Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Hill.
Hi Mary, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am at a threshold, where, as I imagine new visions for my life and in my life, then I am recreated in this metamorphical process.The familiar patterns that structure our lives fall away and reconstitute as deeper truths unfold. It’s not where we are going, but who we are becoming. This ‘informing’ process crystallizes a new world of being — hopefully, with wings. This is the chrysalis and the crucible where everything is offered up in the transformation process. Transformative Art and the embodied exploration of consciousness is for me, the Butterfly.
Like many people in our broader culture, I am influenced by the intersections of Eastern yogic, meditation and Western mystical practices, to the studies of Quantum theories in relation to consciousness, to the re-emergence of indigenous Shamanic practices for the contemporary world. These influences have shaped my approach to somatic movement therapies, as well as shaping my creative projects with dance, music and film.
I earned a Doctorate in Dance History/Education and was awarded an Doctor of Philosophy Excellence in Scholarship Award from Temple University, in Philadelphia. My studies involved the influence on early Modern Art and Dance of concepts of Dimensionality, Art as a ritual practice in the Modernist ‘Primitivist’ movement, and the artist as a visionary. (Mary Hill, Postmodern Reflections on Dance Modernism: Modernist Currents of Primitivism, Dimensional Reality And The Artist as Seer on Martha Graham’s Heretic, Lamentation, and Primitive Mysteries, diss, Temple University 2001). The question in my mind was always, “Beyond Postmodernism, how is the new art developing in the 21st century?”
After graduating, I wanted to explore somatic practices for physical, emotional, psychic, and energetic healing, so left academe, which did not recognize these paradigms. I eventually opened up Lightbodies Geometries, where I integrate the Gyrotonic/Gyrokinesis method with Yoga therapeutics techniques, Thai Bodywork and therapeutic approaches to the Pilates methods. I work individually with clients, in duets or threesomes, in order to deeply work with specific anatomical and somatic issues of the individuals.
The films emerged from experiences in medicine retreats with my dear friends and creative colleagues, Carol and Kevin Johnson, of Vida Brilliante. On a Holographic Sound tour of Egypt with Paul Hubbard, I had the good fortune to room with Carol, and we became friends. Carol and her husband, Kevin, introduced me to ceremonial healing practices, where they sing traditional Peruvian Icaros, use drums and other musical instruments, create a sacred space and offer blessings and healing to those in the circle, and to the wider community. I have found the experience transformative and insightful, and wanted to convey these visionary experiences through film, music and dance. Carol and Kevin are professional, high level musicians and singers — artists, as well as shamanic, so the transcendent experience is amplified.
inspired by the cosmologies of the the four directions and elements, Carol and I decided to do a series of four films. Since we, as human beings, are created through the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water we all have deep conscious and unconscious connections to these forces.
The first film, “Winding Way, Winds of the South,” was filmed at Arts Fort Worth black box theatre. As the title implies, it addresses the element of the Earth represented by serpent energies, and the South direction. The Sanskrit term, ‘Linga Sharira,’ or the ’Long Body,’ refers to the fourth dimensional body through all of time, which P.D. Ouspensky referenced in his book, “Tertium Organum,” (pp.38-39). We used tracer effects, mirroring and overlay effects to visually convey this fourth dimensional idea of elastic time. We have received national and international awards for this work (See lightbodies.net).
The second film, “Shadow Flame, Shadow Gold, Winds of the West,” addresses the element of fire, the feline ability to see in the dark, and the West direction. At it’s inception, I was improvising, envisioning hunting an adversary, when suddenly, not knowing how, I flew high up in the air and was slammed down, caught myself, and broke both my wrists, and had four fractures, a dislocation, two plates and two surgeries. I could not use my hands for a month, became the shadow, and it was a very painful recovery in every way. I changed my approach to the work in order to incorporate shadow and light to create a visual and psychic chiaroscuro, instead of polarization. That same Fall of 2022, there was a full solar eclipse in October and another one in April of 2023 and the intersection of the two trajectories was right over The Cave With No Name outside of San Antonio, TX.. I had been impressed with the cave some years earlier, so Carol and I decided to film there to offer healing energies. We had only one day to rehearse together due to scheduling issues, and only one day to film in the cave. The film crew and Kevin hauled a riser down 127 feet on ropes so that Carol would have a platform to sing and play bowls. The most visually and acoustically stunning part of the cave was also the most difficult to dance on, so I tossed a lot of the choreography and Carol and I improvised a lot of it as we were filming. Kevin Johnson did the sound design and won at the Nice international film festival. Chuck Shanlever and his crew filmed and Chuck and I edited a lot of the film together, although Chuck is the technical and an artistic wizard. (See awards, lightbodies.net).
As I discovered in the second film, working with the natural world is unpredictable, but the element of risk keeps our attention very present and real. Interacting with the elements in real time is a whole other level in the creative process that keeps the work vital, and I want to keep exploring.
The working title of the third film is “Into the Deep, Winds of the East,” and is mostly an underwater film addressing the element of Water. Water as consciousness connects us to the memory of our blood, and thus, to all living beings. I am fascinated with the work of Japanese scientist, Masuro Emoto in his studies on water holding consciousness in his book, “The Hidden Messages in Water.” Emoto experimented on how the molecular structure of water is affected by the thoughts, intentions, words and emotions of humans in the water’s crystallizations. The more positive the intentions, then the more balanced and beautiful the crystallizations, which he photographed. He posits that as we are 80% water, then we are profoundly affected by our environment, both internally and externally. Training in the Texas Christian University diving pool, I have been working on movement phrases, breath control, propelled and enhanced by organza materials, which hold their shape in water. This is a controlled underwater environment, but my intention is to film in a natural setting, like a cenote, in order that Carol and I can both work fully in our respective mediums; where there is sound resonance for her music, yet calm waters for me to move unhindered. If anyone has ideas about locations or other settings please email me at mary@lightbodies.net.
The fourth film will involve the element of Air and the North — flight. Of course, I would love to work in an anti-gravity chamber exploring flight, but I am not sure if NASA or the Space tech companies would be open to letting me use their facilities. May have to rethink it; keep you posted…
In connecting the four films, while Carol and I presented “Shadow Flame” at the Nice International Film festival, other filmmakers suggested that we weave the films together into one film through the context of the story behind their making. Thus, the frame of the four films would also be the ground of the experience from which they developed.
However, I see the potentiality of film going beyond the linear, literal play of story-telling, into the symbolic and abstract, where time and space are malleable in the moving and temporal forms of music, dance and film.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The obstacle and challenge for any innovative or pioneering project is fostering awareness and support. Engendering a paradigm shift in awareness in turn, facilitates a cultural shift. I am very excited about this unfolding film project and have invested a lot of my own capital into it, with generous contributions from Rozanne Rosenthal and the priceless contributions of talent, skill, time and devotion of Carol and Kevin Johnson. I invite other enthusiastic people to support this endeavor, as well. This is the link to the GoFund me page for “Into the Deep, Winds of the East,” film project; Link https://gofund.me/e87b24793.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have a Doctorate in Dance History/Education and teach a combination of somatic movement therapies that include Gyrotonic /Gyrokinesis method(R), Yoga Therapeutic techniques, Thai Bodywork, and therapeutic approaches to Pilates. Classes are individual, duets and threesomes. in order to work deeply with the clients, as I design the classes for the individual and their anatomical and somatic issues.
I am also a film maker exploring the rich possibilities of working with dance, music and film.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
This is the link to the GoFund me page for “Into the Deep, Winds of the East,” film project; Link https://gofund.me/e87b24793.
I am always open to collaborating with other creative and technical artists, financial backers, administrative wizards and people who want to offer their skills and ideas. You can email me at mary@lightbodies.net.
Every authentic endeavor is an offering to the larger community and community support is such a beautiful way to share love and vision. Thank you to everyone for your support in our work together and lots of love.
Pricing:
- $1120.00 per one hour individual session
- 1150.00 for a series of 10 one hour sessions
- 65.00 per person per one hour duet sessions
- 1250.00 for duet package of 10 sessions
- 40.00 per person in threesome
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lightbodies.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marylightbodies
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AK1fkNdeW/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-hill-804255276
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lightbodiesgeometries5541
