SWEATING
HEALTH
by Jason Shaad
YOUR PRAYERS
Laura Martin-Eagle considers one of the most important parts of her job as an instructor of the 5 Rhythms to be guiding people through these rhythms. She does this with carefully selected music. Here's a sample playlist from one of her sessions:
"To Cry About" by Mary Margaret O'Hara
"What Are You Afraid Of" by West Indian Girl
"Broken English" by Marianne Faithfull
"Sanctity of Sex" by Isabelle Pascale Granet
"Oh Yeah". by Yello
"Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak" by Macy Gray
"Wednesday Night" by Dubtribe Sound System
"Free" by Funky Green Dogs
"Brimful of Asha (Fatboy Slim Remix)" by Cornershop
"Spell" by Patti Smith
"Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
"Kuos (gnomes mix)" by Banco de Gaia
"Drums of New York by Darude
ILLUSTRATION/CATHERINE COQUILLETTE
"Dinner at the Sugerbush" by Brent Lewis
"Clear With Fantasy by Govinda
How music and movement can help your body and soul
it'salittledisconcerting the Sweat Your Prayers the cool, dimly-lit dance love Liberty Hall, People trip and gyrate around music that ranges from Gray's "Sex-O-Matic" to "Somewhere to Bow" by soothing Kamakawiwo'ole we wanna into a funky party.
to sit at the class in the o studio above dance jump the rope to from Ms. Venus Over The crooner I am it's like we dance party Every Su
Laura Martin
Muriel Be
Eagle Be Moved Studio, 2 E. Seventh St., for Sweat Your Prayers, a music-facilitated class where people dance through a sort of moving meditation called the 5 Rhythms. It's not for everyone, and Martin-Eagle admits that some people immediately think it's "new age stuff with ooey-gooey music." But after you swallow your pride and let down your barriers,
it can be a cathartic, fun and rejuvenating experience.
Sweat Your Prayers follows the 5 Rhythms, a movement practice devised by Gabrielle Roth, a former professional dancer, in the 1960s. After several years of observing people's movements and dance patterns, Roth developed the five rhythms — flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness — as a sort of dance therapy. In principle, the rhythms reflect how people progress through life. Practicing them is supposed to help people understand more about themselves and their bodies.
Flowing is letting your emotions fill your body. "Whatever you feel like, you let it in," Martin-Eagle says. Flowing, fluid music usually accompanies this first rhythm, she says.
Staccato is letting your
JUST IMAGINE HOW YOU WOULD DANCE IN YOUR ROOM IF NOBODY ELSE WERE AROUND. NOW IMAGINE 30 PEOPLE AROUND YOU DOING THE SAME THING.
emotions out."You're expressing your inner emotions to the outside world." The music that accompanies staccato can be almost anything, Martin-Eagle says, from Eric Clapton songs to the funky, lush melodies of groups like Dubtribe Sound System.
Chaos involves letting go. Martin-Eagle says."Everything is moving,"she says."You focus on grounding your energy." Chaos music usually includes electronic
music with drums and techno music.
The lyrical rhythm is "letting go of letting go." It involves movements similar to chaos, but instead of focusing energy toward the ground, you focus it toward the air, Martin-Eagle says. It uses all sorts of music, from disco to Fatboy Slim remixes.
Lastly, stillness involves letting yourself be moved, Martin-Eagle says. "You stop being a dancer and allow yourself to be moved," she says. "How does your spirit move you or how does God move you?" Slower, softer music accompanies stillness.
If the practice of the 5 Rhythms seems a little vague, it's because it's such a personal practice, Martin-Eagle says. There is no particular dance
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08. 17.2006 JAYPLAY <11