OCG VII - Day 3

Day 3
Almost overslept.  Passed out last night sitting up.  Technically overslept, really, but awake at 6:40, which is time enough for a quick shower.

7:00 - RF presents the Six Points in the auditorium.  A slightly different flavor that how I received it in the Somerville group, but pretty close.  No mention of a certain aspect that is part of how that group runs it, but I wouldn't expect it.

Breakfast at 8:00.

A deep silence during breakfast.  After the meal, small group work with Chris, Glenn, and Rick; starting with right hand work to warm up, a couple runs of the First Primary, and then on to working Asturias and Askesis.

Some confusion about full group work on Askesis.  This is pushed back to later in the afternoon.

Tai Chi at 12:30.  Very necessary for myself.

Lunch at 1:00 - A hair late.  Ate too much, and probably going to feel it later.  Another deep silence.

Askesis work at 2:30.  Performance tempo is set at 92 bpm, which is faster than what we usually play it in GCNE (usually around 84ish).  Thank god I can hold on.  And if I stay at it, it won't be a problem after tonight, or at least tomorrow morning.

Diary work, decision work.  Full repertoire group at 3:30 p.m.

5:00 - OCG work, primarily for RF to present the exercise that is part of Eye of the Needle.  After this, RF asks "Well, what should we do now?", which leads to silent procession, and then with chords, and then a full-on improvisation.

A break in the action.  RF asks "Now that there's a lull, what next?"

After a second, Jaxie runs across the room, trading places with someone.  A few agonizing seconds later, I run across the room and trade with Taylor.  And then the room explodes in activity.  Another improv.

A break, and a return to the circle form.  Another pause, and then I call Askesis, with Fernie's count.  Then we move to Asturias, and we swirl around during the twinkling chords.  Returning to the circle as the piece ends.  Patrick reads the text to Ives's Berceuse, and that team plays it.  Whizzing in two circles, inner and outer.  Return to the full circle.

Final words from RF.  It is now raining; we head to our respective places.

Dinner at 7:00.  We are out of the middle.

Cleaning up after dinner.  At one point, I become aware that Chris isn't wearing shoes in the scullery, and I immediately tell him to go away and put shoes on--a particularly kind of authority in my voice that I'm not used to hearing.  Afterward, Christina commends me for the care I show Chris.  He really is kind of like a kid brother.

OCG rehearsal after dinner.  Way too much to describe it all, but extremely active.  A great deal of running around, and some repertoire is also played as well.

At one point, during an intense pause, Chris walks across the circle to me, plays a short chord, and I do not respond.  He begins to walk away, and then I run into the circle, cut him off at the pass, and we begin a playful sort of "fight".  John tries to join in, but I "bark" at him (fully in character) and he steps back into his place in the circle.  I'm aware that I'm stomping around a bit, and I notice that I'm getting distracted by the sound of my own feet.  Chris and I continue to play back and forth, and then I bring someone else in, and then "tap out" and return to the basic circle.

A bit later, there is a moment where there is a lot of different stuff going on, but the big central form is a circle  that includes Mary Beth, Victor, and I; we are whizzing around the circle while also running as fast as we can.  Victor and I are both cracking up.

Phone call with Ieva afterward.  Happy.