BASI Learn From The Leaders (LFTL) 2016
April has drawn to a close and May has sprung upon us. They say time flies, and all I can say is it accelerates into “hyper speed” as I progress further into my sixties. Birthdays come and go and if we cast our minds back over a lifetime it is hard to remember more than a few singular birthdays - some because they were particularly wonderful, and others because they were particularly somber. I can honestly say that I will always remember my 61^st as being one of the greatest. Having 200 BASI Family from around the globe plus some dear personal friends and my family celebrating with me was a unique and awesome privilege.
April 16 (my birthday) marked the first day of LFTL. By the end of a long day of study we were all ready to “Celebrate the Night”, an extravaganza of epic proportions. It would be difficult to bring a group of such talented artists together anywhere - flamenco dancer Debora Taddei, acrobat and circus performer Melanie Chy and award winning singer/songwriter Maya Isacowitz accompanied by bass player extraordinaire, Bobby Vega (I joined them for a few numbers). The requisite birthday cake was brought in, (undoubtedly the most expensive birthday cake of my life, and never to be repeated!), and everyone shared in the joy of the moment.
Yet we were not only there to party, we were all there to share generously in education and the study of Pilates. There were many great topics to choose from with presentations delivered by Karen Clippinger, Deborah Lessen and myself, plus many of the BASI Faculty. The fact that BASI Systems was a sponsor of the event meant that we had an abundance of state-of-the-art equipment. It brought me great pleasure to see more than 80 people in my presentations all working hard and practicing on BASI Systems equipment. There was a spirit of openness and a hunger for learning.
At the conclusion of Sunday, the second day of the event, I taught a mat class to many of the participants, about 170 strong. It went out to the world, in real time, via the world wide web and hundreds of people logged on to enjoy it together with us.
A 3-day Summit of BASI Faculty, Hosts and Licensees preceded the LFTL. There were around 120 people in attendance from around the globe. The first two days were spent in meetings, and the final day was spent going over repertoire, addressing questions related to teaching and conducting general discussions. We had a wonderful dinner and dance that evening. The BASI team never fails to dazzle in their party finest. The ladies looked stunning and the men dashing. But the BASI babies stole the show: Jessica-Faith from South Africa and Ashley-Cooper from Australia. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I am ready to be a grandfather!
Many of the visiting guests stayed on for a week to attend my Mentor Program held the following weekend. Each Mentor Program is such a profound and impressionable experience. I always fear that it will not be as good as the last one, and yet each one lives up to expectations, in fact surpasses expectations. I cannot say one is better than the other, only that each one is completely unique and gratifying.
So now, as I reflect on April, I cannot but feel grateful, blessed, a little tired and totally rejuvenated. The spring of 2016 will forever be held dear to my heart. I want to thank each of you who helped make it such a memorable time; students, presenters, sponsors, the BASI Systems team, the BASI team, the volunteers, the event organizers, the performers, guests – in short, the universe! I humbly bow to you all.
Happy summer 2016,
Rael