the circle
bmc study circle
2025-07-07, notes
dancers (of all the demographics i get to work with on a regular basis) most consistently report feeling vulnerable sitting in a circle. performance anxiety (prestationsångest) often relates to worry for having something interesting of valuable to say. this worry rarely express itself as, do i have something interesting to contribute to my community? most regularly it emerges as, how will what i say make me look in other people’s metaphorical, judgemental eyes? assuming, of course, that everyone’s out to get you. which says a lot about how we train dancers, but that’s another story for another time.
i find the circle to be an incredibly useful technology. when the circle is held for the community to speak their felt-sense (speaking evidencing), with all that entails (e.g., occasional encouragement, temporal spaciousness, non-evaluative atmosphere, a-linear & fragmentary exposition, patience, comfort-in-discomfort, silence, etc.; there’s so much technique in holding a circle), the circle shows us—quite literally, it brings to evidence—how many interpretations, how many ways there is to tease meaning from experience. how much technique, too, in each person’s attempt to witness and be witnessed in their coming to their own awareness, their own consciousness. circles expose a diversity of method, aesthetic, and time necessary for a person to do their consciousness-work. if that work is evidenced, the circle itself becomes a laboratory, a learning opportunity, a teacher.
as practice, circles require that we come to terms with out own practices in the presence of others’ practices. when the aim is not to evaluate or compete, the work becomes something else. i am fond of conflict arising in a circle; for what it can do, expose, reveal as material that, given time for analysis, offers ample opportunity for self-discovery aka learning. when it arises in me, refusal, arousal, negation, irritation, annoyance, tells me a lot about my bias, my experience, my trigger-points, etc. conflict is interesting relative to the person it arises within, not to the person whom it targets.
in bmc, the circle—in my experience—is when the teacher or host steps into the background (as moderator) and lets their perspective or the perspective of their contribution fracture through the prism of the community they’re hosting. it’s one of the most impressive things a teacher or host can do, i think, to awaken not just a theoretical but a practical understanding of what it means to learn experientially, in a community; from experience, from community. the teacher or host plays the crucial role in informing the community of the circle as technique, the circle as practice. leading by example, they get to show us what it’s like to sit there without rushing, what it’s like to not interrupt, what it’s like to ask the community to speak from experience then listen as each individual tries to do that, what it’s like to not micromanage the circle, etc. the list goes on and on.
greetings young padawan
When referencing this document, please remember that all depictions of anatomical structures are approximations of averages, and are all necessarily reductive. The aim of collected visuals and descriptions is to provide you with orientation points, and support you in navigating through your experience (-ing) and your research (-ing). Anatomy, as is embodied by you right now, is an emergent* phenomenon, a material expression of your and your ancestors’ continued intra-acting with the world. It is currently evidencing results of a process that has been ongoing since the literal beginning of time.
From what I can tell, most artists I admire agree that the motivation that moves one towards creativity comes from some unknowable source. What I had hoped to do with this study circle is give some examples of how it is possible to recognise, orient towards, and move with the unknowable in a critically-aware way. Critical here does not stand for negative or antagonistic. Critical stands for informed, empowered, situated, oriented, self- and co-regulated with the World. I wish you good relationships and informative, encouraging, and generous examples on your way. Strong sails and long keels with get you across the wildest of the oceans safely.
Thank you for your generosity, commitment, and patience. It was a true honour working with you.
till we meet again, pav
*Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown (link)
June 24 senses & perception & interoception
June 27 embryological development, cell specialisation and primordial tissue
June 30 the life of a cell, pluripotent stem cells & cellular breathing
At the moment, we understand pluripotent stem cells to be those cells that can, within their lifetime, become (give rise to) all other cells that come to form the tissues of the body. They can also undergo self-renewal. When we talk about the trilamminar embryonic disc formed of the endoderm, mezoderm, and ectoderm (often depicted in yellow, red, and blue respectively) we are talking about layers formed of pluripotent stem cells at varying stages of transformation / specialisation.
July 03 the porous membrane, spontaneous vs managed processes
July 07 muscle bone and connective tissue, muscle as fluid content
we’re looking at mezoderm today!
The terms osteogenesis and ossification are often used synonymously to indicate the process of bone formation. Parts of the skeleton form during the first few weeks after conception. By the end of the eighth week after conception, the skeletal pattern is formed in cartilage and connective tissue membranes and ossification begins.
The mesoderm forms: muscle (smooth and striated), bone, cartilage, connective tissue, adipose tissue, circulatory system, lymphatic system, dermis, dentine of teeth, genitourinary system, serous membranes, spleen and notochord.
Extracellular Matrix
The extracellular matrix (ECM) refers to the molecules that provide biochemical and structural support to the cells.
BONE
The ECM of bone is highly specialised. In addition to collagen and the associated proteins usually found in connective tissue, bone is impregnated with mineral salts, in particular calcium hydroxyapatite crystals. These crystals associate with the collagen fibres, making bone hard and strong. This matrix is organised into numerous thin layers, known as lamellae.
SKELLETAL MUSCLE
The muscle extracellular matrix (ECM) is a network of molecules surrounding muscle cells, providing structural support and influencing muscle function.It's a complex structure composed of proteins, proteoglycans, and polysaccharides, organized into layers like endomysium, perimysium, and epimysium. The ECM plays a crucial role in muscle development, regeneration, and response to injury, impacting cell signaling, migration, and differentiation.
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
The extracellular matrix (ECM) of connective tissue is composed of protein fibers, ground substance, and extracellular fluid. The protein fibers include collagen and elastic fibers. The ground substance is a gel-like material containing proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which attract water and contribute to the ECM's structure.