There’s a whining at
the threshold,
There’s something a
scratching at the floor,
To work! To work! In Heaven’s name!
The wolf is at the
door!
- C.P.S. Gilman
Expression: “When the wolf is at the door” or “Keep the wolf
from the door”
Meaning: Keeping starvation
at bay, or any other danger or predicament that seeks to ravage the inhabitants
within, ranging from starvation and poverty to physical death.
Example of use: “It only pays minimum wage, but at least it
will keep the wolf from the door.”
One source said the expression originated in 1933, and
referenced the story of the Three Little
Pigs.
I love the small, wonderful book “How to Cook a Wolf” by
M.F.K. Fisher, written in 1942.
“Written
to inspire courage in those daunted by wartimes shortages, How to Cook a
Wolf continues to rally cooks during times of plenty, reminding them that
providing sustenance requires more than putting food on the table. M. F. K.
Fisher knew that the last thing hungry people needed were hints on cutting back
and making do. Instead, she gives her readers license to dream, to experiment,
to construct adventurous and delicious meals as a bulwark against a dreary,
meager present. Her fine prose provides reason in itself to draw our chairs
close to the hearth; we can still enjoy her company and her exhortations to
celebrate life by eating well.”
Thus
the wolf metaphor. Later mixed with cows
(another posting). Wolves and Cows.
One
of my MAP students sent me an email:
Hi Celeste,
This was a song that I just happened to
stumble upon last week. The title is Wolf's Law by The Joy Formidable. Here is
the song and its accompanying video. It's a bit of a cliche video, but has
some pretty beautiful images nonetheless.
I was intrigued by the title and believe
that it may be a play on Wolff's law, which is a theory developed by the German
anatomist and surgeon Julius Wolff in the 19th century that states that bone in
a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads under which it is placed. If
loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time
to become stronger to resist that sort of loading. The internal architecture of
the trabeculae undergoes adaptive changes, followed by secondary changes to the
external cortical portion of the bone, perhaps becoming thicker as a result.
The inverse is true as well: if the loading on a bone decreases, the bone will
become weaker due to turnover.
I was so inspired by the song and by this
theory that I've started some personal choreography with it. However, I think
it is an interesting take perhaps on your "Wolves and the Economy"
idea, in that individuals everywhere have in one way or another remodeled
themselves to resist the load that is the economy. I think Wolff's Law could be
a metaphor for how we are all dealing with the economy and will continue to do
so.
Just a thought!
AnA
So, what follows is the first draft of a workshop where we
used Wolff’s Law as our movement metaphor and jumping off place to discuss the
economy. I often teach a workshop over
and over before I feel like it starts to work.
Following is based on the first workshop but is tweaked to include the
new ways I am thinking about it.
Community-dance Workshop - Wolff’s Law
Wolff's Law is theory about how bones adapt to the loads that are
placed on them;
and could be a metaphor for how we deal with economic shifts and
changes.
As always, start in a circle and everyone either checks in
(if they know each other) or introduce themselves if it is a new group.
Warm-up: To get bodies moving start with simple T’ai Chi
exercises, emphasing push and resistance.
Movement Exploration: Take four counts to put your body in a
shape (dance = design with your body in space, still). Low, middle or high level. As you hold the
stillness, feel like you can flesh it out.
Really understand the architecture
of the shape you have made. How is this
shape built? What holds it up? Where is
the balance? The support systems? Be
aware of your skeletal structure as you explore making new shapes. Continue this exploration for about three
minutes.
More: Find yourself in a shape. Then take your hand and place it on another
body part, say your other arm. Feel the
bone under the skin. Slightly resisting,
let your hand push your arm to a new place, as far as it will go until it can’t
go any further. (think like an isometric exercise). Let go and get a sense of the new architecture that has been created. Try
different body parts. Continue
independent exploration for about five minutes.
More: Push/Resist/Push Back
Same thing, except now push back once you have gotten to the
extreme. Continue to reassess the new architecture before you make another change. Independent exploration about five minutes.
Partners: Same thing, except with a partner.
One partner “pushes”, the other is “pushed” while giving
slight resistance.
The pushing partner is sculpting and molding their partner
into ever changing shapes. (architecture).
Layer: shift seamlessly between who is pushing, who is being
pushed
Pause and discuss:
What did you notice? What did you observe? What was
challenging? How did you solve the
challenge?
Note that what we just played with is a way of thinking
about what kinds of movement to draw from for the next part of the workshop.
Pass out description of Wolff’s Law. Discuss (very) briefly. Let everyone know that the assignment is:
In groups of 3 (or 4) you will find a way, in movement, to
demonstrate Wolff’s Law. Compose these into movement studies. Work time – about fifteen minutes and then we
will show them.
Share: Each group
shows. As usual: observers respond with
what was rich, delightful, provocative, evocative, surprising, etc.
Let each group have five more minutes to revise, highlight,
intensify, edit their piece. Ask – how
is Wolff’s Law a metaphor for how we adapt and remodel ourselves to resist the
load that is the economy? Don’t change
your piece, just think about this as you work a little longer.
Share: Let participants
know that this time, in addition to music, we will be layering text. Dancers don’t need to worry about it, or
change what it is they are doing – those watching will look for serendipitous resonances. Moments where words and a particular movement
seem to somehow line up with one another – redundancy, subtext, humor,
opposition, mirror, etc
Some possible suggestions for text layering:
View each group's piece again, this time layering text. Observers respond to the serendipitous resonances, and let this lead into a dialogue about the economy, "when the wolf is at the door" and how we do, or can, remodel ourselves.
Conclusion: Circle up and final one word (phrase) share.
Workshop ideas c. 2013 Celeste Miller
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