NYC Posse Update – Merri Milwe

I have been taking Tamar’s movement/dance/laboratory class for about ten years. I stopped going in 2011 when I developed a neurological disorder called truncal dystonia. I was barely able to walk and experienced a pulling feeling as if a cumberbund was being tightened around my waist. This feeling was severe and made me bend at the middle as if I was going to pick something up off the floor.

I started seeing Tamar privately and we discovered that I could dance and when I danced I didn’t have the pulling feeling and was able to hold myself in a normal posture.

Fullscreen recommended:

I am now back in class. The work that Tamar does is very specific to each participant. She sees what movement will be most helpful to each of us and while she gives directions for the whole group she makes adjustments to each persons particular need.

Sometimes it’s lifting your clavicles, walking on the sides of your feet, adjusting the position of your head by seeing through the back of your eyes…and then we dance. We dance as a group with each of us integrating the body possibilities we’ve just been working on.
And the dance is beautiful to see and feel.

I am glad to be part of the NYC Cerebral Posse.

I have only been to one session but I can see Tamar’s technique working its magic on each person in that group in the same way it has worked in the dance/lab.

Feeling myself getting better and walking more upright has been a huge psychological leap for me, from helplessness to hopefulness.

Because I have witnessed the extraordinary work Tamar does with Gregg (and watched Gregg with his own students and the Posse), I know I can make the physical leap as well.

-Merri Milwe

Note from Tamar:

Every class before this Merri was bent over at a 90 degree angle when walking in and out of class—This day (when I finally got around to filming her) she had already improved and was at a roughly 130 degree angle.  I asked her, just for the camera, to do the 90 degree walk and she couldn’t! This same thing happened with Gregg and I don’t have the earliest on film.