One evening dance instructor Johari Mayfield played Jenga with a lively bunch of architects at a party and failed miserably. The games’ instructions were simply enough—taken alone. Jenga, in fact, requires an extraordinary balancing act similar in complexity to the ordered movements and expressions that might produce a structurally sound and entertaining dance: Breathe, plie, contract, release, battement, twirl, grin, flatback, layout, smile, breathe.
As a dance instructor and lifelong child at play, Johari reminds her students that we are all movers. Every person has a different physical architecture and manner of uniting mind and body to create cohesive movement.
She creates a safe and inclusive environment where all dancers can learn new things and risk what they know. A mover who is new to dance can create a new blueprint for kinesthetic awareness. A seasoned dancer can electrify familiar movement patterns with a new “Ah ha!” Dancers can fearlessly investigate the interdependent relationships between timing, control, surrender, and the subtleties of balance. All can increase awareness of the elements that under gird creative movement: A working knowledge of the body’s anatomical systems, a varied dance vocabulary, appreciation of gravity as both resource and teacher, and a sense of humor.
Johari encourages students to leave behind the win-lose, success-failure outlook and embrace a view of dance where foibles and missteps are the building blocks of creative movement. Each student learns to combat inner critics with joy, simplicity, and wisdom, and to play, laugh, and grow.
Johari teaches movement and dance as the rehearsal director for Forces of Nature Dance Theatre Company, as well as in sports clubs, dance studios, and as a private instructor throughout the city, other U.S. cities, and abroad. For more information on dance workshops or one-on-one personal training/Pilates-based exercise, with nutrition consultation, please call 917-756-5627.
Johari loves to teach and gets of a lot creative inspiration from watching children learn.
She teaches ballet, modern, and mixed repertory to kids ages 12-17 at the Forces of Nature Youth Academy of Dance and Wellness located at Imani Arts @ The Little Theatre, 230 Malcolm X Blvd-2nd Floor, St Martin’s Episcopal Church New York, NY 10027. Please call 212 722 3320 for additional information about the program.