couple explained how the incorporation of these key components contribute to creating conditions for an altered experience of oneself. “One might consider it a case of overwhelm,” Gary Yamane explained. “We begin with a short period of breath work that involves what many traditions refer to as ‘the breath of fire’. It’s similar to hyperventilating. One floods the organism with oxygen. As we all know the body cannot survive for long without oxygen, so in another sense the breath is spirit, the source of life.”
Next is the beat, which uses live musicians playing traditional percussion instruments. Following that is the body, or the dance aspect of the experience. “Contemporary Trance Dance does not require learning any particular dance steps or form,” Gary Yamane continued. “Each participant discovers what works best for him or her in terms of facilitating the inward journey. History shows that for thousands of years cultures from all parts of the globe have used dance in conjunction with music for the purposes of healing and gaining wisdom and insights. These healings and insights were often accessed through altered experiences or altered states of consciousness.”
Which brings us to the use of the blindfold. “In ancient times (and currently in indigenous cultures) the dance and the drum were enough to facilitate an altered state of consciousness,” Gary said. “However, in modern times, with the inundation and bombardment of stimulation from so many different sources we find that eliminating input through our major sensory organ, the eyes, contributes to a potentially more powerful experience. “
“So much of how we experience and interpret the world and how we choose to understand our selves comes to us through the eyes,” added Rima. “When we put a blindfold on suddenly our relationship to what’s around us is radically altered. Additionally, since our vision cannot be directed outward it naturally begins to move inward.”
Sunday’s event will be the Yamane’s first Trance Dance presentation as a couple. The music will be provided by Gary Yamane, who is a professional musician, and three other percussionists. “For many people the process is most useful when engaged in periodically on an on-going basis,” commented Gary. “It’s our hope to offer these sessions on a monthly basis.”
The Trance-formational Dance will take place at the Taos Academy of Dance Arts, formerly the Bette Winslow Dance Studio, at 2 Upper Las Colonias Road, just off U.S. 64 West. The fee is $15. Participants are encouraged to register early, as space is limited. For more information, call (575) 758-1251
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