Body Intelligence
“I train the Virago company with my Body Intelligence classes, as well as teach regular drop-in classes in Brooklyn. I am available for private coaching and group workshops.
The heart of the Body Intelligence class is Allan Wayne Work. There are elements of physical therapy, yoga, acting, and modern dance incorporated into class. The following description of the Allan Wayne Work is heavily influenced by an interview of Paul Langland, Allan’s student, and by my teacher, Brendan McCall.
The movement is repetitive and very often circular, designed to release chronic tension in the superficial muscles. It is as if the tensions are like rocks and the movement is like water eroding away at the tension with every wave of motion. We are rehabilitating the deeper postural muscles. I incorporate Wilheim Reich's idea of emotional memory and the belief that physical release releases emotional tension.
The commitment is to lead the students through experiential exercises and functionally-based improvisations in pursuit of a transparent body: a body where impulses are seen closer to their origin and not filtered through the student's personal tensions.
There is a commitment to the group energy. As the class progresses, and we have revealed a more transparent body, we move into structured movement improvisations so the student can experience their impulses in a body not clouded by its habitual tension. As a student and teacher, I say it feels like freedom.
I hope to move with you.”
- Brenna Palughi
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