Chaos/Juggling curve ball..question
Elwin and Joan
elwinandjoan at yahoo.com
Wed Mar 29 12:51:45 PST 2006
BRAVO HARRISON. BRAVO!!!!!!!!!
Elwin Guild
Future Development International
Baltimore
--- Harrison Owen <hhowen at 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:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
> Phelim
> McDermott
> Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 5:24 PM
> To: OSLIST at 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 can’t!”
>
> 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
> it’s 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 you’re missing the point.. you can NEVER do
>
> it and that’s 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 it’s 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 I’m 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 I’m responding
> to that?
>
> I don’t 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?
>
> it’s a big question for me.. but understand it might be a small one
> for others..
>
> So sorry if I’m 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:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
> > Phelim
> > McDermott
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 6:13 AM
> > To: OSLIST at 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
> >
> > *
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