Our reporter John learns 'organic' expression of dance

Our reporter John Balson tries unlocking his ‘four male archetypes’ with an expressive dance workshop.

Apparently this alternative form of dance will help unlock the four male archetypes that are present in every man – lover, warrior, magician and king.

Already being a master in three out of the four, I headed to this pre-arranged session keen to learn more.

Mary Nonde, the instructor leading this ‘5 Rhythms’ dance movement class, was ready and waiting inside the dimly-lit Pugin Room in Mill Road, Marlow.

She has been a community dance artist for the last 10 years running her own company Dancing For Joy, and has made it her mission to bring the ‘benefits’ of dancing to everyone.

The mother-of-one was classically trained as a ballet dancer from the age of five but branched out to become a member of the Foundation for Community Dance.
 
“Our mission is to make dance available to just about anybody,” she said, after instructing me to take off my trainers. From little tiny people to elderly people, to people who are in hospital and people in companies and businesses.

“I would like to work with anybody, especially those who don’t consider themselves to be dancers, or who don’t have a formal dance education.”

So what does it involve?

“Sometimes we work out dances using the inspiration of nature to have people find that education within them, which fosters a greater range of movements – that is what I am really about,” said Mary,  who is currently studying for a masters in somatic art psychotherapy.

“Tango and ballet, they are a stylised set of rules that you dance. This is the opposite, it is not a particular style, the movement arises from within you. It is organic and so it is very health beneficial – remember they say the body never lies.”

Finally, we are ready to start and the session kicks off with a gentle stroll around the room and chat about my day. Some music is then switched on and the pace picks up and we glide around the vacant hall.

Not knowing quite what to do, I try copying some of Mary’s moves until the roles are suddenly reversed and I am told to lead.

I desperately try to remember some kind of boy band routine but fail horribly. Luckily, this is just a warm-up and, following another quick chat, the nerves are finally settled.

The next 45 minutes I was taught some of the techniques and exercises Mary has developed over the years, including control of central balance and using the whole of the body to dance. We spent a lot of the time ‘centred’ with our eyes shut, working on some pretty relaxing neck, head and leg manoeuvres and learning to 'sense the body’.

“You have excellent posture. If someone saw that they would be very engaged with your movement. It is exciting, it is expressive,” she told me.

After the class, I felt a lot better than when I went in, and as a final surprise I was given crayons and paper to use my new ‘expressive energy’.

Mary is running a men-only workshop on Sunday from 6.30-9.30pm and a women’s workshop on November 29.

She wants to keep the sexes initially separated for the first few lessons before joining the classes. For information call 01628 473198 or e-mail mary@dancingforjoy.co.uk