Starfish Moves

Usually when I teach Ballet, I try to find a leitmotiv in the form of a sensation, an experience the students can come back to as the class unfolds and get more technical.

I draw my inspiration from Feldenkrais ATM® classes and illustrate them with "Short-cut images" or metaphors that speak from themselves.

Last time, I decided to work on a widely beloved sea creature, the starfish. What is then, the relationship between a starfish and a ballet dancer, will you ask?

A typical starfish has five-sided symmetry. With no clear head, the starfish can move in any direction, led by any one of its five arms. The starfish’s brain is spread throughout its body and is the best exemple of what Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen calls "umbilical radiation".

The formula of an umbilical radiation create the bases for an effective coordination of the body. The movement can be directed from the centre to all the limbs, and all six extremities (Head, coccyx, two upper limbs and two lower limbs) radiate from the centre of the body.

In classical anatomy we dissect and divide the body. The torso is separated from the limbs and we consider the body made out of parts. In Ballet, this approach restricts whole-body connections and reduces possibilities of volume and multidimensionality of the movement.

Exploring the movement of the starfish, we applied ourself to imagining interconnectedness, from heels to finger tips, sensing the self as a whole.

If you want to see for yourself what it feels like to move like a starfish, all you need is a comfortable place to lay down onto the floor, a carpeted floor or smooth blanket or mat with enough space around to extend your arms and legs. Breath, relax, take your time, and never continue movements that increase your discomfort. Rather, follow your own curiosity and take as many breaks as you need.

This post and reflexions have been inspired by a short ATM® lesson taught by Erifily Nikolakopoulou during the Feldenkrais Awareness Summit 2019.

Follow the link to have access to the original lesson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=1vQ5WYt74vw