Although I had officially completed all fieldwork site visits for this project in June, I attended a dance event in July that I wanted to write about.
The event was a Five Rhythms dance drop-in night. Five Rhythms is a dance practice founded by Gabrielle Roth in the 1970s. On the international Five Rhythms website, it is described as, 'a dynamic movement practice - a practice of being in your body - that ignites creativity, connection and community.' The movement practice, or moving mediation as it is also called, is broken down into five elements, or 'waves.' These waves are called flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness. A Five Rhythms teacher guides a group through these waves during the event; encouraging people to get to a point where they are highly attuned to the movement within themselves. The website states that the waves are, 'markers back to a real self, a vulnerable, wild passionate self.'
Before attending the night, I was vaguely aware of Five Rhythms but had no knowledge of its philosophy. I knew it to be an improvisational dance event where you could move however you liked. I had never attended a Five Rhythms event as I had no previous desire to. However my friend Robyn was keen to try it and as she had helped me with my dance research by attending a parents retro disco, I agreed to go along.
We arrived at the venue, a church hall in South London around 7.20pm. There were already about 30 people scattered throughout, talking and stretching on carpets that had been laid down to cover the concrete floor. The church hall with its arched doorways, high ceiling and ornate glass windows was very atmospheric and I looked forward to dancing in the space.
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| The church hall |
Robyn and I sat down in a alcove section of the church and surveyed the surroundings. Attendants covered a wide demographic; all walks of life ranging from teens to people in their 60s. I saw people walking in wearing business attire. Pensioners. People who looked like mums and dads from my local playgroup. Hippies. It was a real mix, including ethnicities ranging from Afro Caribbean to Oriental to Anglo-Saxon and Hispanic, but to name a few. Most people once there changed into loose clothing allowing for movement, such as leggings, shorts, t-shirts or exercise wear. The number of males present surprised me. Whilst I do not have the exact numbers, the number of men seemed higher than women. From a rough head count, I estimated approximately 70-90 people in attendance. The high attendance surprised me too as it did not seem like a class but a gathering instead, in the sense of a festival or a club.
To our left, a laptop with microphone had been set up in the form of a makeshift DJ station. Robyn went to find out more information about what to expect and she returned with the ground rules of the night. From memory they included:
- No talking in the dance space
- No watching of other people. The emphasis is on participation
- Being mindful of self safety and the safety of others whilst moving about
- No leaving early
- Joining in the group circle at the end
Soon enough music started to fill the room, being controlled by a slim main with curly brown hair in a red t shirt and white shorts. He started talking through the microphone about warming up and being in touch with the music and letting it flow through you. I gathered he was the teacher/facilitator but found it hard to understand what he was saying; either because of the uneven acoustics or his whispery tone. Eventually I decided to just watch others (despite the rules) and follow what they were doing. Quickly it became apparent they were moving however they wished to, the quality of movement determined largely by the music being played.
It seemed that many of the attendants were familiar with the format of Five Rhythms for within 20 -30 minutes, many seemed to enter into semi-ecstatic states. There were times when people would interact with one another and move together before breaking off and dancing somewhere else or with someone else. This reminded me a lot of contact improvisation. Some people seemed to be off in other worlds, the expressions on their faces blank. Others like me, were overly watchful and contravening the rules. The movement styles throughout the room varied considerably from frenetic jigging to waving arms in the air to galloping through the space to twig like weaving shapes; the commonality being a lack of restraint.
Five Rhythms clip showing all the waves (taken from Youtube)
By this point the room felt heavy with meaning but whatever that meaning was for others, remained hidden from me. By this time I had been moving for about 30-40 minutes and had not found a way into the movement. I was not enjoying the music which was instrumental and of a trance-like nature, with some percussive mixes thrown in. I found it disconcerting that some men would watch you from the corners of their eyes or sidle up to interact through dance with you. Far from being relaxed and free, this made me feel defensive and self-conscious. I ended up dancing away from other people at the side of the hall, carving out my own space rather than interacting with the majority who were weaving amongst one another in the central hall space. I noticed there were a few others who did this too, a woman close by me and a man who danced all night in the manner of a hyped up Charleston dancer with a big grin on his face.
As each music mix finished, the teacher whispered something into the microphone which I gathered was the introduction of a new wave given the different tempo of the music that followed. The group would respond accordingly, their movements enlivening or slowing down in response. About ninety minutes in, the percussive music playing built to a crescendo, sending the crowd into a yelping, cavorting, sweaty mass of limbs and faces. Robyn by this time had fully embraced the event and was amidst the heaving crowd, lost in her movement and music. I on the other hand was sitting on the floor, tired and thinking I wanted to leave. I could see that a large majority of dancers were getting some form of release through the movements they were doing, their faces beaming and their bodies becoming increasingly carefree.
At this point one of the guides materialised in front of me. I knew she was a guide as we had been told they wore yellow armbands. She danced in front of me with a big smile on her face, her eyes never leaving my face. I knew what she wanted and my honest reaction was annoyance and dread. I just wanted to sit quietly but in her role to facilitate my movement mediation she clearly wanted me to do something else. I smiled at her hoping she would move on but she did not. She beckoned me to my feet. Taking the path of least resistance, I stood up and danced with her. I wondered why I couldn't be left to sit still if that was what I wanted. I did not feel I was in a space of real democratic, free expression.
Dancing half-heartedly I stayed until 9.15pm and decided to slip out. Throughout the
entire night I had not switched my mind off, which I know impacted my ability to fully engage with the dance. I found this event unique in that I could not switch off from my 'ethnographic note taking persona' as the field was so different to any of the other sites I had visited. I looked over at Robyn* as I headed out, her face beatific and relaxed as she moved to the music. I was happy for her. It seemed to me that Five Rhythms could really benefit some in providing therapeutic release in the form of dance - like movement. Also that the teacher facilitating plays a significant role in the experience of the event. Robyn and I were left largely to fend for ourselves in this first experience and whilst she embraced it, I did not. However I have decided that after my research has finished I will try Five Rhythms again, with a different facilitator. Like my initial reservations with No Lights No Lycra, I think you should always give these things a second chance.
*After the event I ask Robyn if she would be willing to fill in a research participant questionnaire even though we had not attended with the intent to engage in fieldwork. She agreed and also emailed me her comparison between this event and the retro disco we had attended together. We had both enjoyed the disco and I was curious to see what the factors were at each event which affected her enjoyment.
Questionnaire: Research Participants in Fieldwork
Name:
Robyn Stocker
Age:
Age:
34
Location:
London
Profession:
Profession:
DJ & Project Manager
Are you trained in any style of dance? If so, what was the period of training, e.g. 12 years in jazz, one off workshop in salsa:
Are you trained in any style of dance? If so, what was the period of training, e.g. 12 years in jazz, one off workshop in salsa:
I trained in ballet, contemporary for 6 years and then shorter periods of salsa, samba, bellydancing, street dance and a one off kathak class.
Do you regularly partake in any kind of dance activity in your daily life? e.g. Zumba classes, clubbing and so on:
I generally dance when I go out with friends, would like to start samba classes again.
How did you feel prior to taking part in this dance research event? What were your expectations?
How did you feel prior to taking part in this dance research event? What were your expectations?
Prior to the 5 Rhythms event I didn’t have any expectations but the experience in fact exceeded my expectations! It was very liberating.
Did you feel comfortable dancing at the event? Why? Why not?
Did you feel comfortable dancing at the event? Why? Why not?
I did straight away because I didn’t feel judged by anyone, the nature of the event is such that people turn up specifically to express themselves through dance. No drugs and alcohol or spectating. The ground rules made it very clear that it was a meditative and respectful space and that the idea is full acceptance of other participants.
Please feedback your thoughts about the following at the dance event you attended:
The venue:
The venue:
Great venue, I love churches so it set a very soothing scene.
The music:
The music:
The music progressed from meditative music to tribal beats and deep house sounds. In fact very close to my taste in music, very trance-like.
The other people at the event:
The other people at the event:
Very respectful and also heart-warming, if somewhat amusing. People really let loose… women wailing, men skipping, strangers hugging. But for me the best part was being a part of connection with others and being able to pickup the energy and vibrations of others through the movement. Very intuitive and pure.
The clothing worn at the event:
The clothing worn at the event:
I enjoyed being able to wear something comfortable rather than to present myself attractively like in some environments.
The atmosphere:
The atmosphere:
Great energy, the only thing I wasn’t so keen on was the sweat and the sweaty smells!! Natural but not particularly appealing. It was because people allowed themselves to put their full energy into it and it was 30 degrees!!
The dancing that happened at the event:
The dancing that happened at the event:
Beautiful. It may have looked strange from the outside but participating felt very natural and in tune, also liberating. I also didn’t have a judgment on who was a good dancer and who wasn’t because everyone was there to get in touch with their natural rhythm.
The timing of the event (was it too early? Did it go on for too long?):
The timing of the event (was it too early? Did it go on for too long?):
It was quite long because at one point I got tired and had to stop, but I suppose for the transition of energy states to occur, it needed that length of time. For me, slightly shorter would be better. Good time of the day though. Nice to see the transition from sunset to candlelight.
The cost:
The cost:
Nice that it was based on trust and that you contribute the level you can afford, from £7 upwards.
How would you describe the way you danced at the event?
How would you describe the way you danced at the event?
I danced completely freely and did not feel the need to stop because I was so energised by being in tune with my natural rhythm. I think if you don’t allow yourself to get fully into it, then it’s not enjoyable. It has to be 100% participation and willingness to participate.
Would you attend this event again? Why ? Why not?
Would you attend this event again? Why ? Why not?
Yes for sure, I find it a great release and energiser, even if it totally wiped me physically from the sheer intensity of the exercise.
I thought that the 5 rhythms was more engaging because everyone was participating. It was a more spiritual and intense experience as people got in touch with their core selves and there was no need to judge anyone (even though judgements inadvertently flew around my head anyway, they were quicker to pass).
The parents disco also had a warm atmosphere but it was much less intense and deep, more observational and entertaining. In a way, it was liberating because I didn't feel the need to worry about how I looked or was perceived and didn't require me to face my inner self in quite the same way, but it wasn't a meditative environment. Less therapeutic, more relaxing in a light and fun sense.
So both were fun, enjoyable and relaxing but in very different ways and on very different levels. I also felt with the 5 rhythms that I belonged more because it felt like a part of a movement whereas the kids disco was more me enjoying participating from an outsider perspective
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