Dartmouth Events

Unlocking the Present: The Mind and Body in Internal Practice

Coast Jazz Orchestra director Taylor Ho Bynum hosts George Leung '07 for an introductory workshop on the Chinese internal martial arts baguazhang (bagua) & taijiquan (tai chi) and a discussion about the technical and philosophical connections between those practices and musical performance (especially improvisation).

In this workshop, we explore ways that internal martial arts training can enhance a musician’s ability to tap into the present moment, listen deeply, respond intuitively, and “speak through their art” to channel unfettered spontaneity. Attendees can expect to be moving around and engaging with each other with gentle and respectful touch. While challenging, these exercises are low impact and done at a slow or moderate pace, and thus will not require any particular degree of pre-existing physicality, nor will they involve any forceful contact. Each attendee can participate according to their individual comfort level—it’s totally fine to just observe if so desired!

George Leung '07 began studying martial arts at eight years old and has trained in over a dozen fighting systems over the past three decades. His focus for the last twenty years has been on the Chinese internal martial arts of baguazhang and taijiquan. George is a lineage disciple of Wu Family Martial Arts under Grandmaster Christopher Lee-Matsuo of Honolulu, Hawaii, and currently teaches baguazhang and neigong in Hanover, N.H.