The Dance of Illness

Birth-Dance © Corina Duyn 2016

It’s possible to stifle creativity and freedom for only so long - even in the desert, flowers find a way to bloom.

Yasamin Beitollahi. Huffington Post

Yesterday I watched the movie Desert Dancer. 

It is based on the true story of Iranian dancer Afshin Ghaffarian, set against the backdrop of the political unrest in Iran and an era where dancing was strictly forbidden.

The young Afshin wants to dance. He needs to dance. While in University a group of friends set up a secret dance company. Dancing just for themselves, Afshin suggests giving a performance in the desert. A group of twenty fellow students were invited to a secret location where they perform the most spellbinding dance. Afshin makes it to Paris with false documents and is given political asylum and a place in a dance academy. 

I am so happy I stumbled upon this movie (on Netflix). The story has very challenging subjects, but but the beautiful dances are so free.

While watching Desert Dancer I kept thinking about my own desire to dance. 

How this is reflected in my last work "Birth-Dance" and about my current clay-mation/animation/film project, which I hope will be all about movement. 

I so want to move more freely. I so want to dance with life again.

I felt that the movie was a kind of metaphor for our daily struggles. 

The story of living with chronic illness: ME (Unfortunately often referred to as ME/CFS). Trapped in a body, which dictates a regime in which dancing is forbidden. 

The yearning for something more than being confined in our houses, in our bodies, in our minds: The need to fuel our inner passion, and emerge into life again, and tell our story with passion. 

I loved this quote in the movie:

“Dance can be anything. A waving goodbye, or waving your fist into the air. 

But you only make a difference when you find your own secret language.”

…A dance can be anything.

… make a differnce when you find our own secret language.

I hope my language will be the (very short) animation film of small figures dancing in my garden. 

To improve on the movements in my own body again. 

To dance - in whatever form that is possible.

To dance with words here on my blog

To dance with life

To share the dance with you.

Notes:

The authors who might support me in my desire are:

Emile Conrad- Life on Land

Jamie Marich- Dancing Mindfully

Bonnie Klein - Slow Dance

Ingrid Bacci - The art of Effortless Living

See more books/authors

Links:
Top quote from: Desert Dancer: Art and Humanity Blooms in Post-Revolutionary Iran, Huffingon Post 

Movie trailer: youtube

Scene of dance in the desert: youtube

Day Thirty Two: To be in a Postcard

The other day I received a phone call from my friend Bentsi, from Israel. We met at least 12 years ago during a doll/puppet making workshop in France. Bentsi is a full time puppeteer and visits schools all over Israel with his shows. He writes his own scrips and makes the puppets, the set and record the music.

He was telling me about a recent trip to Tirol (I hope I got that right- brain not always reliable in retaining information) but anyway. He described being there as "being in a postcard".

What a lovely description and thought.

My friend also mentioned the movie Julie & Julia. And of course, I had to watch it again. Even second time round it is still a great movie. Meryl Streep (brilliant) plays the cook Julia child, who brought French cooking to the American housewife. Amy Adams plays Julie Powell, an author who never had her books published and works for an insurance company dealing with the aftermath of Nine-Eleven.

Julie sets herself the task to write a blog, everyday for one year, and works her way through all the recipes in Julia Child' cookbook. More than 500.

Not wanting to spoil the story completely, I have one thing to tell you though... Julie's blog created such an interest that she had numerous book offers, and interests in movie rights...

I keep dreaming!

Day Thirty One- There or Here?

A late blog today...

Anyway, I was writing in O'Sullivan's bar at the pier in Kilmackillogue about a week ago and wondered if I could work better on my writing, 'here' or 'there'.

It suddenly dawned on me that there is only one letter in the difference... T here...

Yet these words bring about hugely diverse thoughts and emotions.

Here, was at home where I was stuck between four walls for a long time, and at that time There was where I wanted to be.

In terms of that afternoon in the pub, Here was in that gorgeous utterly remote setting oozing with character, and a quiet place to write.

There would be home...

Confused?

I am!

Especially when I looked up both words in the dictionary. The first description of each word are pretty much the same... but they are not!

There: In, at, or to that place or position.

Here: In, or at, or to this place of position

(according the Oxford Concise English Dictionary)

There or here

Ps, I actually set out to write about the movie Julie & Julia, but I will leave that for another day.

Sweet dreams