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The original idea of this course was to develop an easily accessible package of tools, to help dancers deal with the normal stress of daily class and rehearsals, to relieve muscular pain in some situations, and develop consciousness of their own bodies and capabilities, This in turn aids in avoiding or reducing injuries, but also to enhance their general performance. In all my years involved in this profession, I have seen so much preventable injury, chronic pain, and low endurance, all avoidable with the right knowledge applied at the right time. This kind of work could help anyone, dancer or non-dancer to re-balance their energy flow for a better, healthier connection to their body. All began some years ago, when by demonstrating a sparrow I injured my back. The doctors diagnosed a disc hernia. Some of them told me, not only to forget dancing, but that I would be from this moment on disabled in normal daily activities. In the hospital, they gave me various medications for the pain, and advised rest. With time, I realised how dissatisfied and unconvinced I felt with this approach. I remembered how Martha Graham, with a severe knee injury at age of 45, against the opinion of the most renowned doctors of her time, found her own rehabilitation and returned to dance again for many years. I decided to leave the hospital and look for another solution more in tune with my understanding. This was the beginning of my search . I explored kinesiology and for the first time I understood, that despite great muscular strength, without a harmonious energy flow, pain and injuries will be unavoidable. My first course in kinesiology was "Touch for Health" a system that John Thie, a chiropractic doctor developed , based in applied kinesiology, to give the general public information to aid their health and body-awareness. From there come the name of my system "Dance for Health" because what we do is re-balance the flow of energy in the individuals own system throw dance and dance exercises. Kinesiology is based on the idea, that when energy flows freely in your system, you are free of physical pain and sickness, you experience a feeling of well being, and are freed to explore and expand your potential as a human being.
What does kinesiology do?It tries to discoverwhere your energy is blocked, through a procedure called the muscle test. Then various suggestions are made to remove this blockage. The muscle test is something the Indians of North America used in finding drinking water: One person stood in the water and stretched his arm upwards; simultaneously another person pushed his arm down. If the person in the water was unable to hold out his arm in this struggle, the water was deemed unsafe for drinking. The Great Spirit was thanked for his protection, and the search for water was continued elsewhere. In the mid 60´s, Dr George Goodheard founder of the Applied Kinesiologie began to use this kind of test. He found that the human central nervous system always reacts to its environment: and he researched the relation of stress to muscular performance and strength. In my course we try to sense and recognise our body´s reaction to its environment using what Chloe Faith Wordsworth call “your felt sense” That means: to training your kinaesthetic sense to be aware of your body responses. Kinesiology integrates the basic concept of the five elements in traditional chinese medicine (TCM), which is a beautifully poetic and artistic way to understand the developmental changes in human life and health. Chinese medicine speaks of five elements: Every element is a group of meridians Meridians are similar to highways along which energy flow, and from this stem the knowledge of Chinese medicine practitioners for acupuncture therapy. Every meridian is connected to specific muscles, organs and emotions, Through the muscle test, kinesiology first detect at which level energy could be blocked: physical, biochemical, emotional; etc. Then possibilities are offered to restore these blockages. Step by step I connect dance with kinesiology, developing a way to restore the normal flow of energy in the human system through dance. Dance for Health is not only a way to re-establish energy flow it is also an invitation to explore the world inside us; to explore the way we move an dance. It is a way to discover this fascinating universe within us, an invitation to hear the music inside yourself and dance your own dance. Fabiana Pastorini |
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