oberlin-alumni:

Shot on HD in three locations - Karachi, Lahore and New Delhi - it traces the journey of classical dance in Pakistan through the travels, experiences and struggles of one dancer, Sheema Kermani. Through the film we also meet her contemporaries - the wonderful Kathak dancer, Nahid Siddiqui, for instance - as well as a younger breed of contemporary dancers asserting their voices - and movements - amidst increasing restrictions. As a dancer and an activist, Sheema’s story also charts out the political journey of this struggling young state.

We have received initial funding from the India Foundation for the Arts, from the Goethe Institut Karachi and the Goethe Institute New Delhi. However, given the travel and personnel costs we’re still falling a little short.Your funds will help us cover the final editing, sound mix, sound design and composition, as well as titling.

Want to help Sonya Fatah ‘98? Visit the project’s Go Fund Me site.

danceoberlin:

The Oberlin Alumni Association and the Dance Department present An Introduction to Feldenkrais with Ethan Cowan ‘07 on Saturday, March 16th, from 10:00AM to 12:30PM in Warner Main Space.

Cowan will teach a group class called Awareness Through Movement, in which he will guide students to enact movements that aim to clarify each person’s own self image and give new tools for self-inquiry and self-knowledge.

The class is free and open to all Oberlin students. No sign up is needed. Please arrive before the start time.

Ethan Cowan Talks About Feldenkreis:

I took a Somatic Studies course during my senior year at Oberlin. I was tired and sore from working on my honors thesis, and I wanted to find an activity that would bring my mental work into balance with my embodied sense of myself. During the course, the teacher Deb Vogel, presented many different ways of approaching embodiment, one of which was the Feldenkrais Method.  After I graduated, I decided to pursue an in depth study of the Feldenkrais Method and have been doing so for the past three years. I am excited to bring the fruits of my labor back to share with the students at Oberlin.

Feldenkrais group classes are called Awareness Through Movement. In an ATM lesson, I will guide students to enact movements that will clarify each person’s own self image and give each person new tools for self-inquiry and self-knowledge. The lessons elicit many sensations, including calmness, potency, and increased flexibility. In Oberlin I will offer a number of these lessons in dance classes, mindfulness classes, and in a public workshop. No technical prerequisites are necessary, as any one with a nervous system stands to benefit. Those with technique, including dancers, musicians, actors, and athletes will find that their activities are enhanced and refreshed.

There are thousands of different Awareness Through Movement lessons, and each one approaches the self image from a slightly different angle.  The variety of the lessons provides many ways to find satisfying connection with the material.  In the 1.5 hour classes, I will teach two contrasting and complimentary lessons split by a short discussion and break.  In the public workshop I will teach 2 or 3 lessons, and I’ll talk about who Feldenkrais was and facilitate a discussion amongst the participants about what the method seems to do. My experience with the Feldenkrais Method has, among other things, helped me see the value of my Oberlin Education. Awareness Through Movement provides a context for sensing and feeling the process of learning how to learn.

oberlintheater:

Fierce.

jgarbs:

Rehearsal