Got those Winter Blues
January 4th 2010
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It’s Winter. The holidays are over, and many of us retreat into hibernation. Some of us are very much affected by the cold and the dark. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a very real form of depression that can be helped with light therapy, exercise, and even drugs. But there’s another very helpful form of therapy, and that’s creativity. Finding a creative release, be it through painting, photography, dance, or music, can feed the inner part of us whose flame feels dim at this time of year.
Animaterra has become a beacon of light for many of us who look forward to our weekly rehearsals as healing, nurturing, invigorating therapy sessions. First come the smiles and greetings- clusters of women in the hallway, in the back room, or sitting (with or without knitting) in the chairs that have been thoughtfully arranged by early arrivals. Then comes one lone voice, joined by many others, first in unison and gradually growing into lovely harmonies- the call to stand and prepare for warmups: “Circle round for freedom, circle round for peace, for all of us imprisoned, circle for release. Circle for the planet, circle for each soul, for the children of our children, keep the circle whole.” (words and music c. Linda Hirschhorn).
Now we smile and greet each other, now we stretch and often step out of our physical comfort zone, learning moves and sounds that will enhance and improve our singing voices and our ability to listen and sing and blend as a group. Soon we are practicing the songs that will come together by some seeming magic, to make an amazing concert experience. The rehearsal lasts 2 hours but no matter how tired or worn out we felt at the beginning of the evening, we leave smiling, energized by singing together. It’s therapy!
Animaterra begins rehearsals for the new season on Feb. 2, 2010. More information can be found on the side bar, or by clicking “Contact the director”.
