Thoughts of the day

David and I have completed the first semester of our master's degrees in Rauland. Lots of exciting theories to wrestle with and try to apply to our own ideas. This week we had our first gathering since our exam. Each student presented their idea for their project and got feedback from the rest of the class (there are 11 of us) and the teachers. My idea is not completely formed, but like a pearl begins with a grain of sand, my fundamental focus is the moment where live music and dance are experience by those playing and dancing. One suggestion given during the master's gathering was to write down our thoughts and ideas all of the time. I thought it would be a good idea to use my (woefully neglected) blog as a place to store thoughts and, if anyone feels like it, take in some feedback. So here we go, today's thoughts:

When I am dancing, I occasionally feel as though the movements of my body are the complete expression of my self, somehow connected to my dance partner and the musician. At that moment, we are all three working toward the same goal – the perfect balance between cooperation and personal expression. I have experienced this feeling of release as a dancer in different corners of the world, with different partners, dancing different dances; as a fiddler I have felt it playing fiddle and especially singing in Seattle for my dancing friends. After years of practice, I am now able to leave my thinking self and simply react to the impulses of those around me, all of us playing our role in the creation of the moment.