T'ai-Chi DVD

For many years the people who come to my T'ai-Chi classes have been asking for a clear step-by-step DVD of the Yang style Short Form I teach to beginners. I did manage to get a VHS video made a few years ago which took about two years from the filming to the editing, to the packaging and printing and copying before it was ready for use. It was simple film: one camera angle of Matthew, Kate and I going through the short form in St John's Hall, Isleworth. T'ai-Chi practitioners have found it useful but it only presented the front view, so was always a challenge when attempting to copy the movements back to front, so to speak.

Last year in the autumn one of my Monmouth T'ai-Chi student's told me that her husband had a place on Mon-TV's very comprehensive film training course. It is free - and for those who want to know more, it is funded by the Welsh Assembly and tutored by professionals in the media industry. People come from far and wide to participate.  Part of the course is writing, shooting and editing a five minute film, and Ian Wallace, Diana's husband, was looking around for a subject. Diana suggested he do something about me, mainly because of my dance background, she thought it might be interesting. Go to sueweston.com to see Ian's film Living Without Regrets, - a title that Ian chose and now I have to live up to. (Thank you, Ian)

Ian has a great eye for framing a picture, he was considerate and organised when working out the storyboard and during the shooting. I was bit nervous at the editing stage, but I think he has condensed the over two hours of material to the required five minutes rather wonderfully. What do you think? Let me know, leave a comment at the end of this blog. Mon-TV think so, they are using Ian's film to show potential fund-raisers, including the Welsh Assembly. And he was given a distinction on graduating from the course, congratulations, Ian

Then the subject of the much requested T'ai-Chi DVD floated into the front of my mind. A guide that offers clear step by step instructions in easy-to-use chapters, that is clear and filmed giving both front and back views, as though the student is standing behind the instructor as in class. I mentioned this to Diana at our T'ai-Chi session last Wednesday and she told me that Ian was going to be taking on some supply teaching soon so would not be available for a few months after Easter. I contacted him the next day, he responded enthusiastically, we met this morning, Friday 19 March, and on Tuesday 23 March we meet  to shoot the film in Dingestow Village Hall for an 8am start. If anyone wants to come along and lend a hand, or make a cup of tea, or get your T'ai-Chi slippers on and join in, please do! We need a couple of runners, equipment wranglers etc.

I am making wishes that this time it will not take two years between filming and completion. I'll let you know when it emerges - and keep you updated here as we go through the process of writing, filming, editing, recording the commentary, designing the cover, making copies, packaging....