Today's Workshop

THE CLUB - AFTERNOON
A figure enters a busy room dressed in a long brown hooded robe. You can’t see their face, arms are folded within the sleeves. The movement is more like a float than a walk, as though on ice skates within the flow of the robes.
As the figure takes the stage at the head of the room the bustle of conversations comes to a quiet. Slowly, without another movement, and face still undisclosed one arm reaches out and a hand points out and into some imaginary place. The arm and hand makes a slight circle to again point to the same place.
Those in attendance are puzzled, trying to see what is being pointed to. They look at one another, they look at the figure. Uneasy laughter breaks out.
Finally, Honey, the new, young, impetuous instructor speaks above the crowd.
HONEY
What? What are you pointing to?
The figure refolds its arms, and waits.
HONEY (CONT’D)
(open palms)
You look like Yoda. What are you pointing to, Yoda?
The figure points again, and in doing so, a male voice comes out from within the darkness of the hood.
YODA
The cave.
Another circle into a point.
YODA (CONT’D)
I am pointing to the cave.
HONEY
What cave?
YODA
The cave of sensation.
HONEY
Huh?
YODA
When you teach pilates you take people into the cave of their sensation.
Honey’s arms come to her side. Curious but confused.
HONEY
The cave of their sensations?
Yoda reaches up with both hands and gracefully lifts the hood of his robe up off of his head, letting it fall on his shoulders. He is tall, elegant posture, with a soft knowing smile on his lips and in his eyes.
YODA
(looking at each of the people in turn, as though looking for something within each of them)
When you listen to what you sense, you are in the cave of your sensation.  As a teacher of pilates your job is to escort your client into the cave of their sensation and wait for them to come out.
Honey looks over the crowd of confused faces, then back to Yoda.
HONEY
I thought I was here to learn how to teach pilates to men.
Heads nod up and down. Seeing agreement among her ranks she looks back to Yoda.
With a flourish, Yoda removes his robe and tosses it aside, revealing himself in black tights, a black short sleeved shirt made of some kind of work out material with a small insignia at the center just below the neck line.
He takes a few steps back and forth before his audience with an affect air. Deliberate. His face changes to focus, thinking, eyes intense, darting from here to there.
YODA
I suppose that’s why I’m here. I am a man. I teach pilates. You are all women. Well, most of you are women.
Yoda smiles at the one male in the otherwise female audience.
The male smiles back shy, but not uncomfortable.
YODA (CONT’D)
Why are you interested in teaching men pilates?
HONEY
Because all we get are women, and men don’t seem to get it.
Frustration in her voice. More nods of agreement.
YODA
Get what?
HONEY
That pilates is good for you. It makes you more flexible. You stand taller. Get stronger.
YODA
(smiles)
These are results of doing pilates. What is "it" that gives you these results?
HONEY
(pausing to think)
The method! Doing pilates gives you all these things and more.
YODA
The question remains. What is the it that gives you the results?
From the other side of the room. A more mature woman speaks up. Arms folded. Serious face.
MARGARET
Exercises. Pilates are exercises.
YODA
Exercises only?
MARGARET
A way of doing exercises. Bio-mechanically sound.
YODA
Big word. Can you simplify that for me? If we’re going to learn to teach men, we have to keep it simple, don’t we?
A chuckle undertones among the listeners.
MARGARET
(with a flat palm cutting through space before her)
Exercises done with precision. Scientific principals.
YODA
(nodding, listening)
Well, that should appeal to men.
HONEY
But they don’t care! They just want big muscles and mindless effort?
YODA
Is there something wrong with mindless effort?
HONEY
(exasperation)
Of course! You must be mindful when doing the exercises or you miss the point!
YODA
And what point would that be?
HONEY
That you have to use your mind when you do the exercises.
MARGARET
You have to know what you are doing. Pilates is mind body exercise.
YODA
I see. Is that your definition?
MARGARET
No, everybody knows pilates is mind body exercise.
YODA
Defined by whom?
HONEY
By Joe! Joseph Pilates. It’s his method.
YODA
(smiling at a good response, an obvious opening to further the discussion)
Okay. What is Joe’s definition of his method?
HONEY
Pilates is control of mind and body.
YODA
I believe that if you want to really understand what makes pilates pilates you will have to be more precise than that.
From the back of the room. A loner in the crowd.
JEN
Contrology is the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit.
Others cast looks of disapproval, indignation.
YODA
Perfect. Where did you get that from? And why do you use the word contrology?
JEN
It’s what Joe called his method. In his book, Return to Life through Contrology, he defines contrology as the complete coordination of body, mind and spirit.
YODA
(nodding approval)
Yes, he does. So it’s easy to see where you get the body and mind from. What about spirit?
HONEY
I stay away from spirit. Everybody has already got their own religion, and nobody wants to be preached at.
YODA
How can you leave out a third of Joe’s definition?
MARGARET
There was an old painting on the wall of Joe’s studio. “Es ist der Geist der sichen Korper baut” It is the spirit which makes the body. From Schiller, a German philosopher.
YODA
Very good. And if you look further you would know that this line comes from Schiller’s Tragedies: the Piccolomini And  the Death of Wallenstein. In S. T. Coleridge’s translation of the entire work, he translates the quote in question like this:
YODA (CONT’D)
(pausing for effect)
It is the soul that builds itself a body.
Quiet in the room. Interest. Listening. Waiting for more.
YODA (CONT’D)

Comments

[Lynne Gast]

Very intrigued and eager for next installment!