Marie Putko & Yokko in The Ume Group's "Isis Variations" (2014). Costumes by Ariel Pellman, lighting by Derek Van Heel, photo by Allison Stock.
Follow Your Own Voice
David Whyte and 5Rhythms Impact on my Artistic Journey
by Marie Putko // www.marieputko.com
| Start Close In, David Whyte Start close in, don’t take the second step or the third, start with the first thing close in, the step you don’t want to take. Start with the ground you know, the pale ground beneath your feet, your own way of starting the conversation. Start with your own question, give up on other people’s questions, don’t let them smother something simple. To find another’s voice, follow your own voice, wait until that voice becomes a private ear listening to another. Start right now, take a small step you can call your own. Don’t follow someone else’s heroics, be humble and focused, start close in, don’t mistake that other for your own. Start close in, don’t take the second step or the third, start with the first thing close in, the step you don’t want to take. |
My life is one of inquiry, of fascination, of curiosity, and of wonder. As an artist, David Whyte’s poem, “Start Close In” has left quite an impact on my creative career and personal life. What is the “the step I don’t want to take?” What does that even mean? Am I moving towards my fullest expression as a singer, dancer, musician, and truth seeker or am I rearing off track? Is there really an end goal, or is the universe pointing me to where I am supposed to be and evolve? So many questions, so little answers, only discovery and trust in life.
My voice of inquiry began first with my yoga practice ten years ago and discovering “5Rhythms” a little more than two years ago. “5Rhythms” is a movement meditation created by Gabrielle Roth in the late 1970’s. The practice is a way to become conscious and deeply in tune with one’s deepest self, truth, and inner voice. Over the course of two hours, dancers move through the 5 rhythms of flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, and then stillness. There are two waves of this pattern, where the teacher simply guides and chimes in with words of direction and connection to different body parts and connection to the self and the whole. The structure is quite simple and free with very subtle direction, but the effects are insurmountable on a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual level.
My dance over the course of two years has truly enriched my life in a way that I never anticipated. “5Rhythms” is my “start close in” dance; it’s my own voice, my own movement, and my fullest expression on so many levels. Within each rhythm, my body starts to surrender and let go with flow, create boundaries and embody “no” in staccato, completely let loose and free myself in chaos, find my joy and lightness in lyrical, and finally integrate and arrive in stillness with a sense of new beginning and gratitude. Every dance is different—the energy of the room is contingent upon so many things, yet all I have to do is show up and the dance starts to move me.
The dance has even moved me to create art with a beautiful soul, artist, and friend, Brian Pinkney, whom I met while dancing. Brian’s movement is extremely powerful, structural, smooth, and fully embodied. From head to toe, Brain is engaged and fully present in a way that is quite contagious and open to give and receive. As I started to dance with Brian, my imagination starting soaring and stories formed through our dance together. Brian meets me in a cutting, sharp, and somewhat aggressive way and also holds space for my fluid, lyrical, and gentle energy. Our dance unfolds and tells a story of our truth in the moment, moving with each other’s energy while honoring and respecting our own energy. Dancing with him is not product oriented, rather it’s a beautiful process of self-expression, taking risks, playing, and allowing the imagination to expand. Brain has painted my movement through his illustrations and weekly we meet to discover where the dance can move us and how we can start to add structure within the freedom.
My dance experience at “5Rhythms” also inspired my creation and choreography for The Ume Group’s “Isis Variations” with Jordan Rosin, Yokko, and Dave Herigstad at The New York International Fringe Festival in 2014. The piece I created within the whole structure was “Isis the Truth-seeker.” When I dance, I fully express my truth and come in touch with both the light and dark of my essence. In “Isis the Truth-seeker,” Jordan, Yokko and Dave all helped me achieve this yin-yang, divinity between masculine and feminine energy, and come into my fullest expression of my truth through movement. Rehearsals were intense and the journey was bumpy at times. The more I expressed my truth through my movement, the more I wanted to test my limits and push boundaries with such amazing artists. They all gave me space to explore and construct a very deep and moving piece that challenged me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Through my rich journey with “5Rhythms” and its profound effect on my work with Brian and The Ume Group, I feel that my work as an artist will forever be boundless, as long as the work is honest and truthful. As I “start close in,” my soul wants to create and collaborate with open hearts and curious artists willing to stretch and push art in new directions. It’s an all encompassing journey that I’m sure will continue to shape me and take me wherever my adventurous spirit flies.
My dance over the course of two years has truly enriched my life in a way that I never anticipated. “5Rhythms” is my “start close in” dance; it’s my own voice, my own movement, and my fullest expression on so many levels. Within each rhythm, my body starts to surrender and let go with flow, create boundaries and embody “no” in staccato, completely let loose and free myself in chaos, find my joy and lightness in lyrical, and finally integrate and arrive in stillness with a sense of new beginning and gratitude. Every dance is different—the energy of the room is contingent upon so many things, yet all I have to do is show up and the dance starts to move me.
The dance has even moved me to create art with a beautiful soul, artist, and friend, Brian Pinkney, whom I met while dancing. Brian’s movement is extremely powerful, structural, smooth, and fully embodied. From head to toe, Brain is engaged and fully present in a way that is quite contagious and open to give and receive. As I started to dance with Brian, my imagination starting soaring and stories formed through our dance together. Brian meets me in a cutting, sharp, and somewhat aggressive way and also holds space for my fluid, lyrical, and gentle energy. Our dance unfolds and tells a story of our truth in the moment, moving with each other’s energy while honoring and respecting our own energy. Dancing with him is not product oriented, rather it’s a beautiful process of self-expression, taking risks, playing, and allowing the imagination to expand. Brain has painted my movement through his illustrations and weekly we meet to discover where the dance can move us and how we can start to add structure within the freedom.
My dance experience at “5Rhythms” also inspired my creation and choreography for The Ume Group’s “Isis Variations” with Jordan Rosin, Yokko, and Dave Herigstad at The New York International Fringe Festival in 2014. The piece I created within the whole structure was “Isis the Truth-seeker.” When I dance, I fully express my truth and come in touch with both the light and dark of my essence. In “Isis the Truth-seeker,” Jordan, Yokko and Dave all helped me achieve this yin-yang, divinity between masculine and feminine energy, and come into my fullest expression of my truth through movement. Rehearsals were intense and the journey was bumpy at times. The more I expressed my truth through my movement, the more I wanted to test my limits and push boundaries with such amazing artists. They all gave me space to explore and construct a very deep and moving piece that challenged me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Through my rich journey with “5Rhythms” and its profound effect on my work with Brian and The Ume Group, I feel that my work as an artist will forever be boundless, as long as the work is honest and truthful. As I “start close in,” my soul wants to create and collaborate with open hearts and curious artists willing to stretch and push art in new directions. It’s an all encompassing journey that I’m sure will continue to shape me and take me wherever my adventurous spirit flies.
Discussion Question
What is your "start close in" step that you don't want to take? How has your negotiation with that step influenced your life or artistry? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
About the Author
Marie Putko holds her Masters in Music in Vocal Performance and her Advanced Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy from New York University. Marie currently teaches Yoga at New York University, and "Yoga for Singers" for the Musical Theater and Classical Voice Workshops at NYU. She is a certified Kripalu Yoga dance teacher and leads meditations for NYU's Mindfulness Project.
She was a member of The Ume Group's Fall 2013 Training Ensemble was thrilled to share her passion for yoga, dance, and music as Lab Leader of the Winter 2014 Training Ensemble. For The Ume Group, credits also include creating original music and performing the title role in A Mass for Isis and co-choreographing / performing in Isis Variations (2014).
She was a member of The Ume Group's Fall 2013 Training Ensemble was thrilled to share her passion for yoga, dance, and music as Lab Leader of the Winter 2014 Training Ensemble. For The Ume Group, credits also include creating original music and performing the title role in A Mass for Isis and co-choreographing / performing in Isis Variations (2014).
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