EVERYONE COMING HOME

BACKGROUND-

There have been times in which I have noticed a feeling of placement when I deeply surrender to the ecstatic response. This maybe from the effort of being accepting of whatever may come as part of the requirement in being able to follow the ecsatic response, or from my days as a busker. But it is noticeable that I can find a pronounced sense of placement, domain and home in the spot I am surrendering, into which I can include any others who are present.

In some public dance events I have practiced this, bringing the impression to the fullest I can. I found I could put a focus on specific areas, objects or people that would act as placers for keeping the focus. Then when walking through or looking back into the space the feeling was palpable, coming back to me without any effort at fostering it. The space was transformed, at least in my perception of it.

SETTING-

Nov. 10, 2011
Sproul Plaza near Sather Gate at UC Berkeley Campus

SET UP-

I set up my red rope half circle as a stage area and put up a small sign with the words "Everyone Coming Home". I also had some of my ecstatic gear, the earth bucket with a feather in it, the blue water bottle, and my paper carrying bag with street forms attached to it, all placed around me.

PRESENTATION-

I began to elicit the ecstatic response moving away from the staging area but returning to it often when the response lessened. I focused on the trees lining the lane leading up to Sather Gate where I was situated making them placers for the space they surrounded. I also focused on the passing people with the effort in including them into an experience of placement and home for us both.

EXPERIENCE-

I found the campus to be a loaded environment and so a difficult place to keep a focus, resulting either from the nature of a particular group agenda, my own memories of college days, or both. Also this was a specific task, recreating a pronounced sensation of home rather than a general act of surrender, making the outcome of this outing more of a challenge than in other outings.

I had to recall the method I used to create a transformed space of home, not realizing beforehand that it had slipped from me, but I remembered enough to then focus on the trees, giving them a downward trajectory, a grounding if you will. That gave me enough of cultured environment to further my focus on myself and the others who were passing by or stationed in the area.

I did have interactions with a few individuals, some asking me many questions about what I was doing. This again is a newer challenge for me, to remain in the ecstatic response while conversing with another, and still finding the placement of home for us both in this case. I also had some cards with a tiny eyes logo and web address, six of which got out to the public.

The sensation of placement and home was there, but still would come and go. It required a lot of focus on individuals, and when it was more pronounced, the individuals were exquisitely beautiful. I did take a few passes up the alley, and at a few times near the end I did very much feel myself walking through a transformed space, it flowing around me, which made me laugh and smile. And could see us all sharing this transformed space with each other.

 

 


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