Body Cartography

As my 48th birthday looms I have increasingly found myself celebrating the things my body is capable of. I am rehearsing for an upcoming aerial dance performance and pushing my body hard to get set for the two pieces I am in.



For the better part of 20 years I trained in various martial arts: Tae kwon do, Muay Thai kickboxing, Aikido, Capoeira, and Northern Shaolin kung fu. All of those schools had some conditioning that accompanied the teaching of technique, and a couple were pretty diligent about it. All of that conditioning pales in comparison to what 6 months of pole dancing has done for me. Once upon a time I thought I had core strength. Now I really do.



To mark this intriguing point in my life I spent an hour or so in the studio today making a map of my body. This cartographic exposition is pure celebration. Some day I will be infirm, my body less spry or even differently-abled in some significant way. That may be next year should illness or accident befall me, or it could be twenty or more years from now if all goes well. And I will be able to reflect back and celebrate this moment in time.

There are more images in my Body Cartography SLIDE SHOW. Namasté.