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GET up. Move. Express yourself!
Movement is what MUVE is all about
for a group that gathers regularly to
swoop, spin, reach and otherwise go
with their bodies' natural flow.By Nancy Arcayna
Special to the Star-BulletinMaggie Kunkel and her MUVE class do exactly that. Kunkel twists like a rubber band as she leads the class.
Her class is geared to the vast rhythmless-nation of people afraid of being discovered as toe-stomping klutzes. In Kunkel's universe, no rhythm is required and anyone can dance.
Nine people in a Saturday afternoon class migrated around the dance floor to the beat of their own private drummer. Some slithered like snakes searching for prey, some roamed about with their arms hanging in elephant-like poses while others lay as still as dead cockroaches on their backs with arms and legs extended in the air.
All agreed that it was an exhilarating experience whether they were running, waltzing or twirling about in their own little spot on the dance floor. The main objective of the class is to get moving and have fun without having to deal with structured routines.
MUVE IT
What: MUVE classes
"MUVE loosens up joints and brings muscles and bones to life that don't get to move to their full potential during our daily routines," said Kunkel. "It is for bodies of all shapes, ages and sizes and ranges from complete stillness to highly energetic dance.
"And it's different because there are no choreographed steps to learn as in a jazz or modern dance class and you don't need a partner as with ballroom dancing. We are not striving for perfection, we just enjoy the music," she said.
Reclaiming her body
Kunkel studied dance and art in a commune in Austria for 10 years. As a graphics designer, she discovered that sitting 8 to 12 hours a day in front of a computer was bad for her body, "so I started to reclaim my body by developing MUVE," she said."As I began to relax with music at home, I would move different parts of my body to find out what my body needed," says Kunkel.
"I've always loved to dance. As a child, I was always hopping around everywhere and whenever there was music, I couldn't sit still."
She credits her love for music and dance in helping her to maintain her health.
"A year ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I'm so glad I was able to continue my classes. I only missed one right before my surgery. I just had to move at a much lower level.
"The classes helped me deal with the battering that surgery, chemo and radiation therapy gave my body. Now that I'm done with my treatments, I need to move because they removed so many lymph nodes from my arm. A physical therapist showed me all of the exercises to do, and I had already been doing them.
"Some people (diagnosed with cancer) have their kids they need to be positive for ... the music and movement is what brought me joy."
While some MUVE participants use dance as exercise, others see it as a creative outlet.
"The class is a wonderful combination of creativity and inspiration and is a nice balance to other athletic activities," said student Carol Murry. "Maggie's guided improvisation provides the flexibility to free dance. When I don't feel like making another decision in my day, I'll follow along. But normally I have my own dance to dance.
Another student, Geri, who did not give her last name, said, "This last year I found myself engaged in work, school and raising a family. I knew I needed to find something for me. MUVE has refreshed my spirit and my body. The atmosphere of the class is friendly, upbeat and non-intimidating. Everyone is there for themselves and for the love of the music, movement and dance. It is the best thing I've done in years.""This is only my second class, but I really like it because it is different, says Rongwin Wang. I love dancing and (Maggie's) style of free movement is so appealing. Different music is played at each class, so it doesn't get boring.".
Susan Chandler, director of the State Department of Human Services adds, "It doesn't matter if you are a super dancer or not. The class is absolutely freeing and relaxing. We sit a lot and the body gets tense, and the class provides a release of tension and a feeling of joy. This is the only exercise that I consistently stayed with because it is fun."
Wallen Ellingson was the only guy in the class. Ellingson said a puppy once joined the class until he made a mess of the mats.
"MUVE is therapy. It is physical and a stress reliever. You can run around, jump, flap your wings or grab someone and twirl them around. There is a certain sense of freedom," he said. "It's like yoga in motion. I sense that I'm coming out of my cocoon and turning into a dancing buddha."
Like oiling rusty machines
Americans tend to be more rigid than people of other cultures, Ellingson said, adding that in Africa, when the drums are beat, everyone in the tribe jumps around without thinking of making mistakes or following prescribed movements."When we get older, it is so important to keep moving. If you have a machine that isn't used, it becomes rusty," says Kunkel.
The women in the seniors's class on Mondays were more shy than the Saturday group. Nonetheless, they were raring to go. They had the room all set up with mats before the instructor even arrived. Music of the '40s and'50s played as the women twirled, spun and swooned. They even engaged in a musical chair escapade that turned into a toe-tapping session. The class ended with "Goodnight Sweetheart."
"Basically, we get a good workout even if we loosen up only one part of our bodies," said Eleanor, who also did not want to give her last name.
Hope Dennis, who is 82, loves to "MUVE" and has been attending classes for two years.
"I do it on the sidewalks. I don't care if people think I'm a crazy old lady. I was a yoga teacher for 30 years and know the value of moving the miracle we walk around in.
"It's horrible to see people accept old age and stop moving around when they still could be. Anything that gets you breathing and gets oxygen into the body is beneficial. Too bad we don't take as good care of our bodies as we do our vehicles. And, it's a shame they don't have more of these types of programs in nursing homes."
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