Tensegrity Seminars

Santa Monica - May 1998 [ 1998 Index | Previous | Next ] To:   The Ixtlan Mailing List Date:   Tue, 5 May 1998 06:05:50 EDT Recollections from Santa Monica May 2nd 1998: This workshop took place in the Santa Monica College gym. There was only one stage this time and it was set up with a podium and everyone gathered around it in a semicircle, sitting on the floor (about 350 participants). There was the usual period of sound checking, then Carol came into the gym and everyone stood up and applauded. It took a bit of time for her to get situated on the stage and people stood and applauded for a while, though some sat down early. Carol quipped, "I saw the ones who sat down early!" She was dressed in beige - a beige sweater blouse, beige slacks, and beize shoes that were kind of chunky - the whole outfit was sort of casual, but elegant. Because of the podium she stood behind, I could only see her left side and the first thing I noticed was her hand shaking. I thought she must be nervous. Later, however, during the dinner break, a friend of mine said that what she saw was that Carol was putting her thumb and index finger together very forcefully, then her thumb and ring finger together forcefully - so forcefully that her hand shook. My friend thought Carol was doing some sort of pass with her hand. In retrospect, I did remember that her hand had that shape (finger/thumb connection). The theme of Carol's talk was about the "new mood" of "clarity, lightness, and precision" - a mood which "carries a punch." Later in the talk she also referred to the new mood as "intense." Carol also said that his new mood was apparent at the last Santa Monica workshop and it's a mood that differs radically from that of the old sorcerers. This new mood is in part related to the changes that have been made in the magical passes - the fact that the ritual and the secrecy (that had distinguished the passes in the past) have been eliminated. The magical passes are now more generic - more for the public (since the old passes were individualized depending on whom they were for). Carol also said that "superfluous" movements had been eliminated. At one point, she began to talk about old Florinda. She said that Old Florinda had predicted that if Carlos and the witches continued pursuing sorcery, it was inevitable that a new mood would develop that would be specific to them and their endeavors. Initially, when Carol began to talk about old Florinda, and the fact that old Florinda had stayed behind to help them, she started to tear up a little with emotion. Near the end of her talk, Carol talked about the Awareness Through Harmony teams. She told us that there was a new Awareness Through Harmony team. [I'm not sure of the names but believe they are Darien and Gavin. Darien is the young woman who, dressed as a Bedouin/Arab woman, did that magnificent dance, incorporating the magical passes, at the Theater of Infinity.] From the stage, Carol looked at Gavin and Darien with admiration and affection (they were sitting in the audience in front of the stage) and [I think] she said that they perform the magical passes with abandon and delight. She then talked with equal admiration and affection about Zaia and Miles, calling them the original Awareness Through Harmony team. She talked about how well they are able to work together without one trying to be superior or "be the Boss." At the end of her talk she seemed to get a little emotional again while she was talking about how much she had been helped and how glad she was that she could offer something back in return for all the help she had received. Her whole talk had that aura of appreciation - it had a heart felt sense and made me wonder if I'd see her again. [There has been this feeling, especially with Carol and Florinda, lately that they are saying their thanks.] For the next part of the workshop, Darien and Gavin, got up on the stage. They were wearing bright lime-green shirts, beige slacks and beige shoes. (The shoes were a cross between tennis shoes and street shoes - sort of like walking shoes). Gavin started and taught us the first part of the Heat series. Gavin, who tends to have a rather serious demeanor, was quite different than I've ever seen him. He was lighter - enthusiastic - smiling. Darien led the second half of the heat movements and she was also enthusiastic. But more striking was how very forceful and self-assured she was (given her young age). Before starting to teach us, she made a comment about time and how it was running out. [Time running out was one of the themes that seemed to permeate the workshop.] After teaching the Heat series [and, by the way, there were numerous subtle refinements - actually bringing the way we now do the movements closer to the descriptions in the book], Darien and Gavin had us do the long form which they taught in sections. Finally we did the Westwood long form which they described as a review. Gavin and Darien, as unlikely as it seemed (the two of them as a team) - were very compatible - a really fine team. [Nyei, Reni, and Rylan(sp?), were doing the movements with us - on the outskirts of the group. It was hard not to turn around and gape at them - they looked stronger and more vibrant than ever. I didn't have a good view of who came and went, but don't think the witches were around - also didn't see Kylie, Haley or the Blue Scout. Rosa and Margarite were the door-keepers as usual. Brandon, Welby, Grant, and Fabricio were there for the whole workshop and Tracy came later - didn't see any of the others but heard Lorenzo was there.] We next took a dinner break and were told to come back 15 minutes earlier than planned (though I think we finished 15 minutes early so there was still a 2 hour break). We were asked to be back at 7:00pm sharp so that we could be on our mats and ready by 7:15. We were all settled on our mats and Zaia and Miles came in. They were wearing exceedingly bright pink shirts, and [I think] white pants and white shoes (the shoes were very light weight - almost no sole - maybe gymnastic shoes). They got up on the stage, sat on their mats, and each talked to us for a little while. I don't remember a lot of what Miles talked about other than the fact that time was running out. Zaia, [I think it was Zaia] told us that she and Miles were going to intend to compress time so that we would have enough time to learn the movements. Just before they began, the last thing that was said (said by Zaia) was really stunning. In a heart-felt manner and with a great deal of forcefulness, she said that she and Miles were going to "give it their all" and were not going to "cut corners." She said that this was their way of saying thank you for all the help they had received [this acknowledging of help received was another theme that permeated this workshop]. Then, Zaia said [and these were not her exact words, but close], "And, as sorcerers know, when you give it your all, you get back quite a bit more than you give. And then, at the end of the day, you can look back on your day and know that you fully enjoyed yourself. And you say, as sorcerers are apt to do, 'It was a splendid day.'" Zaia and Miles truly did give it their all! They went through the 18 movements, the openings and closings (there were some refinements), and then the Code, all of which we did numerous times. It was a splendid day! 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