|
|
|
|
Newsletter 3/2002
Seattle 2002
An impression of the recent Seattle Seminar
02th-07th June 2002
The Seattle seminar in June, hosted by the Arcadia Foundation,
had a most original and daring set-up in that various 'denominations'
in today's Fourth Way world were brought together and that a
serious and creative attempt was made at exploring movements/music
teaching itself. Most of the participants were Americans, a
smaller number came from European countries: Denmark, Holland,
Germany and England. Most people appeared to 'descend' in one
or other way from the Bennett line. The writer of this report
is a Dutch pupil of mr Van Dullemen, from the French line, so
to speak. In all. there were about 50 people, so unfortunately
it was impossible to get to know everyone.
The process of 'digesting' the exchange with the Arcadia
group and all its guests is still going on, but the truckload
of impressions is gradually sorting itself out it seems. What
comes up today as an 'ordering frame' is that every lineage
or group is falling into 'work habits' and that this is of
course entirely in keeping with nature. The sniper 'working
to avoid work' is always lurking somewhere, ready to take
aim.
For example, some exercises were given, and taken, in a matter-of-fact
way that was most astonishing. Everybody seemed to know the
ropes. To me it did not ring any bell. And my bewilderment
was such that it did not occur to me to ask anything. But
when reading Bennett's 'Witness' this week at home, I found
out that originally Bennett had come up with these, as well
as his reasoning behind it. (Now it makes sense!) Anyway,
putting this and the Seattle memory together, gave me the
impression that some kind of a habit had formed, out of something
that had been very good and inspiring to begin with. I'm not
saying, however, that Bennett's exercises are now bad, but
one or other way the life seemed to have gone out of it.
Things people themselves had really worked on, however, were
full of life. Just as, for example, the exploration of movements
teaching in which people were encouraged to be creative. Then
you could notice that people sometimes saw very clearly which
areas needed to be worked on. Such as an exercise 'invented'
by someone who simply indicated the rhythm and made the group
take postures by group decision without words. That was quite
perceptive, I thought.
On the other hand, mr Van Dullemen's way of teaching caused
quite a stir. He emphasises emotional understanding, broadly
speaking. I was genuinely surprised to notice the shock he
caused. And it occurred to me that the 'outer manifestations'
of this line of approach are on their way of becoming a habit
in me. A habit out of something that, by the way, still is
very good and inspiring. Literally anything can become a habit
before you know it.
Of course, habits and traditions are not bad in themselves.
In a way, we need a kind of backbone for our lives and a form
in which to hand down what we've learned and to receive what
others have learned before us, if only to preserve integrity.
But, if used out of habit, it will inevitably grow into a
suffocating harness, killing all the life of the teaching,
a teaching which can after all be characterised as a sheer
explosion of life.
Exchanges such as happened in Seattle are very constructive,
and I highly appreciate Arcadia's effort. One aspect was that
both parties felt the irritations and shocks of, indeed, having
their 'lineage' habits exposed. Hopefully, this will have
a lasting impulse, which will enable something vital to survive.
Pauline Tiben
|
|  3/3 |
|
|
