The Shibari Series, part one.

 

My beautiful picture

This posting is a  bit different from what is usually posted here.  “The Shibari Series” was written when I was researching bdsm for a book, “A Kapitany”.  (“A Kapitany” will be published late next year)  I republished this series in “A Seasoning of Lust”, December, 2016 at Amazon.com.  

This series is about transformation, through different species of bugs, birds and finally into human form.  I haven’t posted this series before on this blog, but I decided it wasn’t that weird.

Lady Nyo

 

Japanese hemp coiled about the torso, creating diamonds where there was once only skin, looping back upon itself, over and over. Breasts now defined by a rope cut-out bra, while waist, love handles, now enclosed in more diamonds, thighs entwined.  Added turns and thin jute split my cleft with a hard caress, the large knot on the bottom shifting upward. It would tease in mid air.

Dance comes from the earth, through the feet, up and out, giving shape to song. This time I would dance in flight, the pull of ropes challenging gravity, compounding my efforts.

Movements liquid and extreme startled me, the kikkou and hemp anchored me in space, my first taste of freedom in the ropes.  Suddenly I felt the sting of a whip and I jerked out of time to the beat. I fell deeper into the dance, determined to continue.  Again the whip’s sting and I faced a split reality: pain or pleasure. I went inward, deep into the music and rhythm, where movement was birthed and pain banished.

I flew, hollow bird bones filled with joy.  Cradled within the ropes I spiraled up from heavy earth.

–

Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2016

The entire Shibari Series is within the new edition of “A Seasoning of Lust”, Amazon.com, 2016

 

 

 

Dance and Sexuality

This new blog setup is horrible.  There are intruding

screens and WordPress.com is going to lose bloggers with this latest crap.

Dance and Sexuality.  Well I am formulating an entry this week on this subject, to go with some opinions on Belly Dance in general, and that “Luscious–The Belly Dance Workout” dvd that I recommended.

Sexuality and dance share the same instrument.  The human body.  Dance evokes, reinforces fantasies and desires. Dance is an eye-catching way for humans to reinvent themselves or to entice, or go to the essentials– to identify oneself through grace, extension, placement, motion.

Dance also opens the doors to sex and sexual attraction.

These are some of the main points I want to expand upon this week..or next week it looks like now.

I just think that dance in of itself, is one of the most powerful engines for personal transformation.  I want to start a discussion with those women who are dancers, whether they are in bellydance or other disciplines…and also with women that are just exploring this potent topic.

However, back to “Luscious”.  Ok, I recommended it.  It is a very powerful dvd..and technique.  AND, It Is Hard.

Pro: It is one of the few dvds/videos..that I have seen that doesn’t do movements in isolation.  It is beautifully flowing, and lyrical…and you immediately see the benefits of an ‘isolation’ moving into dance patterns and becoming a ‘whole’ dance.  It is luscious, gives an idea of the possibilities of belly dance, even with some very simple (hah!) movements.

After all, we want to DANCE…not just practice isolated movements.  They, apart from the overall purpose…are dry and sterile.  Muscle memory, but for what purpose.

CON:  Ok…the dvd goes very fast…the different parts need particular attention.  You just can’t get them in a few viewings.

I RECOMMEND:  I have been dancing for 5 years this April…and I groaned when I saw this dvd.  It’s very challenging for the speed and the quick changes.

Therefore….a number of women have already contacted me and complained that the dvd is very …advanced.  Broken down, it’s perfect…and IF we all learn these different combinations, you got enough ‘dance’ there to perform easily.  I found the movements to be beautiful, the extensions fluid and graceful, and the three dancers superb.

Here’s what I suggest.  Dont be daunted.  Watch the entire dvd on your butt.  Watch it three times before you attempt.  I thought it also overwhelming until I did this.  In fact, I have had the dvd over a month now, and haven’t done much at all with it.  It looked..daunting.

However, muscle memory needs to have the pathways cleared..opened.  Just watching it three times demystified it for me.

Then…the first combination?  I believe it’s circle of hips….watch. stop the action. Reverse.  and attempt.  Go slow.  Break it down, but have an eye out for how it fits into the top part of the body…how the arms are used, how the legs are placed….WATCH.  Then imitate.

I also got more comfortable by just going through the entire dvd and parrotting the combinations.  They were not easy to do, or keep up, but after a while….they get to be..well, muscle memory kicks in.

BUT IT TAKES EVERY DAY…PERHAPS A HALF HOUR…of fiddling with this dvd.  Perhaps for a couple of months of dedicated usage.

The hardest part to me was right in the beginning.  Ah, god~! The full rotational hip movement from left to back to right to front.  That was tricky to me, and I finally realized I was looking at a mirror image from what I was trying to do.  Once I broke it down..and it frustrated me for a couple of days…I got it.

Feel the curves, the grace, lean INTO the rounding of the movements, dont’ throw your back out, but really exaggerate the movements…

AND SLOW THEM DOWN WHERE YOU CAN.

I thought…ugh…oof!  I can’t keep up..and in the beginning you can’t…but it comes….muscle memory will develop with enough repetition….and suddenly you will be able to fly through the 7 combinations….

Teela….(Lady Nyo  bows to her authority on this issue)