The Creative Body with Natan Daskal

 Jorge's Artwork

The Creative Body is a class where people explore their expressive abilities in relation to their physical, mental and emotional body. the work takes place individually, in dyads and with the whole group. First, there is a period of individual warm up; then one finds a partner and establishes rapport by telling him/her how one feels physically, emotionally and psychologically (this is done in stages). After that one witnesses the same from one's partner. The next stage is to do the same but in movement. Daskal facilitates the process throughout. All the elements are then mixed and turned into just expression. 

The second part is done with the group. Each participant has the opportunity to improvise a dance that is enhanced by the other participants with movements that relate to those expressed by the person dancing in the middle. Gradually, the person can also express him/herself vocally. At the end of his/her movement improvisation the participant says his/her name.

The third part consists of drawing on a piece of paper. The drawing does not require an elaborate technique, but a sensitivity that has been stimulated by the dance. When everyone is done, one goes back to one's partner and dances the drawing. The emphasis is on the colors, the lines and the shapes, which are all expressed in movement (one chooses what color, what line and what shape one wants to express in movement). Finally, one's partner does an aesthetic response in reference to one's movement.

The closing takes place when everyone goes back to the circle to show the drawing to the group. As everyone takes turns, everyone gives his/her drawing a title. Finally, after acknowledging each other, they all move their arms in unison and rhythmically, up and down three times, take a deep breath and shout an aspirated [pa] sound.