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Reflection
Mastering one’s act27th January 2010
The Circus and Life series.
By Orit Nevo
Circus arts demand the learning and perfection of a skill.
This aspired perfection is achieved through repetition of figures and routines, designed to bring one to the technical mastery of that skill. This is the beginning. It is the first step.
Mastery in circus, as in anything else in life, is achieved through various training periods that consist of this endless repetition (walking is a good life skill practiced the same way). As my teacher once said, ;what we do, is hyper-practiced” she was referring to trapeze swinging without attached security measures that would prevent an unexpected fall. The risk here is clear. My friend Guy Lev says, the most important quality of a juggler is persistence.
In circus, as in life, persistence is an important quality. If one wants to reach heights, one has to take risks and prevent the possibility of unexpected falls, this requires practice.
The discipline involved with this constant repetition is therefore a foundational aspect of circus training. Discipline includes training habits acquired with time, that when ingrained, dismiss the necessity of conscious will as a part of the equation. Naturally, this implies a passion for what you do, or it is practically impossible to persist and perfect your skill.
It seems to be the same with life. There are skills for living. Those skills are perfected with repeated daily habits. The goal, in a way, is to become a master of one’s own life.
This is done, by first choosing the life you want to live, the life you are passionate about. You can have a passion for your partner in life, your job, the place you choose to call home.
Having chosen the life you want to live, you need to identify and acquire the habits that will make of you the person worthy of the life you chose. This requires discipline, first and then practice. This is a process that takes time, will and persistence. Slowly these habits become the foundation for your being.
In Circus, as in life, often you can get to a certain level of perfection on your own.
But if you wish to go beyond that point, into the realm of mastery, you need assistance on your way there. This can be a teacher, a partner, or a team you are working with to upgrade your level. Ultimately, the level you would be working for, will be the level at which what you do with your skill on stage becomes a true and authentic expression of your whole being. It is a total immersion into the act/action of your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual capacities. You give it your all.
Is it not the same in life? You can get to a certain level on your own, after which you need someone else. This may be a life partner, your children, business partner, the team at work, a teacher, a mentor or a coach. With the assistance of these people, you can perfect your skills of living. These may be: communication skills, leadership skills, partnering skills, parenting skills and many more.
Did you ever have this feeling of being so passionate and totally immersed in life, that you were at that moment, the true and authentic expression of your whole being?
These are moments of great gratitude. Ultimately the only question to ask is: what brought you to that gracious moment?
These are rare moments, but they exist for all of us.
The mastery is in being aware of what brings these moments about. Knowing and recognizing one’s power to create them again and again, at will and of a free choice.
Reflections on aerial choreography19th January 2010
I often hear people say, that technical virtuosity is important and impressive at a first glance.
Usually, they say, you have seen one aerial act, you’ve seen them all, unless there is a personal research involved of the performer, the movement quality, the rhythm, new figures invented…
But even this, may not be enough at times. I often hear this from artists I work with, there is a sense of doubt as to the possibility to create something of interest to a paying audience.
I have seen many aerial acts since I started my way in the air, few remained ingrained in my mind as something exceptional or worth remembering. Few really left a mark.
With the years I have come to the conclusion that an aerial act, if not based on the awareness of being in the air as a concept, an unusual situation indeed, easily becomes void of sense.
For me, the performer must go through a process that evolves, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually the whole being. Ultimately, an aerial act is an act of transformation.
If one reaches that level of mastery, aerial work becomes a spiritual practice. It is an act of faith and trust, in yourself, the audience and something much greater than you.
The air is a space of transparency – you cannot lie in the air, all feelings are clearly seen, fear, joy, love, effort, despair at times, trust, doubt, overcoming and much more. Everything is seen. If you can be in the air, aware of that, or if you are fortunate enough to have a coach or director showing you who you are being, it becomes possible to reach a level of truthfulness that is rarely seen on the ground. One cannot lie in the air. It is a clear space of pure being.
I have seen this happen only once, in Vichy, France, in 1996, that moment changed my life.