i attended a "dance meditation," which included about a million different activities besides dancing. i have been to one here before, which had its quirky moments, but overall i understood what was happening and it was mostly nonverbal, movement based. i am still trying to integrate what about 30 of us, 4 of whom were foreigners, engaged in for several hours last night.
i can't possibly reiterate all of the things we did in chronological order, it would take all afternoon, so let me simply unfurl my experience spontaneously, with whatever comes.
a journey from obstacles to freedom. from inauthenticity to holiness.
what keeps you from dancing?
we write down five obstacles. some participants take turns acting out what inhibits them and speaking from the voice of the obstacle, such as insecurity or repression. the rest of us watch.
we lay on our backs and shake our arms and legs ferociously up in the air while making loud "aaahhh" sounds.
we stand up and mill around. we are told to greet each other with a "fake" handshake and hello. later, a sincere hello with a hug. the guide instructs us to scream "NO" at the tops of our lungs, like children having a tantrum, while we face another person and look into their eyes. after doing that with about 7 different individuals, i feel blasted.
we go through the exercise again but this time say "YES" over and over, with a partner, while smiling with agreeable energy. much more pleasant.
our bodies as instruments, as drums...we play percussion on our own bellies, backs, heads, legs and arms to the music...then we lay down on our stomachs and allow our partners to drum on our bodies. i am shocked into hysterical laughter by being drummed on so hard by my 70 year old, male partner decked out in black satin from head to toe. later in the evening, i find myself being chased around the room by this man in black satin, at times wanting to kiss my hand and at other times wanting to mosh in a very confucian sort of way. i wonder for a moment if i will make it out of this place alive.
with pretend microphone in hand, we imagine that we are at the noraebang (karaoke room). like rock stars, we go nuts, lip syncing and dancing around the room to a famous korean pop song. i have to say, this was the most enjoyable part of the evening for me. many koreans love to sing and perform. i could tell that as soon as they had their grip around the microphone, they were totally in their element. i enjoyed being in the midst of wild and crazy exuberance!
a dance contest. mind you, this is part of the journey of overcoming obstacles to finding a place inside of unfettered freedom from fear. i feel deeply concerned about those people in the room who may have fears and anxieties around being watched while they dance. each of the four groups chooses the top three "best" dancers in their group. before i even know what i am being chosen for, i am pushed out onto the dance floor. i have a premonition that i should feel very, very afraid at what i'm going to be asked to do. while everyone else sits and watches, myself and two other women dance in true rocker style in the center of the room to a song with a similar sound to "pour some sugar on me" by def leppard. i get way into it as it takes me back to my college dancing days.
after a few minutes the music dies and the three of us are told to each choose a man. i freeze. instantly i can tell that i have left my body. i can't believe what is happening. this is quite possibly my worst nightmare. apparently, according to the minimal translation, we have entered the "TANTRIC" portion of the evening. the room starts spinning and i feel faint. with everyone waiting and watching, i finally choose a man. the music blares again. this time it is not a rock song, it is a slow, sexy, bump 'n grind number. the other two women grab their men and dance close and seductively. i scamper in circles around my guy, keeping a good three feet between us. he looks completely confused but does not try to get any closer. i'm aware that everyone watching must wonder what is going on with me, but i don't care. there is no way i'm getting my groove on with this dude. in the middle of the song, that seems to be lasting forever, i remember a box of scarves used earlier in the evening. i run over and grab two of them. i give one to my bewildered partner. i'm desperate for distraction, to give him something to hold onto so that he won't even think about holding onto me. it works. we dance like fairies around the room twirling with our bright pink and purple scarves.
we all sit on the floor scattered about the room, our eyes closed, hands on our hearts...feeling the rhythm of our holiness. it is silent except for the clicking and flashing sounds of the camera that a man has been using all night long to take pictures of us as we are dancing and taking part in the different activities. suddenly, i sense someone is very close to me. i squint open my eyes and the man with the camera is a foot away from my face, moving in for a close up! i snap my eyes shut trying to pretend he doesn't exist. i can't help but think to myself, "the rules of sacred, ritual space are being totally violated right now. how can i possibly feel my holiness with an electronic device inches from my third eye?" but, then i remember that i am in korea. the rules are different.
with that being said, after the dance meditation we all make our way out into the lobby where beverages and snacks are being served. budweiser - king of beers and green tea. dried squid jerky and salted peanuts - classic korean bar food. we sit around getting our buzz on, gnawing on squid and talking excitedly about the glory of obama's magnificent victory until the wee hours of the morning. what a trip.
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