Observation at St. John's on the Lake

As I have an upcoming workshop at St. John's on the Lake, I made a visit to observe one of their regularly scheduled events. It was a movement/art class instructed by Kelly Anderson who is a dancer & choreographer in the Milwaukee area. You may remember I blogged about working with her in my Missed Connections post.

In the group, Anderson worked with some TimeSlips concepts where she presented them with a photo and they came up with some really creative responses. We went on a wild adventure with ideas such as a war over a mysterious empire waged by a 600 year old princess to a ragtime piano played by a couple of long-necked critters. TimeSlips is a great way for people to initiate sharing of experiences and creativity. The model is to take a photo and find a story -- any story. I had forgotten how wonderful it was to work with pictures to generate thoughts and ideas which could create movement.

Picture taken from Time Slips Website

Though the group was small in size with 8 participants including myself and Anderson, it gave a nice level of intimacy. I think the group contributed more possibly because of the sense of safety within the group along with the comforting confidence within Anderson. The challenge with less people in a group comes when the participants are more on the spot to perform. Anderson's overall approach to the individuals at St. John's was relaxed, informative, and open. There was a level of connection that she had with the clients that she had a laid back demeanor, but all the while still sharing information and open to new thoughts.

I am even more excited now for my own event coming up involving traditions and culture. It would be beneficial if I could use some of the storytelling philosophies from TimeSlips with my own special twist. I hope I can have a similar effect working with memories and movement. Confidently, I am always thrilled to work with the St. John's participants because they all offer so much!