Re: Loop Therapy - Dance/Movement workshop with guitar loop music Sat.

[Echoechoparkpark@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/16/0 7:09:06 AM, crash@waste.org writes:

>I'm sure it relaxes me since I emerge sort of pleasantly soma'ed out.
>But as far as relaxing others, I've no clue.  

I've been doing guitar-genereated ambient/textural looping for a weekly 
dance/movement workshop, which at times resembles a yoga session. It is 
improvised from scratch and it's great fun to tap into the energy of the 
dancers - it can get very dynamic and funky-rhythmic, too. I like to have 
one 
or two percussion pals there too.  

Feedback from the movement participants suggests that layered and looped 
textures that don't have obvious loop points create an atmosphere that 
supports a given feeling in the dancer. The cylcing of the tones acts as a 
familiar suspension to work from, a sense of defined space,  but not 
hearing 
an obvious downbeat or loop point prevents the likelihood  of the dancer 
from 
simply repeating their phrases or becoming too mechanical. Of course there 
are times when that's appropriate, too, and we will do a few beat/phrase 
repitition things as well.

Sometimes when I've got a longish loop going, I'll go out to the floor and 
step into the atmosphere, then as the other players add some elements and 
I 
interact with the other dancers, I find the meaning of the music is 
transformed and I find myself more easily in awe of the sense of space.

Inevitably, at the end of the session, most participants are pretty well 
blissed-out and comment on what a deep experience it was for them, that 
they 
found themselves at some point working out some sort of inner conflict or 
realizing an appreciation of something that had not before been 
acknowledged. 
 Of course, the movement segments are loosely guided/suggested by our 
choreographer, much like how a yoga class is conducted (only far less 
structured). But the loop-cyclic nature of the music is excellent for 
creating an atmosphere conducive to mental and physical exploration.

Oh yeah - we'll be there tomorrow if you want to check it out (Cliff- are 
you 
out there?):

L.A. Venue  on Tamarind St. in Hollywood CA. It's less than half a block 
south of Sunset Bl.  Tamarind is just east of Gower St. There's a big old 
Arby's cowboy hat on the corner of Sunset and Tamarind. Go south on 
Tamarind 
and park. L.A. Venue is a dance studio on the right, on an otherwise 
residential street.

6PM Saturdays.  We're taking the next two weeks off for camping trips. 
Actually, I won't be returning until July but workshops should resume June 
17.

More info:   <tripdance@prodigy.net>

eric p
echo park