Cid Pearlman: 3 Minute Movements

Laurie says:

My daughter Cid Pearlman organized “3 Minutes Moving (3MM),” a variety of 3 minute movements for these sedentary pandemic times. They are presented by 13 master teachers of dance, martial arts and contemplative movement practices.

I’ve done some of the 3MM and I really like them. The quality of the instruction and the choices of movement are both varied and excellent. You can find them here and all thirteen 3MM are free.

I’d suggest finding one you like and doing the part that works for you. Obviously some people’s movement range will be very different from others. I’ve chose two very different 3MM to show. I like Ana Maria Alvareza’s Dance Break/Move Your Hips for the hip movements and flow (I’ve taught belly dancing a lot over the years so of course it appeals to me). And I chose Ceech Hsu’s — DimeStopping for the precision of movement and rhythm while sitting. The 3 minutes was over almost before I knew it in both of them. They really are a brief break.
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We have tried to make 3 Minutes Moving as accessible as possible, but we realize that accessibility is always a work in progress and that not all instruction will be fully accessible for all bodies. You are the expert on your own body, so please take options or adapt the movements to best fit your needs. If this movement opportunity is not accessible for you, we invite you to take these 3 minutes to practice mindfulness and breathing in a way that works for you.
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From the UC Santa Cruz Newsletter:
Organized by theater arts dance lecturer Cid Pearlman, 3 Minutes Moving (3MM) offers easy access to physical engagement with a variety of three-minute movement experiences—presented by accomplished teachers in dance, martial arts, and contemplative movement practices.

These free videos are designed to promote health and wellness for all body types, and no previous movement training is necessary. 3MM is a project of UCSC Online Education in collaboration with the dance faculty of UCSC’s Theater Arts Department, with support from Porter College and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History.

Cid said: Shortly after I began working with Online Education, I had a distanced backyard visit with my friend and UCSC dance/theater arts colleague Cynthia Ling Lee. One of the things we talked about was the need to bring physical engagement into the online teaching and learning environment in a way that would reach people who don’t necessarily have a regular movement practice. This sparked the idea of 3 Minutes Moving (3MM).

We spend so much time now in front of our screens and we need to move our bodies. I think three minutes is a short enough amount of time that folks won’t be intimidated to try something new,” she added.

Tapping her network of colleagues in dance, martial arts, yoga, and other related practices, Pearlman reached out to a dozen artists initially, ones that she knew could succeed in the abbreviated format. The series began in January, featuring six artists, and more videos are being added each month through the end of June.

What’s important to me is the connection the 3MM artist makes with the viewer—that the person watching feels invited to move, said Pearlman. Some movement practices are more contemplative and can be done seated, and others are quite energetic and can be a bit challenging.

She added that 3MM is hosted publicly on UCSC Online Education’s YouTube channel and can be accessed by anyone. It can also be imported as a Module into any Canvas Commons course. “Our hope is that faculty in all disciplines will include 3MM videos in their courses and encourage their students to move.

The 3MM artists are Micha Scott, Ceech Hsu, Carol McDowell, Janet Johns, Evangelina Macias, Ana Maria Alvarez, Bhumi Patel, Joel Mejia Smith, Rashad Pridgen, Linda Holiday, Vanessa Sanchez, Valerie Moselle, and Damara Vita Ganley. If this sounds interesting – check them out.

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