Awareness Through Movement #94

Twisting Left and Right - something of a controversial history

I have heard from many people that the level of complication introduced to basic movements can be annoying.. and I invite you to consider a controversial point of view.

These “complications” actually encourage your body to (re)organise itself to adjust to the changes. It’s what drew the attention of a well known peer of Moshe from Japan, Michizo Noguchi. He recognised how the movements in this lesson connected the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

spiritual pirates

“Michizo Noguchi (1914-1998) used to be a high school teacher, teaching gymnastics before the second World War. He was desperate in the ashes of defeat, devastated by the aftermath of the war, and nearly committed suicide… But, something happened to him. He discovered the fact that he had his own body with its own weight, a tangible reality, and he was somehow alive. He started exploring thoroughly his tangible body and how to move it, and created a new approach to the body called Noguchi taiso by discarding the idea of anatomical skeletal body. Noguchi taiso, meaning Noguchi’s way of gymnastics or his physical exercises, became gradually known to people through his teaching at polytechnics and others in Tokyo. Especially young actors and dancers got interested in his ideas about the body and his unique physical exercises. In 1970s-1980s, young butoh dancers and students happened to learn Noguchi taiso and started using it for their butoh training. Sankaijuku, lead by Ushio Amagatsu, was one of them. Noguchi later worked for Tokyo Art University as a professor, and his approach became well known among drama directors and other related people who were keen about how to move or use the body effectively.”

Mia Segal went to an event in Japan and was recognised by Noguchi. Her presence stood out from the crowd and he singled her out to meet her. Their friendship developed when she introduced him to Moshe, and it was this particular lesson that had Noguchi recognise the genius of Feldenkrais.