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Movement Archery Workshop in Cape Town_Partnering Play_Photo by Nick Aldridge

PHILOSOPHY

Our teaching philosophy is divided into two main ideas: Art and Craft.

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Art for us is more of a quality or a mind-set rather than a fixed discipline. It is actually a point of view more than anything else. The benefit of an artistic approach to movement is the ability to take decisions which immediately changes our perceptions and objectives. It gives us more freedom to release fixed patterns or rigid ways of thinking and acting. This skill-set which comes across can seem magical or mysterious from outside but in practice it feels natural and organic.

This approach can be applied to dance, circus, theater, martial arts, yoga, parkour and sports. Furthermore, anyone can develop artistic abilities regardless of age or prior experience. The reason being this approach does not depend on the execution of certain elements or results but it's rather an expression of a human body, which is capable of not taking itself too seriously - a skilled body which can adapt to physical limitations and enjoy the challenge. To adopt new solutions to those limitations precisely and gracefully. This is our art-form and I believe anyone can benefit from becoming an artist.

 

The Craft: Our craftsmanship is very similar to the craftsmanship of a carpenter or a sculptor. It requires serenity and concentration while going through simple tasks for thousands and sometimes millions of times. Since any workshop or education program is limited by a time frame, achievements should never be promised or taken for granted: any single achievement in the craft would usually demand an engagement of hundreds of hours and up to a lifetime of practice. With that being said, through our teaching I share and give a suggestion for a pathway of practice with careful guidance and sincerity. We believe that allowing students to experience steps from a confident craftsman's practice can open tremendous amounts of possibilities with the right dedication and consistency. Or in the words of Lao Tzu: "A journey of a million miles begins with a single step". Through our teachings we suggest this first step.

On a technical level - each task has its own methods, structures and ideas which are in constant development, change and shift, just like life itself. Only practice and repetition will allow to see the full spectrum and the beauty of the connection between action and counter-action.

All in all, our philosophy is our way to keep a constant acknowledgement that all is subject to change and that the things that we don't know are much more than the things that we do know.

* If you would like to experience the teaching philosophy of Movement Archery have a look at our upcoming live workshops and our online courses.
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