BRAVO HARRISON. BRAVO!!!!!!!!! Elwin Guild Future Development International Baltimore
--- Harrison Owen <hho...@verizon.net> wrote: > The question of performance and the role of the facilitator is by no > means > trivial, so far as I am concerned. So for me you are definitely not > plugging > up the airwaves! > > However, I am not sure that my reaction to jugglers is the same as > yours. > Truthfully, when I watch a juggler (a good one) along with High Wire > folks, > I relish the technical excellence and am awed by the capacity to push > the > boundaries of human performance. Obviously there are "show-offs" in > those > professions, as well as all others -- but sooner or later the > show-offs seem > to end on the mat or drop their balls. Appreciation of one's skill is > one > thing, but making the mistake of assumed omnipotence is something > different, > I think. Humility always has a place. And really letting go seems to > be the > key to truly high performance -- the sort of performance that > distinguishes > itself from mere technical achievement. > > Anyhow, when it comes to OS facilitation, it is always a performance, > which > may be done well or poorly. Speaking strictly for myself I can say > that over > the years I have thought and practiced extensively every bit of what > I do as > the facilitator. AND -- when the moment comes I totally throw all > that out > the window, at least as far as conscious act is concerned. My single > desire > at the point of departure is to be possessed by a totally open, > clear, and > vacant mind. Nothing there but the moment and the people. Sounds a > little > weird, I guess, but it sure takes care of any and all control needs. > > Harrison > > Harrison Owen > 7808 River Falls Drive > Potomac, Maryland 20854 > Phone 301-365-2093 > Skype hhowen > Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com > Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org > Personal website www.ho-image.com > OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the > archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > > -----Original Message----- > From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of > Phelim > McDermott > Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 5:24 PM > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Subject: Re: Chaos/Juggling curve ball..question > > Yes i totally agree Harrison.. > > and forgive me for trying to make connections with performance which > > may not be there. > > For herein lies my question which seems to affect me on a very subtle > > level. > > I have spent years having a reaction to juggling as a skill... > because it so often seems to be a skill practiced in eternity (or the > > bedroom) to go out into the world and demonstrate that someone has > mastered the ability to control chaos... its a story of domination > over the forces of nature. As a performer/audience dynamic it is also > > one of domination... Look what i can do You cant! > > So as a performer there is a route to impressive armour rather than > vulnerabilty. > > This mastery or domination of the game often deliberately includes > the dropping of balls to give the illusion of vulnerability whilst > then being "really impressive" to show victory over the force of > darkness that chaos surely is.. > > And as I watch my reaction always is: > > You want to get out more! > > On the other hand great performances make you think: I could do > that too! and you want to jump onstage yourself. > > I have spent years trying to teach or communicate the idea that > its important to not get better at stuff as you gain skills. If you > > think that Improvisation is about learning how to do something well, > > so the story is over then youre missing the point.. you can NEVER do > > it and thats what makes it and you interesting. The inclusion of > your relationship to unpredictable forces is how you model a new way > > of being in the world and its what keeps the audience and us > interested. > > So potentially the more hands shiva has whilst juggling (with a > finite number of balls) the less interesting she actually becomes.... > > to me. What Im interested in is how she behaves when she really > drops the ball or she trips whilst juggling and has to deal with it. > > Does she curse the arbitrary forces of nature for spoiling her plan > or does she demonstrate humility and love by including them in > her journey? > > This is what has always interested me in performance and why i feel > > i knew what open space was before i heard it named as such.... > aaaaah. > > However I notice that this performer seems to be in a space where he > > has pushed his skill level into a new zone.. > > perhaps.. > > It relates to the fact that he seems to bring in an emotional story > into his juggling journey.. > > Or that he challenges the gods by playing such cheesy music and > daring to sport such a ridiculous haircut.. surely a temptation to > the forces of chaos! > > Whatever... there is something in there that makes me like him and > either he is a master of deception and its a safe journey for > him..... or he is standing on the edge of chaos and Im responding > to that? > > I dont quite know. But i do keep coming back to him.... and wonder > if he might open and close space quite well. > > Or maybe he would just look good at doing it? > > its a big question for me.. but understand it might be a small one > for others.. > > So sorry if Im clogging the string with a lot of talk about balls. > > Love and chaos. > > phelim xx > > > On 28 Mar 2006, at 13:40, Harrison Owen wrote: > > > I think it is a great image -- but I do have a problem. As a > > facilitator my > > experience is that 250 people (recently in Seville) are juggling > > 1000's of > > balls, only a few of which they (individually) threw into the air, > > > but most > > have come into the space from other places, including the other > > people, > > random events in the environment, and possibly from beyond time and > > > space > > (wherever that is). And for sure, few, if any, of the balls came > > from my > > hands! Heck in most cases, I didn't even know the balls were in the > > > air, and > > certainly could not name them. If I am supposed to be "The Juggler" > > > I would > > need infinitely more hands and arms than Shiva ever dreamed of. :-) > > > > If you carry this one on out -- the OS facilitator places him/her > > self in > > the position of enabling a finite number of people (5-2000) to > > juggle an > > infinite number of balls coming from every conceivable direction > and > > dimension of space/time -- which might just be the standard 3 > > dimensions, or > > 6 in Phase Space, or 13 if String Theory is correct. Gosh -- Just > an > > ordinary day's work in Open Space. Lots of luck , Folks! > > > > Harrison > > > > > > > > > > > > Harrison Owen > > 7808 River Falls Drive > > Potomac, Maryland 20854 > > Phone 301-365-2093 > > Skype hhowen > > Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com > > Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org > > Personal website www.ho-image.com > > OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the > > archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of > > Phelim > > McDermott > > Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 6:13 AM > > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > > Subject: Chaos/Juggling curve ball..question > > > > Ok folks being from a performance background and not usually liking > > juggling.. i can't stop watching this clip.. > > > > http://s158645047.onlinehome.us/video_5290_10558.html?sid=5290 > > > > and want to ask the question where does this connect to open space/ > > chaos/control what are the links? are there any.. > > > > one thought i had was.. what would it look like if we couldnt see > him > > and just the balls? > > > > any thoughts? > > > > phelim > > > > * > > * > > ========================================================== > > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > > ------------------------------ > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > > > To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: > > http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > > > > * > > * > > ========================================================== > > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > > ------------------------------ > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > > > To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: > > http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: > http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: > http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
