Presence in Motion
I remember vividly the experience of dancing with a professional dancer. You’d think that someone who made a living performing would project a lot of energy outward, toward the audience and those in the space. That was not my experience of her at all.
She was so present in the dance, in her body, with me and my energy, in what was being called forth by our co-creation. It was a mystical experience for me.
I had been dancing contact improv for a few years, and had practiced subtle touch through my massage therapy and cranio-sacral work. It prepared me, in my own way, for us to be swirling and moving around that floor, contacting and improvising.
Even though I am far from a professional dancer, I could bring Presence to my touch and energy awareness to my dance that allowed our energies to move together in expressive ways.
In contact improv, you’re not necessarily dancing as a pair. It’s not like tango. During the 20 minutes or so that our energies were interweaving, I can still feel what it’s like for her to move away from physical contact… and yet stay connected.
There’s this alive tension in the energy with the coming closer, the rising and falling, the twirling. The creativity was so “in the Now” that neither of us knew what was next. There was no choreography. No plan.
There was a spacious response possible that came alive…. from now to now to now to now to now. The next yes seemed to arise and we went with it. There was a trust in the Presence, and the Presence we were both bringing made our movements trustworthy.
At one point she launched off my back in a way I’d never had anyone launch off my back! Even though I couldn’t see her, I “knew” what it looked like because she was radiating.
That’s the Power of Presence, particularly of being present together, of being a gift to one another, to really bring our consciousness and whatever skill we have into a moment.
Later she told me how much she enjoyed the experience of dancing with me. Of course, I knew I had enjoyed it. But there was a part of me that didn’t realize that I was actually—how do I put this—an inspiration in any way, shape, or form.
I thought I was being blessed with the experience of a master at moving. That is was mostly “one way.”
Yet, she affirmed that dancing with someone who isn’t a “trained dancer” opened up a palette of possibilities for movement that are different when you’re dancing with someone who also has a strong base in a set of tools, a set of movements honed over thousands of hours of moving, practicing, performing.
It’s true, my untrained presence was full of possibilities. I try to remember that when I think about Presence. Beginner’s mind is one way people talk about it.
I do believe that if we’re in the Presence of Now, and we’re co-creating, what rises is not out of habit. It’s not out of conditioning. It is free to rise out of the field of infinitely possibilities.
And in that co-creating we gift each other a memorable experience we can take with us… body, mind, and spirit… for the rest of our days.
Useful Concepts for Thriving in This Story
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Co-Creating
Consciously interweaving our skills and contributions with others for shared expression and benefit. -
Improvisation
Spontaneous movement from yes to yes with what is present right here, right now. -
Awareness
Intentional broadening of focus to include what we can see, feel, sense, and intuit. -
Co-Regulation
Tuning to another’s steadier presence so harmony and balance can arise between us. -
We-Space
A shared field where we come together to co-create, support each other, and connect.