Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Dancing about pots

I have been doing hip-hop lessons. No-one will ever see the results of this, I'm absolutely terrible. (Unless I get really drunk at the national conference and think it would be a good idea.... But actually I'm so BAD despite my lessons that I'll probably be doing daggy 80's school disco style like everyone else my age. And that's tragic enough, best to avoid alcohol and musical situations altogether!)

Despite teaching me very little about dancing, hip-hop lessons have taught me a thing or two about making pots. In dancing class the teacher shows you a few steps and you practice a couple of times then do it to music, after that it goes on to the next steps and it all moves along pretty fast relying on your memory. Eventually the teacher sits down to watch the class and almost always sees me in the back going left when everyone else is going right. It is a great memory exercise though. What I've learned about potting comes in when I'm throwing.

Usually I put a pointer up and throw to the pointer to get all the teabowls the same size, after dancing class I realized that relying on the pointer meant I was doubting my physical memory just as relying on the mirrors and watching the teacher in dance class prevents you from actually learning the steps. When I forgot about the pointer the throwing was smoother, more rhythmic and the bowls all came out within a millimeter of each other. Letting go of your safety net.....
You find you didn't need it after all.


Fizzy D dancing like flying, dancing like throwing.

6 comments:

andrew widdis said...

I promised never to dance again mid 90's.
Just weigh the clay the same I say. No stick for me, it always got in the way.

Chrissy Foreman C said...

i LOOOOOOVE he ceramics in your blog header. Just beautiful

Studio Terrafemina said...

Oh gosh that is sweet.
All the sneaky little places improvement strides up into a person's day!
I love that!
Dancing like throwing.
Yup-Yup.
Throwing like dancing.
Nice piece of writing.
:)
From Mickey
on Vancouver Island

Anonymous said...

i love the dancing... my little one is dancing constantly, wonder when i stopped

Unknown said...

beautiful work..
was researching Clare Belfrage's
work and found you.. so glad we popped in
mona & the girls
hip hop :) gosh I can barely do my yoga..
mona & the girls

gracia said...

'I have been doing hip-hop lessons. No-one will ever see the results of this, I'm absolutely terrible'... delightful! g xo