Over the past few rehearsals, the dancers and I have created poems based on an article published in the New York Times by Michael Pollan (author Second Nature, The Botany of Desire, The Omnivore's Dilemma), titled "Why Bother?" This article appears in the book Hope Beneath Our Feet: Restoring Our Place in the Natural World, a collection of essays edited by Martin J. Keogh which has inspired me greatly.
Funnily enough, I found the book during my summer research at the Earthdance retreat. It was the only copy (signed too!) among kneepads, granola bars, and books on somatic practices at the little store near the office. Perhaps this was one of the most important, and serendipitous discoveries in my research because it made me realize what I had been really asking myself for the past year. Keogh asks, “If we face a time of environmental crisis, how do we live right now?” This question is fundamental to my thesis project because it asks not what organizations are doing, or what governments should be doing, but instead prompts people to re-examine how they live their lives. The collection offers answers from the most the most cynical to the most hopeful, but the stories are intriguing either way because they appeal to the individual. Through this dance, I'm attempting to answer this question--somewhat selfishly--for myself. How do I live right now? How can I make dances that align with my values and what I want of my life? I had forgotten about the article. Until a few weeks ago when I re-read it and had one of those "aha!" moments. I had digressed so much. I had been trying to force something that wasn't there. Yes, dance is abstract and poetic, and maybe that's what this dance needs to do. Acknowledge what it can do and do that well. It's winter. Still, I return to walking and gardening.
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