My Blog

First moments in Israel

BRANDO — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 07:15:48 GMT

It’s dawn. I arrived in Tel Aviv international at 4am. Everybody looks like an aunt or uncle or one of my camp friends from when I was a boy. Kinda refreshing, kinda scary. Took the train to Tel Aviv central station. Everything closed. A taxi to my friend’s place would be $30. No way. I ask a bus driver how to get to Givatayim. No English. I ask another driver. A little English. Like the officer he must have been, he orders me to get on the bus. He turns off all the lights and together like two incompatible pranksters, we whip through the empty streets of Tel Aviv. He abruptly drops me at a random bus stop and informs me that the street I’m looking for is somewhere nearby. I am to catch a cab from there – mind you it is still the pre-dawn hours. I finally hail a cab which screeches to a stop. There is already a passenger, a DJ from South Africa, who just finished a “brilliant” gig at a club. We dig the same music, of course. Upon jumping out he gives me his card. I was supposed to arrive yesterday. When I got to Athens international airport I was informed my flight was cancelled due to a strike that shut down the entire Israel airport. Compounded with near war state that Israel is always in, this did not seem like such a welcoming omen. 3 hours later I was back at my friend’s place in Athens. Returning for another day in Athens was like entering into the cage of a beast whom you had been taunting from the other side. The irony is that I was dying to get to Greece and I missed my flight from Berlin. On a misguided and not so fabulous traveling adventure, I caught the wrong train to the airport, wound up in the middle of nowhere. A $50 cab ride, rushing through Big Bad Berlin in order to, heaven willing, make the flight… to no avail. 10 minutes too late… How many people in the world can say they missed two flights in a row in two different countries? Not many, I bet.

Sweden Respite

BRANDO — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:40:48 GMT

I got terribly ill in Berlin, but somehow it turned out to be a fantastic lesson of letting go or surrendering to what is. For five days I laid in bed, while the mysteries of Big Bad Berlin passed me by, it was lovely... just to let go and relax into being. There may be more pressing concerns, once in a lifetime opportunities, but you just accept the message of the moment, the perfection of letting the illusions, the shoulds pass you by; like a Zen tap that always seems to wake the spirit. Yet somehow in this lesson, a major transition occurred. The honeymoon phase of my journey had definitively ended. No longer was I living and thriving from each new experience. An undercurrent of exhaustion swooshed within me and I lacked the emotional energy/space to put my new experiences. I was also overdosed on dance classes. The Jams in Berlin were crowded and hyper-social. I felt uninspired to move freely through the space. And yet I had yet another 6-day Contact Festival/Jam coming up. An all day travel excursion: trudging through city streets, then to buses, to planes, to vacated air force bases, to buses, to trains, back to trudging through city streets, brought me from Berlin to a teensy tiny apartment (the smallest I have ever been in, not even a shower or a kitchen sink) in the center of Stockholm. Poof, the next day I am on a weathered old bus still gleaming 1970 white paint-job navigating through a Nordic snow storm on my way to northern Sweden. The Nordic Improvisation Meeting (NIM), is a festival held twice a year for the past ten years. 60 of us, mostly all bright-eyed Scandinavians, gathered in a large school in the middle of nowhere. The outside air was brisk and uninviting, but the sauna and the indoor pool were open and available all day and all night. Oh this was the perfect rest I needed. And somehow in between sleep and soak, I managed a few of the sweetest dances of my trip. They revived me. They reinspired me. They reminded me of the healing powers of this dance form. After the festival I spent a week in Stockholm. I was able to secure a paid teaching gig at a local dance university. Teaching again, what I love, one of the clearest ways I get to express my gifts - it proved to be one of the highlights of my trip. The city of Stockholm is majestic. I really felt held by the architecture. The sea water surrounding the city encourages deep breaths of appreciation. There is a wonderful blend of old and new – thin stone streets lined with over-priced café’s, and then big wide roads lined along the water. And even an old Viking boat for tourists to gawk over.

Berlin in Mythic Proportions

BRANDO — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 15:30:36 GMT

I was terrified to come to Berlin. The dance project for which I was invited was intimidating, focusing on themes of dominance and submission. Berlin took on a mystique of cold steel, empty people walking to there preconceived destinations in black, a city taken over by radicals who need no others to join there battle. However, the messages from the spontaneous, ever-manifesting, travel-god were clear and persistent enough to propel my motivation to book my flight from Helsinki to Berlin. The spontaneity I experience and live by is a teacher. The dance serves as a wonderful metaphor for this disposition I am forced to adopt. The grand metaphor I left America with was softening into the dance – sure I will continue this one for the rest of my days. The newest task to understand and is this: let the dance happen to you… Helsinki had no more to offer and Berlin in all its imagined fury was still bright and exciting and in perfect timing – for I had three weeks to live before the Nordic Improvisation Meeting in Stockholm. Now a glimpse of my process: this is where I first arrived in Berlin: Tacheles: a warehouse/gallery/bar/café/squatters palace/ whatever space. It is a massive structure, walls covered with years of art, graffiti, and spray paint slop, windows cracked and broken and also completely sprayed; broken beer bottles and the distant smell of urine carve the way up the dungeon like cement stairs. This is the historic, crazy, chaotic, revolutionary Traceless. This is where I live – at night going to the bathroom, I would usually be met with shock from the tourists wandering around the huge fun-house, “you live here!” was the most popular expression from these people. I was part of a performance project called Underground Kingdom. Our performance was in a closed theater space inside this monument to art and revolution. Some of us in the ‘Underground Kingdom’ lived on the fifth floor – our dormitory was locked and secure, thank goodness. The project, for me personally, was a huge success and learning experience. I entered a strictly alternative world, forbidden to most, one I would have never ventured inside had this opportunity not developed. I am full of excitement and gratitude for finding this world of darkness and transformation.

Performance in Czech Republic

BRANDO — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 11:53:52 GMT

A stone house once inhabited by the ranger of this Czech forest. The people here built onto it a soft wood patio and laid a brick floor. The aesthetic is natural and somehow perfect, gentle soft you can breath it in the air drink the lightness. Stare at the small children with their blonde curls and bug blue curious eyes. Drooping red flowers and fired clay pottery lines the stone wall. Next to this exquisite palace is a meadow of tall grass wild flowers and crickets. The meadow guides the weary traveler up into the forest if he not be seduced first by the soft lumps of smushed grass beckoning him to lye and ponder the gentle breeze. Across from me an old man sits with a bright smile next to a bohemian Czech woman who strums medieval folk songs on the guitar After we performed, wine and food was brought out by candlelight. The evening continued into the dark night, sky full of stars, faces lit by the fire. A flute conversation between Tal and I. At the Czech border we are too many in Lemmer’s van. Tal, Ingo, and I volunteer to walk across the border and hitch back to Haslach. Wispy clouds, bright sunshine, and a green expansive countryside. Ingo with his wonderful bright energy. I like Ingo very much. He is wise and is one of those people who I feel in perfect synchronicity with. We arrive late in the morning and warm up together – slow nurturing massage and sound – a sweet friendship again is born from the dance. Amazing this community that reaches across the world.

Lemmer's Van

BRANDO — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 11:52:43 GMT

Twelve or more hours. The van held all eight of us and somehow with our tossing and turning, shifting and sqeezing we managed to laught and enjoy those tight quarters for the entire trip. We were: Ronja from Finaland; staying responsible, always in the front with Lemmer. Lemmer from Germany, with his order and organization and generosity, he drove 10 hours straight for us, Elona from Czech, with her squinting smile, Petri from Finland, strong and honest, Masha from Moscow, a quick wit and beautiful young sensuality, Juha from Finland always looking for the most intense conversation about life and truth, Danya from Israel also looking with Juha, Brando from USA, playful and light. With legs hanging over legs, heads on shoulders, torsos over stomaches and any configuration that would present moments of comfort and consensus throughout the trip. We bonded and we made it to the European Contact Improvisation Teachers Exchange in Haslach, Austria.

The Great Freiburg Festival of Contact Improvisation

BRANDO — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 11:51:24 GMT

My first dance in Europe was with a beautiful dancer from Moscow named Masha. It was a long dance through a guided warm-up, bypassing the directions to switch partners, and traveling through the whole huge new space - a massive gymnasium with relatively soft floors. Three partitions mark three separate areas where classes take place during the day. But on that first morning with Masha, the entire space was open and filled with 240 dancers from around the world… Wednesday Aug 7, 2006: And so much more came after that lovely beginning. The moments here are filled with learning. My body aches in that worked, moved, and satiated dance-ache. I become more agile and softer with each day and use my tiredness to inform my dance. Each day begins with an invigorating intensive class with Rick Nodine. His direction is so specific and his body articulation is like moving poetry. I am completely inspired by this man. In the afternoons four different classes are offered. Then there is the evening jam which extends into the wee hours of the night for those die-hard dancers who get into the soft endless groove and just cannot bear to leave that luscious space. Fruit and chocolate are always available and the lunch and dinner are festivals unto their own. I am working in exchange for partial scholarship. I wear my bright blue Freiburg apron proudly and scurry around collecting trash and organizing the compost. It feels great to help. Another man who helps is a very tall, lanky, Finish man. He has great blue eyes and a mane full of golden blonde dreadlocks. His name is Petri and we always find each other in those ultra-relaxed late, late, late night hours. My dances have been long and intentional. One night I spent hours laughing, falling, dancing and making poetry with Judit from Hungary. We met years ago at Earthdance. She is going to live there as a volunteer this fall, so it is like she is going home for me. Our connection has been strong and supportive here. I often think about the workshop Keith Hennessey gave at Earthdance. The main focus and intention was to somehow bring our full humanity into the dance studio – not to leave anything outside, or even to understand the impossibility of leaving anything outside. I realize that my path along this wonderful road of Contact Improvisation has lead to the place where I try to bring my full humanity into the dance. No matter who I dance with I try to love them. Sometimes this is easier than other times. However the gates open so quickly with human contact, it never ceases to amaze me. Throughout the Freiburg Festival I continued to bring my whole self, mostly my love and joy into all my dances: my tour de force, late night marathon with Isabelle from France, my jumpy giggly child’s play with Lelani from Chile, The fresh focused creativity with Adrianne from Germany; more Love and Joy in the silent jam with Ester from Germany, or sharing a night filled with red wine and stories of truth celebrated together with my new friend Juha from Finland. They are all dances and they all fill me with gratitude.

To the Freiburg Festival

BRANDO — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 11:49:49 GMT

Right off the plane in Frankfurt International I am feeling alive and ready for my first adventure. Originally the plan was to have Ulla meet me at the airport. We would then find our way to the dance center in Freiburg, where the grandiose Freiburg Festival was taking place. But Ulla got injured the week before in Stultzenhaagen Germany. She had to return home to Finland and would not be meeting me in Frankfurt. At first I was struck and nervous. I was counting on Ulla to take care of us getting from Frankfurt to Freiburg. But in the days leading up to my journey I began to get really excited by the prospect of being on my own. When I got off the plane I felt completely at ease, liberated in some way. I piled all my bags on a trolley cart and like a child, wheeled around the airport for hours! Finally I found the train station below the airport where I would take a 3-hour train from Frankfurt to Freiburg. On the train I sat next to 3 women from Barcelona, Larette, Elene, & Naroa, who were traveling on holiday. It was refreshing to return to that traveler spirit, where every conversation is a imbibed with fascination and generosity.

Goodbye

BRANDO — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 11:48:50 GMT

It is difficult to start from the beginning of my journey. I have been in Europe for almost a month and yet it seems as though an eternity has passed. Every day is an amazing adventure that brings me somehow further away from the day I drove away from Holliston, Massachusetts, my whole family waving goodbye from our front yard, tears in my sister’s eyes. On the flight to Frankfurt Germany I saw a hokey Steve Martin film. He was a football coach in a small town and a dad of a massive family. The film was just what I needed and I was able easily conjure that last farewell image and release my own tears of goodbye. Goodbye to Sarah, to riding my bike through Northampton, to Djing at Dance Spree, to great hugs from Ali every time I see him, to Spirit’s cheerful smile, to John Hughes’ intricate stories, to Moti’s absurd timing, to Ben’s intensity, to Meesh’s laugh, to late nights in the Earthdance kitchen, to knowing and loving everybody in my community. NOW… this Icelandic Sunrise says hello.

The beginning of the Adventure

BRANDO — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 10:27:43 GMT

Starting August 5, 2006 I will embark on a great journey. I will travel around Europe, the Middle East and South America to study a dance form called Contact Improvisation. What is Contact Improvisation? I like the definition quoted from Ernie Adams which on the Earthdance website (earthdance.net). It says: Contact Improvisation is a moving massage. It is a dance that fine tunes your senses and wakes up your ability to listen and respond to what is happening in the moment. If you could do Aikido, surf, wrestle and dance at the same time, you would have an idea of what Contact Improvisation feels like. What makes Contact different from other dance is that partners are often moving in and out of physical contact while rolling, spiraling, springing and falling. They find ways to "enjoy the ride" and improvise while mutually supporting and following each others movements. The dancing is unpredictable and inspired by the physical and energetic contact the partners share. I remember when I first came to live at Earthdance, the director Samantha in jest gave a definition that was simple and stuck with me. She said Contact Improvisation Dance is: 1 part dancing, 1 part wrestling, and 1 part flying. I feel all of these parts when I am in a dance. I feel strength and grace in my body while simultaneously I feel like a child experimenting and playing. Contact Improvisation has a tremendous power to bring me back to my child-self, to my innocent core, and I feel spiritually, emotionally, and physically awakened by the dance. I cannot even begin to find the words to express how deeply I am connected to this form. I have experienced and facilitated the powerful healing qualities of Contact Improvisation. I am filled with gratitude for finding it and am happily dedicated to becoming a master of it and spreading it to all whom I love and teach. One of the amazing beauties of this form is that it is accessible to both professionals and beginners alike. One of the greatest dances I have experienced happened during a summer solstice festival in Canada called OM. In the wee hours of dawn, I danced in a trio, all three of us finding warmth and ease. Over the course of 3 hours we continued to wrap and ravel inside and outside of our sleeping bags. I had just met my two friends at the festival and here we found ourselves in a giggly and intimate relationship. They had never even heard of Contact Improvisation and yet couldn’t resist. It’s a game and an art form and it is irresistible. What a thrilling experience for us human beings to take the time to journey inward, to experience and play with these incredible physical bodies we live inside. The Jewish tradition, and I’m sure many others, believe the physical body is a gift from God. I love mine and never grow tired of playing, stretching, resting and dancing. Currently I am working with an image that came to me during a dance, that image was of a young lion playing, honing his prowess. I have just completed the Masters Degree in Education program at Smith College. It was a wonderful and challenging year. I received a wonderful scholarship from Smith and am able to use the bulk of my federal loans to fund my trip. As always, now is the perfect time… I plan on returning to the Happy Valley (Northampton, Massachusetts) sometime in June 2007. I am eager to continue along with the incredible momentum of the Summer Theater Program I created. This summer’s program was a huge success and next year will be our third year! I will miss Northampton a great deal. I will especially miss my home at Earthdance. I owe so much to that special mecca and all who are a part of it.

Beginning Thoughts

BRANDO — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 13:57:07 GMT

Triple Fire... Love to listen... always looking for the center... Laughter is a blessing and a gift... so are tears... Gratitude for all my teachers along the path... My more having be as a sauce to have me more............