Musical yogathon
As part of Khayelitsha’s first free 30 day public arts festival, The Harare Academy of Inspiration allowed an intimate group of us to attend a free session of a Sound of Yoga with Guy Buttery and Dave Gardner. Early into a national tour of mutual vision emerged from a partnership; these two beings have been conducting a variety of movement and music classes through the channel of yoga. Touring the country to imagine and redefine what cross-collaboration can become as a tangible matter, this new pair are streaming energy into different spaces in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.
After experiencing a 30 minute session of Dave and Guy’s togetherness in a space joining ages between toddlers and grandmothers and everything in-between, each posture and suggestive breath particles were vibrating off the frequency of the now. We were warriors in one moment, and playfully became chimpanzees in others, all accompanied by the forces of sitar and guitar coming from the visible right hand corner.
Their narrative and chemistry, which is still evolving is part of a bigger awareness, especially for Dave. He has been using Guy’s music in his classes for sometime, which has inspired him to achieve great levels of consciousness and often feels like his music is not recognised properly, so wants to aid in his journey by sharing the music, creating the necessary change and allowing platforms for basic exposure to the sounds.
The concept has developed organically, as if the tempo and the limbs of the class were attaining symmetry. Dave believes these workshops are about people being comfortable and able to share themselves.
A lot of people have an idea of what it is and what it should be. “I see these little guys [referring to the children]who are so natural, they just are. That’s what’s yoga is about- just being,” says Dave. When picturing the partnership come alive, some people think of Indian music and chanting and stretching. They see humanity.
Each session has been something completely different, and according to both of them, the responses have been great. It is a collaboration of two worlds where the music is secondary and ambient and the movement becomes the primary focus.
Dave’s sessions are a fusion of synergy, martial arts influence and a lot of improvisation. They often have an idea of a set list, and there are times when they feed off each other. The telepathic element gets stronger the more often they collaborate together.
And through each session or workshop, Dave and Guy are learning to be content with what each assembly offers. Emotionally, they are allowing people to explore themselves with feeling and movement to let you go.
