Art as Bueatuful Motion - Van Der Leeuw

The way that I have always related to and understood the world in a way that felt most natural for me through movement.  It is not a new idea that humans have a desire to understand the natural world.  Just as the scientist, poet, philosopher, bee keeper, and bird watcher enjoy learning about the natural world, so does the wire-walker, gymnast, rock-climber, and tennis player.  They gain understanding of the world through their body.  A wire-walker is communing directly with the laws of nature as they step out onto the line. And through their efforts to perfect their craft, one gains a broader, intuitive capability to understand the nature of reality itself.  Van der Leeuw talks about the body as being the oldest instrument of all.  To seek to fully understand the body by falling into a mental state that is completely void of time and memory opens up a world that for some reason feels very natural.  Just as the eagle doesn't hesitate as it swoops down to grab a fish, practicing body movement is an attempt to reach that same sate of mind which just reacts in the most natural way to the situation.  So, just as we attempt to make sense of the world with our minds through words, poems, logic and reason, we also make sense of it through movement, which is very creative in its own way.