Adventures in Hedonism - The Nelken Line

1996  - twenty-one years ago was the first time I saw Pina Bausch and it forever changed the way I saw Dance. I’m not even sure how I got there in the first place. Probably read something in the calendar section of the LA Times (I was still reading newspapers in 1996) and came across triggering key words like “German “ “contemporary” and “experimental” but I picked up a cheap ticket to the Dorthy Chandler Pavillion and ended up seeing Nur Du, a commission 3 1/2 hour extravaganza that at one point had a chorus line of dancers washing and ironing their clothes, turning the mundane repetition of chores into mesmerizing beauty. 

I was instantly hooked. And when Pina returned in 1999 to reprise Nelken at UCLA, I bought tickets as soon as they were available. Watching the dancers construct and deconstruct the stage again mesmerized me, and seeing the famed Nelken March, completely charmed me. 

I was there again in 2005, when Pina retuned to UCLA to perform Ten Chi. I had already vowed to see every performance I could whenever the Wuppertal Dance Company came to town. Little did I know, this one was going to be the last.

I grieved hard when Pina passed in 2009 - no choreographer had ever inspired me so much. The ray of hope was the knowledge that Wim Wenders was working on a film about Pina Bausch - I was there for its opening and again charmed that the Nelken Dance was featured, a piece of such simplicity and elegance that reminds me about what I love about her work, seeing the beautiful in the ordinary. The dance plays out in four simple movements, each capturing the progress of the seasons:

• Spring, the grass is small
• Summer, the grass grows tall and the sun shines
• Autumn, the leaves fall from the trees
• Winter, a shiver of cold

It repeats as the seasons do, one following the other as the years advance. A perfect line, a time line, leaving the marks of nature. 

Thankfully the Wuppertal Tanz Theater Continues, and with it, the call of the Nelken Line. Last year, tributes to Pina Bausch were being performed sponsored by the Pina Bausch Foundation as groups around the world picked up and started to perform their own variations of the Nelken Line and sharing  them on website 

I discovered that the Intrepid Dance Project was formulating its own tribute to add to the collection, and more importantly, invited to join along. 

So, here it is the Intrepid Dance Company’s tribute to Pina Bausch and her Nelken Line - traditional and circus. It’s unfortunate that Pina will not be creating any new works, but I hope

You enjoy this one, and fall a bit into her rabbit hole with me. 

Intrepid Dance Project Pina Bausch's Nelkin Line Circus Style! from Pina Bausch Foundation on Vimeo.

Resolutions

It's New Year's Day - so of course it's a time to reflect on the year to come. Typically, one trots out a number of resolution but I have a new methodology I'd like to try out.

Last year I've explored a number of ways to "self improvement." I follow Gretchen Rubin,  her Happiness Project and all the things that have come out of it. As a self-professed hedonist, I'm all about identifying the things that truly make us happy. The truth is, there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to the pursuit of happiness.

I've tried out numerous goal tracking apps. I wear a Fitbit which is awesome for monitoring my activity, my sleep cycles, my weight. It's nice to see numbers move in the direction you want them to, but on their own they do little to motivate me.

I've also noticed that the long term goals I set for myself have a tendency to remain long-term goals. If I don't have some way of breaking them down into tasks I can do every day, I fail to make progress on them. This bogged me down in tracking daily tasks, whose graphs and numbers didn't mean much to me.

This year, I have picked four words that will serve as my mantra. Words I can repeat to myself, be mindful of them, and use them as the lens through which I make my daily decisions. My hope is that they will drive me to the goals I want to accomplish, or more importantly shape me into the person I wish to become. The words, at least as of January 1, 2018, are: Connect, Explore, Challenge, and Play.

I started with a much longer list that included such commands as Create, Share, Cultivate, Grow - all good words to be sure - but I needed a list short enough to be contained simultaneously in thought. Science says the limit is 4, so that's my maximum - maybe I can consolidate further in the future. Actually, my exercise of distilling down to these 4 words have made them all the more robust in their meaning to me.

Connect - Because our happiness seems to be greatly impacted by the company we keep and our relationships with others. This is my reminder to maintain my relationships and keep them strong. For me it's also a reminder to put down the phone and engage with the people around me. Furthermore, to find ways to interact with my friends outside of social media which often just creates an illusion of connection.

Explore - This is a reminder to indulge my curiosity, to try new things, and allow adventures. This word contains my resolutions to read more, experience more art, visit new places - but more importantly keep that curious mindset that wants to check out new things.

Challenge - It's easy for me to fall into routine, and while "Explore" may help keep me from eating at the same places, I needed this word to check in on myself at a more "meta" level - including are these 4 words working for me, or am I just exploring new dining options? This word is intended to make me get out of my comfort zones.

Play - I abandoned "Create" for this word as I discovered it had too much gravitas for me -  to full of expectations that actually prevented me from being more creative. "The things I create need to be important" - whatever that means. Instead I realize I need to take myself less seriously, let myself try things and be able to laugh if they fail. This is my weapon against my internal censor. Hopefully it will lead to more creativity on my part, but beyond that "Play"is a reminder to have fun with what I'm doing, whatever the outcome.

These words may change as the year progresses, but I think keeping these words on mind will have a much greater impact than the usual resolutions. Check back with me in 2019 and perhaps I'll let you know how it went.