WHAT THE HECK IS MURMURATION? Besides being one of the wonders of our world, it is just one crazy lady's journey through a life with so many connecting dots. To be honest, I only learned what it was a few short months ago. Thank you Mr Google! Forty years ago, when I thought of myself as a painter, I saw them. The bleak cornfields of an Ohio autumn/winter season came alive with the mesmerizing phenomenon above. We did not have the starling populations of Europe but their numbers were adequate to create a dynamic flow. After that first encounter I was always on the look out. I would call out "BIRDS IN FLIGHT!" for my family while we were driving. My appreciation splashed onto the canvas with some realistic work. Finally I just turned to the abstract painting to try and express what I was seeing. The passion was real, even if no one else understood.
The first time I read the explanation of my newfound word, MURMURATION, the connection jumped off the page. According to Andrew King and David Sumpter, "murmurations exhibit a strong spatial coherence and show extremely synchronized maneuvers, which seem to occur spontaneously, or in response to and approaching threat, like hawks or peregrine falcons." Yes, and more... " Each starling in a flock is connected to every other. When a flock turns in unison, it's a phase transition. At the individual level, the rules guiding this are relatively simple. When a neighbor moves, so do you. Depending on the flock's size and speed and its members' flight physiologies, the large-scale pattern changes."
Another cool finding says that it seems the birds may work in small teams of 7...just like FCBD focuses on the quartet as its largest block of dancers. The difference comes with the spreading out of the movements with the starlings in contrast to the surrounding support of the stationary FCBD chorus.
Science continues : According to esteemed biologist and author Rupert Sheldrake, "morphic resonance is the idea of interconnections and collective memories within the species. " He states that it's a process in which " self-organizing systems inherit a memory from previous similar systems". Hmmmmm, our collective memories are the harkening back to dances of the past are all part of Fat Chance Belly Dance. I thought of the film recommended by Carolena - Romany Trail. This dance celebrates a strong noble group who migrated and touched every area they inhabited, from India- north to Spain and south to Northern Africa. Over the years this dance has grown, incorporated and celebrated new steps. I cannot wait to research all that.
What started as American Tribal Style has been adored world wide. I am not sure there are 750,000 of us, like the starlings above, but who knows how many are dancing in their living rooms to you tube videos!? When the pandemic was in high gear in 2020, I danced every day with my "imaginary friends" I called them. I just did the Fat Chance Belly Dance Friday Flow #22 today again with Michiyo. Just try it! Even if you do not know the names of the steps or cues, following as best you can does bring a serious endorphin rush! I am happy to report that now I have real life dancers creating with me. Here is a short video from our class last night at Patricia Ann Studio on Friar Tuck in Dunedin where we practiced in duets.
Other comparisons of my life dots... The murmurations of starlings are in response to a threat, they confuse the predator with their movements. Well the patriarchy certainly is confused these days. Hasn't all of womankind been under threat, especially since we managed to gain a few rights to control our own lives? Maybe it wasn't an accident that our dance formed because a shy young girl did not want to wait for a man to ask her to dance. It gives me goosebumps.!! WE ARE STRONG LADIES. We need to bond together and fly. Fat Chance Belly Dance can enable that connection.
I leave you with my favorite video of the afternoon. Be happy, be strong. We are part of an evolution!
No comments:
Post a Comment