5 RHYTHMS® :
"5 Rhythms dance is my passion, my refuge, the place where I feel free.
For ten years I have been offering myself to the path it uncovers for
me, in small steps and big leaps. At one point in my life everything
seemed defined and limited. Today, I see the vast open spaces, fertile
grounds, high mountains, powerful oceans, delightful springs,
torrential rains, muddy fields, soft rays of sunshine, fiery volcanoes,
delicate autumn leaves that my feet have taken me to, and the beautiful
dances I have with them, around them, through them."
The 5 Rhythms® were created by Gabrielle Roth at
the end of the 1960s and offer a free exploration of movement and of
oneself through movement. Each rhythm (Flowing, Staccato, Chaos,
Lyrical and Stillness) is a mirror for body, heart and soul, and the
wave of energy they create together has the power to transform and
heal. For a beautiful presentation of the 5 Rhythms by Gabrielle
herself, go to www.gabrielleroth.com
There are no prerequisites to dancing the 5 Rhythms: each person starts from where they are and finds their own path of
dance. Each dance will come and enrich your experience and your understanding of the 5 Rhythms. To give you a taste, here
are a few words written by Cambodian teenagers after they had danced the 5 Rhythms every day for 3 weeks.
Flowing : Like a river, where water flows ceaselessly; the rays of the sun shine on our bodies.
Like blood flowing through
the veins.
Staccato : I feel like a man, breathing out, following the heart, a man who knows how to act.
Chaos : My body can jump, fly, turn, from the crown of my head to the tip of my toes.
The most important thing: letting the poison out, like the sweat, and breathing in the energy of the world.
Lyrical : Moves me, like flying towards the moon.
Stillness : Quiet, I breathe very softly, movement follows the heart.