Caracas Update

Beyond the limitations…

by Carmen Rivas

It was really a very interesting experience, sharing the mandala with people who has some differences in the physical and intellectual conditions…not easy…but wonderful….we did it!!! These people are a group of sports people, some of them are para-olympic champions, they also have some jobs like making handcrafts articles…so they are trying to be integrated, in some way, to normal modern life…living with what we call Down’s Syndrome, intellectual difficulties, Asperger’s, etc, etc.

They do not have exactly the same idea about space, time, movement that we have…but they were very open to learn, no trouble about make mistakes, no trouble about ask again and again for clarifications…and I tell you, they enjoyed being on the mandala! While enjoying the mandala, they were active and not very distracted…that helped me a lot.

The conclusion is that the majority finished the dance more or less with the correct time, steps, movement in general, not totally the arms…but relaxed and doing it together. They understood that we dance individually, and at the same time all together, on the mandala!

Thanks to the Gakyil of IDC Caracas because they made it possible to develop such a great course…real collaboration!

Of course, thanks to Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, the supreme source of Vajra Dance Teachings!

Dancing we overcame the limitations together…we were all Dancers.

Carmen Rivas (second from right seated with white tshirt) and students