Aanchal Anand is a dance/movement therapy student who caught my attention on Instagram a few months ago. I noticed that she posted a video of herself dancing EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
I was curious, kind of jealous, and mostly intrigued.
What Aanchal gives her followers is inspiration and permission to move with no expectations. She lets us know that it’s okay to move in any way you want, given the different camera angles and non-technical movement styles.
Sometimes we see all of her, sometimes we only see part of her. She seems to be showing us whatever she needs to express at that given moment.
She calls this project thebodytalk, and if you need inspiration to move more consistently, I strongly encourage you to check out her Instagram. But before you try this yourself, please read the interview so that you have a healthy set of guidelines and you can set up your own practice from an authentic place.
How did thebodytalk start?
AA: thebodytalk stemmed from wanting to create a ‘dinacharya’/daily practice of experimenting with movement, using my body as a means to express, experiment, ideate and create. One of the significant steps in this direction was challenging a notion I held, that creating movement belonged to the confines of the four walls of a studio.
I found myself itching to experiment with movement, wanting to create a body of work that would be my own. However, I found myself falling into the inevitable loop of excuses – I’m busy, I can’t seem to the find the time, I don’t think I have the chops to be doing this, I’m afraid of what people will say in response to what I create, the studio is too far way, it’s probably not going to be any substantial anyway, and the list was pretty endless.
thebodytalk was my way of dancing/moving every day, anywhere, and looking at how different spaces influence the movement dynamic. I was also keen to look beyond the aesthetic value of the product of the creation and focus more on the process. I wanted to cut loose and really get in touch with how I was feeling, without having to worry how that would look like and what people would think about it.
How did you plan to move each day?
AA: The honest answer is, I don’t. I try to keep the process as spontaneous as possible. When I began thebodytalk, I set some guidelines for myself that I have tried to stick to over the past year.
1. Move every day – This was an ideal situation that I stuck to for the longest time, however, I eventually came to realize that it was not a realistic outcome for me. I did have days when I was sick, travelling, drowning in grad school workload and sometimes when I just needed to take a break. Yet, for the most part, the idea was to carve out time for this personal exploration through movement.
2. Film only once – Surrounded by content that is perfect and often considered to be ‘Instagram worthy’ output, I told myself that I would like to stick to recording these videos just once. Whatever comes out of it is what it is and that the process is personally more important to me than the product. The idea was to keep it personal, rather than something that would get a couple of hundred likes.
3. Let it be spontaneous – I plan profusely in all other aspects of my life, and I felt that this would be a great space for me to dabble with being spontaneous. I therefore take inspiration from things I may have seen/heard/read during the day, things that happened to me and how I was feeling. I try to keep the stimulus as open ended as possible to see how that impact the way I move.
4. Don’t overthink.
What did you discover about yourself focusing on the process more than the product?
AA: By focusing on the process, I have come to get in touch with how the movement makes me feel. This allows me to be creative and play with whatever comes up for me in the moment in the form of imagery, feelings, thoughts or ideas. When I first began moving every day, I recall how uncomfortable I felt to move without being told what to do or how to move. I had a voice that would constantly ramble in my head about how odd it felt to move, not knowing where it was headed. It felt strange and alien to me. However, staying open to the process has enabled me to be more present in the moment, spontaneous and non-judgmental with myself. Through the process, I am learning how I love moving for the sake of moving, and acknowledging how everything does not always have to be coherent and make sense.
How did moving more in this way affect you on an emotional, physical, spiritual level?
AA: Emotionally and spiritually, I would say that thebodytalk has become my daily ritual. I view it as my way of journaling through movement. While some people like to write and express themselves in words or pictures, I enjoy expressing myself through movement and this video documentation is my movement journal. Through this movement journey, I have learned to be more aware of what I’m feeling, and often, moving is my way of catharsis or release. Through movement, I am learning to work through my fears, challenge myself, be more creative, disciplined and confident. Physically, I am learning to better understand the ways that I like moving, what my movement repertoire is characteristically made up of and experimenting with what feels unfamiliar from my signature movement style. Overall, it is a creative habit that I am trying to indulge in.
Did it ever feel unsafe? What was scary about it?
AA: The thought of having my entire movement journey documented and on social media for people to view did seem intimidating, but it was a conscious decision I took. The act of uploading it on a platform where others could view it, though daunting, was a way for me to be accountable to myself and to those who were following my journey. Yet, for the longest time, I rarely spoke about it or posted any updates about it on my personal page on social media, for I feared the response/judgement that it might receive from people. I was also afraid of whether I would be able to live up to my own expectation of moving every day. I did not want it to be an over ambitious project that I had set out on, one that fizzled out a couple of days/weeks/months later. Additionally, I used to be absolutely petrified about moving outdoors when other people were around. It was a space that was out of my comfort zone and the idea of having people stop and watch me, made me nervous and insecure. Truth be told, a little over a year later, these fears have not magically vanished. They linger. However, I’ve come to realize that the joy of immersing myself in the movement has enabled me to cope with these demons differently.
Do you have an example of how you spontaneously moved a part of your day and then became really surprised by what you discovered about it in movement? Something deeper? Something you wouldn’t have known in only words?
With the last few weeks of the semester right around the corner, I have been feeling the stress and pressure of all the deadlines build up. Keeping that as my theme, I moved. Watching my movement, I observed how bound and off balance my movement appears. Looking at myself, I noticed how I barely look like I have any control over my movement, looking like I’m being tossed around. Mid-way through my movement, I noticed how I was holding my breath and subsequently, on realizing this I let out a sigh. Looking at this from a wider lens made me think about how packed my days had been and how there was barely been any time for myself or periods when I could cool off and take a break. I also thought about how this was also metaphorically reflected in my movement being off-balance. It got me thinking about ways to incorporate things to help ground me, and windows of relaxation that ensure I got a breather during this stressful period. To me, this is an example of how spontaneously moving got me to uncover something that I wouldn’t have necessarily known and acknowledged only through words.
It’s truly amazing how much you can learn about yourself and grow by moving every day.
Is this something you feel inspired to try on your own? Leave a comment and let us know!
Aanchal Anand believes that dance and movement can enhance the everyday for people in every walk of life. As a dancer and former creative movement educator, she is passionate about using the body as a medium to express the way one feels. She wishes to turn this passion into a fulfilling profession as a Dance/Movement Therapist. Originally from Chennai, India, she is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Dance/Movement Therapy at Pratt Institute.
Her Instagram handle is @ _thebodytalk