One of my Feldenkrais clients has spent many decades as a professional dancer. He is exceptionally accomplished in his field. And while working with him, I got to introduce a movement to him that he’d never experienced before, in all those decades of dance.
Me? I’d always felt a bit clumsy physically. I was 100% allergic to gym class when I was in school. I’d always been a word girl. I read like a fiend, wrote stories, made up highly verbal puppet plays in day care. My preferred theatrical form was classical theatre: the wordier, the better.
I have always loved to dance, though, and I learned quickly how important movement was to performing. And my wordy classical theatre morphed with highly physical theatre. And that physical theatre world led me to Feldenkrais.
So here I am, getting to teach a world class dancer something new about his body, an entirely new way to move. To suddenly be in a position where I can help expand the movement possibilities of someone who’s dedicated his life to moving – well, it’s a profound privilege, and not something I ever imagined for myself.
You just never know what’s going to change your life.
