Untrained

I love watching people move in everyday life. I love watching the guys at the gym box and I love watching a woman I know with cerebral palsy gesture as she speaks and I also like paying attention to the way my students move through space. Movement for the sake of movement fascinates me and for this reason, Lucy Guerin’s piece Untrained wasn’t a big leap for me in terms of appreciating the untrained body in motion although the performance was still a revelation and fascinating experience. 

The 1-hour program consisted of 4 men; 2 trained dancers and 2 men with no dance or performance history.  The men interacted in a variety of ways throughout the evening and  some of the things that happened were: the non-dancers tried to copy the movement of the dancers and vice versa, the trained and untrained created movement pieces together, they showed videos that each of them created of themselves moving, sang made-up love longs, drew quick portraits of each other and offered stories about such things as their relationships with their father’s or something about their bodies that makes them feel vulnerable. 

Untrained in Wollongong, 2011

The genuine respect and camaraderie that was created between these men was impressive and touching.  What could have been a potentially humiliating experience for the untrained was turned into a chance to cultivate a deep humanity and also to see how the untrained movement was no more and no less than trained movement.  At one point, each of the men spoke about their experience of being part of the show and what they learned.  The trained dancers explained how the untrained opened them up, released them from the stress of performing and being in competition. The measuring stick of what was deemed beautiful or successful had shifted.

"Untrained" - live at the 2010 Australian Dance Awards

In the post-performance discussion the untrained shared that during the auditions, Lucy had told them to just be themselves and I imagine that this is what she said to them through out the entire production.  While watching the show I was impressed by the inventiveness and imagination of these 2 men who have no performance history and apparently work regular desk jobs during the day.  I don’t think this creativity was necessarily a sign that the 2 men were undiscovered artists, but rather that because they had the courage to be themselves in all their imperfection that their unique inner voice was able flow. It made me think, yet again, about how damaging education can be and how the drive to be something (a dancer, artist, filmmaker etc.) can be utterly crippling or at least, make you completely average. 

There are a number of places in my life where I get to enjoy the unexpected magic of the untrained.

One interesting place is in my pole dancing classes where I find some of the women so moving to watch. The remarkable women usually aren’t the ones who have perfected a routine, are particularly graceful or have the strength to flip upside down on the pole, but the ones who are dancing from their hearts. In their quirky movements, awkward gyrations and inflexible bodies they are able to express their inner desire, yearning and eroticism in a completely honest and unique way.  It is sincerely beautiful and is yet another reminder to leave aside all the education and expectations and trust what comes naturally.

Untrained, choreography by Lucy Guerin was at BAM Nov. 30 – Dec 1
http://www.lucyguerininc.com