Zen Dance: Dance Meditation
by Sun-Ock Lee (D.A)
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Date: 18th Dec 2010 (Sat)
Place: Suntec Convention Centre, Singapore
Organised by: Kwan Yin Chan Lin (KYCL) Zen Centre
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For over 30 years, Dr Lee has been teaching and performing throughout Europe, USA and Asia. Dr Lee's extraordinary dance performances and therapy programs, based on the mastery of Zen philosophy and Zen Dance technique, she has been recognised and awarded internationally at colleges and schools in Asia, Europe and the United States, as well as many dance concerts.
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Zen Dance is a hybrid of Zen and dance which Dr Lee has developed for performance, daily practice, and clinical therapy. It has been implemented various therapeutic programs for the breast and womb cancer, spinal disc management, pre and post-natal women, stress reduction for people of various ages and occupations.
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The evening started with the opening dance performed by Dr Lee, amid a backdrop of colours and light. The graceful movements and flow of costume was also complemented by the interplay of cymbals and the large Korean drums.
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After her performance, Dr Lee explained how she got into incorporating meditation into dance, after a Zen master told her that meditation can be done anywhere and even while one is in movement, as long as one is mindful of one's action. By that, she meant that the mind and actions are well synchronised. Being one whom she said 'cannot sit still and meditate', she decided to dance and meditate - hence the discovery of Zen Dance.
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She says, "Dance is the best way of relaxation and fighting stress."
With that, she asks all of us to stand up and dance, as she guided us with a few key aspects of what Zen Dance entails.
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As we moved our hands, we are to be fully aware of our movements. The movements are mostly continuous and 'piece-wise smooth', until she incorporated opposite and complementary movements - what she calls the 'ying-and-yang' movements. That is, you may be moving gentle and slow, then suddenly fast; or you can be soft and gentle, then turned over to strength. With such flip-flop of opposites, it becomes easier for the aggression and stress to be released. Basically, a dance of opposites, akin to the affairs of the heart.
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After the concert, I contributed some money in the donation box for the KYLC Zen Centre building fund. It is my little support towards having a full-fledge Zen Centre where more people can benefit from the Zen teachings and meditation. My friend who was with me in the concert too donated money to the fund - this to my amazement, as though she is a believer of the Christian faith, she was donating money to a Zen temple building fund.
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I guess it shows that she is able to rise above her religion to trust that in all that exist, there is sacredness and god in sublime; even if they exist outside the precinct and practice of her religion.
That's harmony!.
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