Have you heard of the group Pilobolus?  Most known for the Pilobolus Dance Theatre group, Pilobolus is also a cultural institute, offering education and training, as well as an organization that offers creative services to businesses and industries through workshops and consulting.  They started back in 1971 as a self-described “outsider dance company.”  Their signature was the exploration of creative collaborations through athleticism and movement.  But their mission quickly moved beyond performances, to inspire others to transform their perceptions of “what dance should be.”  They foment a culture of effective group creativity, using dance as their tool.  “We watch what is unique about every body that moves, and in doing so discover infinite forms of what is beautiful and possible.”

The proof is in the pudding–as you cannot escape bending your perceptions of what is possible when you see one of their performances.  Maybe you already have!  Did you catch the Academy Awards ceremony in 2007?  You might remember the series of silhouettes that peppered the ceremony.

Or perhaps you’ve caught this commercial for Hyundai while flipping the channels.

That’s Pilobolus!  Recently, I caught a movement piece performed by Pilobolus at the TED conference.  Some forewarning, it’s about 13 minutes long.  However, the piece “Symbiosis,” merges biology, creation and relationships in the most amazing way.  It’s worth the time.  Let it inspire you to consider the infinite possibilities!

Cheers,

Megan

Copyright 2007~ Rebeca Beeman

Celebrations marking Guelaguetza week have arrived here in Oaxaca. Also known locally as Lunes de Cerro (Monday on the Hill), Guelaguetza is one of the most important customs celebrated in Oaxaca. The word—a bit tricky to pronounce (gay-lah-GHET-sah)—comes from Zapotec, an indigenous language still widely spoken around the state. It means: “reciprocal exchanges of gifts and services.”

The focal point of Guelaguetza week is the large folkloric dance festival that takes place on the two Mondays following July 16 in a large amphitheater on the hillside overlooking Oaxaca City (thus, Lunes de Cerro). Indigenous delegations hailing from the seven regions around the state flock to the city to present their region’s traditional music and dances in the intricate and colorful costumes representative of their home communities. At the close of each dance, delegations heave giant palm-thatched baskets up onto stage, dipping in, and hurling treasures from their villages to the eager public in the stands. Clothe-wrapped cheeses, artisanal breads, sombreros and the like, are tossed out wildly. The dancer who can heft with the most gusto receives the wildest cheers from a grateful audience.

But Guelaguetza involves much more than the two dance festivals atop the Cerro de Fortín. Parades, or calendas, begin days before the big show; brass bands, giant puppets and roving revelers hoisting up luminaries march through town, gathering up passersby in their wake. A mezcal festival squats down between the walls of Santo Domingo and Carmen Alto churches, offering visitors a chance to sample from the myriad flavors and varieties of Oaxaca’s artisanal producers.

Copyright 2007~ Rebeca Beeman

Guelaguetza week draws many tourists from around México, and the world. The town is pulsing with new activity. I’ll confess that I prefer the celebrations out in small villages, or the ones that take place in homes all over Oaxaca, to the pomp and circumstance in town. Small pockets of communities all over the state host their own dance festivals over the next two weeks. The crowds are less, but more local. And the celebrations take on some air of what the Guelaguetza originally looked like when there was no amphitheater or Secretary of Tourism—but just a hillside packed with those proud to share what their ancestors taught them.

Copyright 2007~ Rebeca Beeman

My own adopted Mexican family here invites loved ones over for a lunch that stretches from two in the afternoon until dawn. We sprawl and eat, dance and chat. We embody the Spanish word “convivir,” which a dictionary will tell you means “to exist,” but also literally means “to live with.” I like both meanings. And I like to think of Guelaguetza as a time to personify that verb in action. I invite you, wherever you are in the world, to celebrate your own kind of Guelaguetza this week. It’s a great excuse to reconnect!

Saludos,
Megan

** Photos courtesty Rebeca Beeman.