Bones, Space, and Time

On December 1, 2014 VoiceWorks and SoundBody Studio, presented a one hour workshop to 24 visual arts students at Camosun College. This is the 2nd time that the instructor Brenda Petays had requested that I give the students an experience to explore their bodies and connect it to their artistic work.

The workshop was titled: “Bones Space and Time” and was an opportunity for students to get out of their heads and into their bodies. At the workshop we spent time:

1) Accessing their curiosity about their bodies by exploring their pain patterns, relaxing them and regaining the space in their bodies and minds (heads);

2) Accessing their creative relationship to their bodies. Giving them experiences that allowed them to take up more space in the room and develop movement and time relationships with the group.

3) Drawing three – 1 minute long sketches in last part of the session, where students drew:

what their body felt like before our session began;
how it had changed physically;
how it changed them emotionally.

(The photos in this post are just a few of the images that students were inspired to draw during the workshop.)

Some students commented on how this experience was so immediate and direct in accessing breath, permission and expression, that they had a sense of creative relief, which got them inspired to draw from that different experience.

The students learnt how to recognize and address pain patterns in their hands, wrists, arms, shoulder sand neck and to use self massage techniques to relieve some of their physical pressures. They also learnt how to help each other relieve body pain and how to claim space, breath and decrease pressure thru partner work.

Special Project: From the Heart

Bisia is currently participating in From the Heart: Enter into the Journey of Reconciliation, an innovative community dialogue project inspired by Paulette Regan’s bestselling book, Unsettling the Settler Within. A multi-cultural group of thirty non-Indigenous Canadians between the ages of 18 and 79 are finding common ground working together to create a unique theatre production in Victoria this summer.

SPECIAL EVENT
VoiceWorks Recall and Videotaping

Wednesday January 8, 2014
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

For all VoiceWorks and VocalBody students. An evening of brainstorming and cataloguing VoiceWorks exercises and warmups. These will be videotaped( Grace Salez) and made into a teacher training video. I am interested in hearing from you about those exercises and warmups that have had the most impact on you. If you have studied with me since the beginning or just started please join me for this evenings ‘recall’ session.
Cost: special rate of only $5 (to cover cost of room rental)
Let me know if you are planning to attend, with thanks from me, Margot and Kim (who has started her training…yippee).

November 2013
Saturday, November 16th: Private sponsored workshop
This private VoiceWorks workshop is being sponsored by Brandy Baybutt and will take place at her new studio in Sooke.
Contact Bisia by email at bisia@shaw.ca for more information.

Wednesday, November 20th: “The Bass Man is a coming”
Bass player Vic Gnaedinger is joining us and we will jump into improvised blues compositions in this class.
Fee: $20 at the door

PAST Voice and Movement Series

VocalBody meets Laban Movement
April 14, 2013 with Marcia F.W.Jones
VocalBody meets Qi Gong with Patricia Bluemel
Sunday, June 2, 2013, 1:30 pm – 4:30, cost $65
VocalBody meets 5Rhythms
dates to be confirmed

Margot is successfully running her own pre-registered series of five Mondays at the studio. She is mentoring and facilitating with Julie Froekjaer as they present “Song Lines and Singing Rivers: Voice and Nature” MAY 24 and 25, 2013.
Registration: mjohnston@islandnet.com

Bisia Series

BODYWORKS CLASS Monday, May 13 7:30-9pm $20 @ studio
Those wishing to learn more about the self massage component of VoiceWorks classes
and for those in the mentoring program. Learn techniques on how to deal with your overstressed anatomy.

TEACHER TRAINING and MENTORING Monday, May 27
Diana and Kim presenting work on concept of writing and voice.
June 10 Margot and Julie will debrief their workshop with enthusiasm

PERFORMANCE LAB AND COMPOSITION Mondays, June 3 , June 17, June 24
We will be working on VocalBody pieces using LED GLOVES and GLOW BALLS.

Rehearsals for our In-studio Presentations

Format: Three Monday nights
Dates: Mondays, June 1, 8, and 15, 2015
Time: 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Cost: $15 per class
Location: #202-1600 Bay Street, Victoria, BC (enter on Shakespeare St.)

Last Class/Presentations

Wednesday, June17, 2015, 7:30–9:00 pm

MISSA with Bisia and Margot

June 27 and 28, 2015
Two full days intensive @ Pearson College in Metchosin
Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts
Registration Information: https://www.facebook.com/missamagic

Teacher Trainings

Monday, February 23, 2015 and Saturday, February 28, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015 and Saturday, May 2, 2015

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