I found this reading very fascinating and relatable. It reminded me of this class I took in New York on Dance, Theatre, and Performance and we practiced a lot of Kinetic Awareness in it. Oliveros’s list reminded me of the lists we had in class:
- Feel your breadth. Dance to it. With eyes open and close.
- Humm your name. Make it a ritual. React to it.
- Hear your thoughts. That is the music you will perform to.
- Stand in a circle facing outward. Each of you has to sit, but no two together. Listen to each other. No talking.
The idea of these practices was to “tune our mind and body” as Oliveros says. We learned in class to listen to ourselves and our surroundings, and become more aware and sensitive to the little things that go unnoticed. My teacher said, “You have to listen, listen carefully before you perform; become aware.” It was like practicing mindfulness and it was therapeutic! So yes, I agree with Oliveros’s saying, “Listening is healing.” She also says, “Listening is directing attention to what is heard, gathering meaning, interpreting and deciding on action.” I jumped when I read this. It is so true; I have tried this. This is what we practiced in our class in New York with those small exercises. We not just listened, but heard, gathered meaning, and interpreted our surroundings and ourselves before we performed.
What I did not realize was how opening the inner body and mind to the outer world could lead to activism. I was really intrigued by the line “personal is political”. Once you know yourself and your surroundings, you can raise a voice for what is right and wrong and take a stand. Reading this article was inspiring!