Dancing with Friedel Kloke-eibl (2)

Friedel Kloke-eibl’s workshop - Kent - May 2010.

Cathi and I enjoy dancing with Friedel. Some of this writing might indicate something of why we do.

Friedel holds and expects a focus of attention as part of a greater responsibility than simply mimicking or being told what to do. This effectively calls dancers to listen within and bringing attention present. I regard Friedel as an excellent teacher with whom to discover a greater expression of the inner dancer; the integrated movement of the whole being; love’s expression.

Friedel doesn't feed her dancers with opportunities for premature self satisfaction - but rather tends to drop us into situations where we are much less in control than we might otherwise prefer. She achieves this because she is at one with her work. Her presence pervades the circle even though she understates herself. I have the image of a tuning fork for awakened teaching - where the teacher holds a consistent tone of conscious appreciation. This is the relationship that the dancers come in various degrees to appreciate as Friedel’s gift - and as it is discerned she is loved - and appropriately so - for her work is a direct expression of her love for dance - and for the very life that moves us.

Dance - which implicitly includes music - is a mode of expression by which that which moves us may be made manifest and known in truth. The suite of dances that Friedel drew from were created in inspiration from a story by Herman Hesse called Pictor - and she shared this story as well as other poems during the workshop as a symbolic doorway to access our own life - at the level of creative expression. For it is an awakened creativity that moves the dancer as one in an effortlessness of being through a singleness of desire.

Dancing with Friedel is work though I tend to call it willingness. It is an inner work in which we are willing to enter a process of learning and teaching in which a degree of chaos is felt and moved through. The usual response to such chaos is control, and ‘getting it right’ - at least at the level of form - gives a feeling of protection from personal chaos - which arises from some sense of getting it wrong or not getting it. It is this reflex we overcome through practice.

Friedel could easily teach the actual dances in ways that communicate their steps and consolidate the step learning - much more than she does. But then Friedel doesn't teach dances - she teaches dance.

To know things from the outside in is to be a victim to structure rather than to share the Creative perspective or Meaning. Although Meaning cannot be described or defined in structural terms - such as concepts - its experience is available as the flow of being into expression.
In moments when we really  ‘get it’ - or perhaps more accurately when we let it take us - we know in our dance a grace and beauty of life that is truly homing and unifying to our life.
Friedel doesn't talk any of this - apart from a few comments now and then that point out a direction to take or not to take. But she does hold dance to be her path in life and acknowledges that words and ideas can speak forever and yet never open or share the life Divine - (I use my own words here to paraphrase the sense I had of her own).

Friedel’s spirituality is universal in that it isn't fixed in structure based or thought based realities - yet she is most precise in her usage of structure and form. Friedel is at her most entertaining when demonstrating how not to dance specific steps. Perhaps this is where she also feels free to allow glimpses of humour that release some of the self seriousness that dancers inevitably become entangled in.

The territory of personal chaos, is also one of a self consciousness - a sense of exposure amidst a liability to feel inadequate.
Friedel does not impose this upon anyone - but she does structure her teaching so that we discover it in ourselves. For this is the ‘block’ or ‘territory’ we must move through if we are to be free of a limiting and conflicted rigidity of a false self consciousness. This is extraordinarily difficult from the perspective of the limited perspective because everything in our perception reinforces a self belief that has lost a fundamental trust. This shows up when we try to ‘do’ her dances.

Yet who can glimpse truth, (the grace of dance), and remain content with their own teaching? (a sense of self possessed control). The awakening dancer finds the teacher as the guidance of the events in their own lives; the promptings and discoveries of a path that will not fit into our own ideas of how life should be - but that we lose it. But sometimes we meet the teacher as a teacher.  For me a true teacher may be an advocate for the student’s potential - but never replace the process of student’s discovery with their own teachings or person. Friedel has my appreciation for her work - even though I have only glimpsed it in two weekends.

What about the critical points that surely must appear if this is to represent a balanced perspective? Have I just announced myself to be a Friedel devotee? Well it isn't really like that. My love for Friedel is not separated from my love - period. This is a different love than the attraction of ‘food’ - in that it is simply love. I have no pre-set ideas as to whether I will continue to dance with Friedel in further workshops but Friedel is inspirationally alive in my dance.

At the level of the forms there could be a plethora of critical points - and yet they all belong at the level of inconsequence. There will always be something about the forms of things that does or does not line up with one’s expectation or desire. The key aspect for me is whether the purpose is truly served. What purpose? Friedel has her life and experience as a dancer and teacher and makes herself available by offering a workshop which we as dancers are drawn to discover (or extend our discovery) by attending. As this was my second time with Friedel, I was clear of baggage that I knew wouldn't help - so I didn't begin to get involved with whether I liked or disliked the music or dances. I know that Friedel has a Balletic approach and this means that there is a classical dominance in the style and content of the workshop. But the lessons I find are universal.

As it happens, this time I find I have within me a few of the dances and I have already begun to share them. This is interesting to me as I feel the dances generally need the context that Friedel holds and exemplifies. This calls me to teach likewise - though in my own style. I don't regard this context as an overly serious spirituality - but as a singleness of intent that communicates itself appropriately. We can only share with others as they are willing to discover - but we can give witness and demonstration such that the Spirit of dance is not hidden. Friedel has taught me more than I may yet have realised. I find that what we receive has a way of unfolding further as we trust it. One such is the idea of not giving without also demanding something - not to barter or set a value - but to share value in a mutual willingness.

There is a truth that, as you give, so will you receive. It is no less true that those who are willing to give - will receive because giving is the nature of receiving. This is what we have forgotten in our attempt to 'get' for ourselves alone.

Dancing opens the life presently as an expression of  shared reality for me. But I see that one can also dance so as to protect our separated or private sense of self - and yet ‘join’ in forms and music that we like. I wouldn't seek to deprive anyone of what helps them cope with a loveless existence - but there is an altogether different starting place than identifying oneself loveless. Is it not true that as dancers we receive to the degree we are willing to give our willingness and attention? It is also true that what Friedel shared with us is altogether worthy of our giving. One of the implicit teachings I feel in working with Friedel is that the living love of you is seeking trust and expression. This is who I feel she serves, and not our self presentations whith which we tend to identify.

One of the reasons why words seldom ‘work’ in opening the door to Life is that we are too accustomed to believing we ‘know’ - and words, concepts and definitions are primary tools whereby we exercise a sense of controlling life. We are thus less likely to allow the encounter with the ‘chaos’ of ‘not knowing’ and less likely to persist in passing through it. However, I enjoy writing as a kind of ‘dance’ that may well be inconsequential - excepting for the spirit that is - I trust - manifest through it.

See my previous article on Friedel HERE