CHASING THE DANCE OF LIFE: Hallelujah studies FLOW through the movement of dance and mentors

HALLELUJAH FOR THE DANCE OF LIFE! Thank you to the mentors of movement in my life, Lesly Fredman, Lori Teague, Gabrielle Roth, Cynthia Winton-Henry! (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Hallelujah for the celebration of life through DANCE! Although I have just started reading Cynthia Winton-Henry's book, Chasing the Dance of Life: A Faith Journey, I am delighting in Cynthia's splendid self-proclamation as being peculiar and different but fully HERSELF. 

At the beginning of her first chapter, "Fire in My Flesh," she shares a quote from Flannery O'Conner, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you odd."

It this TRUTH that I seek to find and practice. Who is afraid of BEING ODD?  Especially if this ODDNESS brings the comfort of self-knowledge and membership to the tribe of ODD-ONES! We ODD ONES are not alone after all (This thought makes me burst out laughing!).

As I spin about dancing "waves" in Gabrielle Roth's Five Rhythms, I am releasing life-long negative memories and current stresses both work related and personal. By dancing and releasing, I am opening myself to a new way of being and possibilities! This is FLOW!

In this FLOW, I am experiencing what Gabrielle Roth calls the Divine Feminine, which is comprised of the trinity: mistress, mother, and madonna! To help her readers and dancers embody this Divine Feminine Trinity, Gabrielle Roth provides "To-Do (or not to do) Lists" for creating parties for the mistress, mother, and madonna in her book, Sweat Your Prayers. 

Dear FELLOW ART PILGRIM, will you join me for a party celebrating the MOTHER? Here is Gabrielle Roth's "To-Do" list for the Mother Party:

"Give a party to nurture the senses. Invite your friends to dress in their most flowing attire and bring their favorite comfort foods and sweets--macaroni and cheese, chicken soup, blintzes, bread pudding, pies of all kinds.

As your guests enter, anoint them with scented oils. Play flowing sensual music. Set up a massage corner for foot and hand massage. Make sure you have incense, flowers, candles, refreshing liquids--everything you need to create a nurturing environment."

 --Gabrielle Roth, Sweat Your Prayers

FLOW OF THE MOTHER! (art by Hallelujah Truth)

I too am chasing the DANCE OF LIFE! That's Coffee with Hallelujah! Please RSVP regarding the Mother Party! I am looking to celebrate having found the TRUTH and want to commune with my tribe of ODD-ONES!

FLOW FOR CONTINUOUS CHANGE: Moving our physical bodies propels our emotional centers to shift!

IN THE FLOW OF SELF. (Art by Hallelujah Truth)

"Flowing is the state of being fluid, of hanging loose and being flexible."

Gabrielle Roth of Five Rhythms

Hallelujah for FLOW!  Because when we are in the FLOW, we are connected to the rhythms of the Earth and continuous change!

"He not busy being born is busy dying."

Bob Dylan

I find that I am compelled to MOVE, and when I MOVE, I become something different altogether--I CHANGE. I FLOW. I am REBORN!

OUTER FLOW CREATES INNER FLOW. (Art by Hallelujah Truth)

How mysterious and wonderful CHANGE is. For me, I have been evoking the mysteries of emotional, psychological, and intellectual CHANGE through the earthy pounding of my feet and frenzied poetic waving of my arms reaching to the heavens! I have been DANCING!

I have been DANCING waves through five rhythms, the first rhythm being FLOW!

 DANCING FLOW CONNECTS ME WITH THE CYCLES OF LIFE. (Art by Hallelujah Truth)

Dancing FLOW propels me deeper into myself, cycling into my past, swirling into now, and becoming my future. However, CHANGE is challenging on many fronts!

Leaving the safety of predictability takes courage! And you will find that in the process of being REBORN, you are asked to explain your transformation to others. 

OUT OF FLOW, GOOD THINGS COME. (Art by Hallelujah Truth)

Yet in FLOW, after seeing the BELOVED in yourself, you become aware of the BELOVED in others. 

OUT OF FLOW, GOOD THINGS COME! 

That's Coffee with Hallelujah! Are you in the FLOW? What dance will you do today to awaken your inner self and propel yourself to being REBORN?

MY FLOW. For now, MY FLOW feels so contained and private. Mysterious. Present. Curiously Active--like a woman in a hijab! As a visionary artist, I make my art to discover my inner being. My images speak to me, and we dialogue about the self that I am. These images inspired by the colorful scarves worn by my international students at the Georgia Tech Language Institute speak to me. Their faces peering at me invite me inside the mystery. How transformative it must be to travel to another country with a very different culture to study! How I admire these women and learn from them. As I dance the FLOW of the five rhythms, I, too, enter a new country and culture. How fantastic!  (Art by Hallelujah Truth)

MOVING TOWARD ABSTRACTION: Exploring the Soul in a New Way

DANCE FLOW. Here I am expressing the departure from emotion to the connection with the music through dance. I want to say, I am dissolved into the sound waves, the muscle waves,  the being waves.  I AM THE FLOW. (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Dear Pilgrims, what is ABSTRACTION? And just what is the value of this form of communication? Hallelujah Truth (me) values the representational images that comprise the symbols of her universe. While my symbols are "abstractions" of an idea, they are definitely recognizable shapes that viewers can name.

This is a snake.



This is a woman with flowers in her hair.

This is a woman in a burka.



These artworks of mine are not deemed "abstract." Is that correct? I am self-taught artist who makes images to develop the expression my SOUL by honoring the creative process.

So if I am to "move towards abstraction," as is the theme of this upcoming Women's Caucus for the Arts of Georgia, what would that mean for me the SOUL SEEKING HALLELUJAH TRUTH? Do I know how to make an abstraction and  what would it communicate from my SOUL to YOURS?

Let me explore...

In today's blog is the first image I made, moving towards abstraction.

DANCE FLOW INVERTED ON PHOTOSHOP. Just by altering the color, my image that I was associating with the flow of water becomes more like the flow of fire! How exciting! (art by Hallelujah Truth)

Is this abstract art? Or do I still need to separate myself from an identifiable eye, nose, mouth, flower, and leaf? What am I saying to you?

SOUL BLOG with me PILGRIMS! Tell me what you experience when looking at this image? Share with me what you know about ABSTRACT communications in art!

That's Coffee with Hallelujah!