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News March 2015

Arrival of the New – A different Perspective

With the onset of spring in Europe everything begins to blossom, comes to life. People not only open their windows to let the warm rays of the sun brighten their day but they also open their heart and mind to embrace the New that is happening all around them. There are smiles and happy faces wherever you look, laughter and excitement lingers in the air. The sense of power and strength, and the expectation of something good coming your way can be felt wherever you turn. The explosion of colour tantalises your senses in every way possible – and somehow you feel empowered, with the knowledge that nothing can stop you from reaching the goal you have set for the future.

As I travel through Europe it seems to be the perfect time to introduce the new face of our website. Still more to come, with Metamorphosis it is the journey not the destination that we consider. On my way back to Australia, from spring to autumn within one journey, change can not be more obvious than in the differences seen in two so distant parts of our world. Old European tradition versus ancient Australian culture, colourful cheeky spring versus wealth of fruitful autumn – it’s life versus life. Each beaming with joy, as one is looking forward to summer, and the other excited by winter. It’s all about perspective.

Isn’t this what life is all about? Expand your expectations, change your perspective, and you might find what you’re looking for in places you have never considered. Judgement and generalisation minimalise your world and limit your horizon. A snow covered field appears cold and plain, but if you look close enough you see the flower that pushes through the ice. A promising gem laying hidden beneath tired, melting snow, makes you understand that not everything is apparent at the start but given time all things blossom and take their rightful place.

So, wherever you are – excited about colourful spring or looking forward to the wealth of autumn – change your perspective and revel in the magnitude of opportunities that you could have missed otherwise and understand that to everything there is a season.

’In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.’  (Albert Camus, Author, 1913 – 1960) 

Barbara

News December 2014

Change and Determination

As the year draws to an end we ponder on our achievements – and as we proudly look at them we side glance at the ones we missed and pushed aside due to various reasons.

However – the determination inside you will get you to where you need to be, no matter what. As you set your ideas and plans for the next year you already know the destination. And you know you will arrive.

We will leave you with that thought – and now only one thing is left. We wish you a very happy Christmas season and an energetic and beautiful start to the New Year. We will be back in 2015.

‘Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.’ (Francis of Assisi)

Barbara

News November 2014

It’s all about change

The natural progression from egg to caterpillar, pupa and then butterfly is the true nature of metamorphosis. However, in life things don’t appear to be that straight forward. Changing from one state to another requires effort, focus and fortitude to surmount the speed bumps that inevitably come with change.

Change is part of life. Life is dynamic, not static. Some of us would like it to stay ‘the way it has always been’, but life is not like that. Rather than avoiding or resisting change it is much more beneficial to embrace change. This way we can enjoy the challenge, find excitement in new beginnings – and shrug off the old attitudes and the stagnation that comes with complacency and stasis. The road often is rocky and full of pit holes – there are valleys as well as mountains. Knowing this helps us to face the fear of change rather than moving away from it in the hope that things might change around us.

As we come to the end of the year, some dreams will have come to fruition, and many will have gone unmet. Sometimes due to circumstances, but more often due to poor planning, or no planning at all – with just a wild hope that something will happen all by itself. The old saying ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail’ comes to mind as we grapple with the frustration of perceived failure.

Determination to change brings with it another thought. If we continue to do the same thing expecting a different result then we are being foolish. For things to change – we have to change.

Now is the time to set down new ideas, plan for the future, and goals to be achieved in the coming year. Most of us wait until January 1st, to make our New Years resolutions. Yet starting now gives us a full month to compose, modify and adjust our plans, so that by the start of the new year we already know where we are going, what we are doing, with a definite idea of our goals in mind.

How exciting for once to be prepared for the future. Every pilot knows that there will be adjustments to the route along the way as the winds change, the weather takes hold, the clouds lower or darkness threatens. They have a map, instruments, radar and air traffic control to help them on their journey. They don’t start without a map, an alternate place to land and check points along the way. They planned before they left – and this is, what we can do. With one month of serious planning we will be ready to go on the 1st of January 2015.

‘Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.’ (John F. Kennedy, 1917 – 1963)

Barbara

News October 2014

Metamorphosis of Dance and Language

Dance has its own language. Dance is its own language. Dancers may come from different countries, different backgrounds, speak different languages – yet they can understand and communicate through dance. The expression, the intonation, the flow of this particular language lends itself to diverse interpretation – without the misunderstanding that so often accompanies the spoken word, which appears to change in meaning during the time it takes to leave the mouth of the speaker and enter the ear of the listener.

Diversity of culture, language and heritage diminish in a moment of inspirational dance, with movement that inspires, provokes and fires the imagination. Movement that is letting words flow in the mind of the observer and dancer alike, each interpreting the meaning individually and – at that moment – privately. Isn’t this how many of us see life? We watch, we listen, and we interpret.

The choreographer may have been looking to elicit a particular response and emotion from the audience, and yet, we, the audience, can see something completely different. In life, this difference in understanding can lead to strife, yet in dance it amplifies the richness of diversity, taking the thought process of one individual and magnifying it through the many minds that seek to understand.

When we experience life through dance, recognising the moods, the crescendos and the tranquility that it offers, we speak a different but common language, an avenue of expression devoid of words that relies on body language of the soul.

‘I see dance being used as communication between body and soul, to express what is too deep to find for words.’ (Ruth St. Denis, Dance Pioneer, 1879 – 1968)

Barbara

News August/September 2014

Looking back

Even when we are looking back time is still moving forward. Time is linear, forever moving in one direction. The future. The tomorrow. The past can not be changed. That time has gone. But with the knowledge of the past we can understand the presence and prepare for the future.

Many people have arrived on the shores of Australia, for a variety of reasons. Whether unwillingly being deported for crimes or other reasons, looking for a new and better life or searching for adventure, this far away land offers a multitude of options. People forced from their homelands for their beliefs, and also those who are looking for a safer country to bring up their children all arrive in this country with various, but big expectations.

Australia is a melting pot of different cultures, different stories, different backgrounds and different expectations. The beauty in all of this is the richness that comes from embracing the difference. We might not all want the same, but somehow we can embrace each others desire. This includes the Indigenous people with their vast and extensive history full of tradition and understanding of this land. A land they have been living in since thousands of years. A history and tradition full of knowledge and excitement.

Understanding that we can only go forward in time releases us from the bond of the past. We can never return to ‘what has been’, we can only live in ‘what is now’ and ‘what can be’. Embracing the past, the diverse nature of the people who have lived here forever, and the people who have chosen to live here since, we can add to our own history and background, learn from each other and experience a richness that comes from all the cultural heritages. Our children will have a different history to us. Rich, diverse – and full of colour.

‘We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.’  (Jimmy Carter, 39th US president)

Barbara