CANCELLED

unfortunately we have had to cancel this event.

5 days of dancing in the studio and on the land of West Yorkshire. Hot tub, sauna and song…

Facilitated by Zoë Solomons and Hugh Stanier.

“Totally mind blowing and magical”

On the threshold of the darkening year we gather to share dance, song and contact.

We seek in the wild places, listening for stories that will weave us through winter.

The warmth we cultivate in company germinates the seeds of creativity we will plant into the coming year.

Prices

Early Bird (Until 31/07) £380 (Accommodation in Dorm or own tent Van)

Normal Price (£440) (Accommodation in Dorm or own tent Van)

Private room in Farmhouse £200 (£40 pppn)

TO BOOK contact Zoë

What we will do:

Contact Improvisation

Contact improvisation is a practice that offers us a grounded, tangible way to move our bodies in relationship: in relationship to ourselves, the ground and other bodies.

These practical skills for weight distribution, sharing and weight bearing (lifting) serve us to strengthen our physical body, but also to generate resilience of attention, presence and play, which serve us in our outdoor dance- both on the moor and in life outside.

Axis Syllabus

Specific tools for specific tasks: the axis syllabus is a body of information regarding human movement function. We will draw on this resource to explore the function of our bodies in locomotion. In order to step into ourselves more fully as we walk the moors.

The heritage of our bi-pedal ancestry meeting the rock, mud and grit.

Body work

Both Zoe and Hugh are quailifed body therapists who know the deep gentle supportive power of touch.

Working with touch supports us to process and integrate the movement, nature and collaborative work. As well as to continue to settle more deeply into our bodies- the place from which rest and creativity can spring.

Body work forms part of the restorative aspect of this intensive.

Each winter is a chance to remember how to let go, and be reborn again. Restorative practice, or resting, will be a chance to grow in that practice with the support of others. In the sauna, by the fire, on the dance floor and with the land.

Land practice

This year you will have the opportunity for a day long solo nature exploration. We will offer the time and space to - if you wish - to discover the land at your own pace, in your own way. At the end of the day we will come together to harvest & share our personal experiences in the group. The land surrounding Fell Edge is rugged, powerful & beautiful and is home to Englands’ largest collection of prehistoric rock carvings.

The weather can change very quickly- sometimes you can see for miles, and the next moment you’ll be immersed in clouds, the wind can be very strong and the light is epic as it moves over the hills. The land practice is the chance to confront this landscape alone, at your own pace.

Suitable for all levels of experience from beginner to advanced.

Hugh Stanier

Hugh is a Contemporary Dance Artist specialising in Contact Improvisation. He has been teaching & performing internationally since 2008. He began dancing when he was 15 as a break dancer and moved into Contemporary dance, graduating from Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD).  He has worked with companies such as 2Faced Dance, Tom Dale, STAN Won’t Dance, and most recently Wim Vandekeybus/Ultima Vez. 

Presently, what interests Hugh most about teaching and facilitating is holding spaces for people to find a deeper connection to themselves through playful exploration. Whether through improvisation, contact Improvisation or choreographed movement, Hugh’s focus and intention lies in finding joy and power in a movement practice connected to presence, awareness and breath.

Zoë Solomons

Zoë is a dancer/mother/teacher/Osteopath and activist. Zoë has been practicing and performing improvisation since 2000 and considers it a life practice as well as a professional skill. She has performed for Felix Ruckert, Tino Seghal and Simonetta Alessandri among others.

Zoë qualified to teach Axis Syllabus universal motion principles in 2008, when teaching she combines this knowledge with anatomical understanding from her work as an osteopath with dancers and athletes. She has taught at major dance centres and schools and festivals in the U.K. and internationally. Her eclectic training in medicine, bodywork and nature based practices and a dance background including improvisation, tango, folkdance and contemporary inform her embodied approach to functional movement pedagogy.

Food, Accommodation & amenities:

• Fully catered with 3 vegetarian meals per day.

• Beautiful warm dance studio with views across the valley

• Base price Accommodation is in a shared dorm, alternatively you can bring your own tent or van.

• Private rooms available in the Farmhouse for at extra 40£ per night. (Subject to availability)

• More luxurious B’n’B options also available (to be booked separately)

• There is a Hot Tub and Sauna that we can enjoy on alternating evenings over the week.

In this weekend intensive we will begin by learning about the alignment of the knee joint. We will have access to a model skeleton as well as images, information and discussion. This theoretical exploration will serve as a foundation for sensory exploration of functional alignment.

Through the weekend we may expand our view to the relationship of the knee to the ankle, hip and spine. The overall aim is for each individual to build personal sensory references of integrated joint function to apply in their life as a mover, whatever form that takes.

The first day of the workshop will focus on fundamental alignment principles. We will utilise improvisation and short movement motifs to practice these, and to observe and develop our movement habits.

The second day will be a chance to ‘workshop’ these principles in a mini individual project, eg - How do these principles serve me to: lift my baby from the ground, skip-rope, do … dance move?
Participants may arrive knowing their project, join another project, or discover one on the day.

This will be an opportunity for group learning. How this evolves will be responsive to the group and there may an opportunity to expand into more dynamic dancing or yet to be discovered fun!

Healthy dynamic alignment can offers us the opportunities for more ground, play and power in our movement practice - whether that’s as a parent, climber, dancer, surfer, runner etc… As such this workshop is open to any human with a body.

Price: early bird £80. Full price £100

Need to know info
Doors open at 9.30am for a 10.00am start, please arrive on time.

Please wear comfortable clothes to move in.
Please bring water and food, some refreshments will be provided. There will be a 90m lunch break should you wish to go to town for food, there are plenty of shops nearby.

You may wish to bring warm layers, a yoga mat or something soft to lie on should we do bodywork.

A notepad and pen is also worth bringing, should you wish to take notes.

Tickets;
https://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/.../sat-5-oct-axis...

Contact Improvisation informed by the Axis Syllabus. Buddhafield festival 2024

I’ll be teaching two sessions in the dedicated SOMA space along with a traunch of experienced and exciting teachers.

A special space in a special festival. Compassion, mindfulness and play abound.

Axis Syllabus based Dynamic Anatomy workshop

Our hands and arms have unique expressivity and tactile intelligence. The evolution and experience of which lives in their fascial connective tissue.

In this workshop we will observe the fascial anatomy of the arms; the layers of connective tissue that wrap, support and connect our upper limbs to our trunk and legs.

This anatomical enquiry will be a starting point for movement exploration, tuning us into sensory specificity, support and connection to reach, spiral and take weight through the arms.

We may do short movement motifs as well as free movement as we practice together. All aspects are opt-in and are adaptable for movers of all levels of experience. The emphasis of these sessions is to develop our own movement research/exploration. Honouring our individual and collective body intelligence.

Previous workshop participants report that the experience was supportive for varied practices of rowing, gardening, running, yoga, parenting, as well as dancing.

Expect embodied learning and functional movement that can open up the natural joy & sensuality of having a human body!

SCHEDULE & LOCATION:

Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th of May 2024

Space will be open for your own warm up from 9.30am

10am-1pm Morning session

1-2.30pm Lunch

2.30-5.30pm Afternoon session

@ Trinity Rooms, Field road, Stroud (about a ten minute walk into town with lots of cafe/market options, and a five minute walk to Waitrose)

TICKETS & PAYMENT:

Earlybird price £110 until March 15th. Tickets will then increase to £130. If this price is inaccessible for you please reach out and we will try and find a way for you to join.

To book please either pay the full price or make a deposit of £60 via Paypal to https://paypal.me/SophieMarsh1?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GB (make sure you select 'friends and family'). Ref: ARMS. Please email sophieroffmarsh@hotmail.com to let us know you have made payment.

Full payment is due 3 weeks before the event (13th April).

REFUNDS/EXCHANGES:

To exchange tickets please email sophieroffmarsh@hotmail.com and let us know the name changeover. There is a £5 admin fee for this.

Refunds can be issued upto 3 weeks before the event (13th April) for a £10 admin fee. After this we can offer you a 50% refund or you are welcome to find someone else to buy your ticket and let us know the name change for a £5 admin fee. No refunds available less than 5 days prior to the event.*

*Extenuating circumstances include severe injury, bedbound illness or family death.

We have set this cancellation policy to support you in honouring the commitment to yourself, and to support us in creating a viable event. We appreciate your collaboration and understanding.

Contact Sophie - sophieroffmarsh@hotmail.com - with any questions regarding the workshop/payment etc.

MOOR than Contact

Contact Improvisation & Dancing in Nature.

A week intensive with Zoë Solomons and Hugh Stanier.

Fell Edge, West Yorkshire Moors.

3rd-8th November, 2023 (Beginning with a Friday evening jam, and with options to book on for the whole 5.5 days or just the weekend)

5 days of Contact Improvisation workshops, dancing in the stunning landscape of the Moors, jamming, & bodywork. Plus hot tub, sauna and beautiful walks.

Suitable for all levels of experience from beginner to advanced.

These workshops will be a deep dive into Contact Improvisation fundamentals: connection, weight-sharing/bearing, listening, flow, play, presence & timing. Supported and informed by the surrounding natural environment, which is home to the largest collection of pre-historic human rock carvings in England.

We will move in a large moor-top dance studio as well as outdoors. When we’re not studying and jamming we will enjoy delicious vegetarian food and relaxation in the hot tub and sauna, with plenty of time for self care and exploring local nature.

The focus and intention of these 5 days is extending in an invitation to yourself to turn gently inwards as we move towards the winter months. Softening, slowing down, connecting more deeply to yourself and to other people. Finding warmth and comfort in physical connection, in sharing movement together. Being together.

A collective slowing down and ‘tuning in’ to what is happening in our surroundings. Inner and outer worlds reflecting one another. In this way the physical practices offered in the workshops can be more deeply integrated into our lives. So not only do we have a wonderful shared experience together, but you will leave the event with tools and techniques that can serve you further in your own practices to navigate what can sometimes - for some of us - be a very challenging moment in the year.

About your facilitators:

Hugh Stanier

Hugh is a Contemporary Dance Artist specialising in Contact Improvisation. He has been teaching & performing internationally since 2008. He began dancing when he was 15 as a break dancer and moved into Contemporary dance, graduating from Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD). He has worked with companies such as 2Faced Dance, Tom Dale, STAN Won’t Dance, and most recently Wim Vandekeybus/Ultima Vez.

Presently, what interests Hugh most about teaching and facilitating is holding spaces for people to find a deeper connection to themselves through playful exploration. Whether through improvisation, contact Improvisation or choreographed movement, Hugh’s focus and intention lies in finding joy and power in a movement practice connected to presence, awareness and breath.

Zoë Solomons

Zoë is a dancer/mother/teacher/Osteopath and activist. Zoë has been been practicing and performing improvisation since 2000 and considers it a life practice as well as a professional skill. She has performed for Felix Ruckert, Tino Seghal and Simonetta Alessandri among others.

Zoë qualified to teach Axis Syllabus universal motion principles in 2008, when teaching she combines this knowledge with anatomical understanding from her work as an osteopath with dancers and athletes. She has taught at major dance centres and schools and festivals in the U.K. and internationally. Her eclectic training in medicine, bodywork and nature based practices and a dance background including improvisation, tango, folkdance and contemporary inform her embodied approach to functional movement pedagogy.

Price & Booking:

*EARLY BIRD* 10% discount available if you book before Oct 1st!

For the whole 5 and a half days (Fri-Weds):

Camping, live-in vehicle or dance-studio dorm, plus all meals: £390

Shared room in the farmhouse, plus all meals: £460

Private room in farmhouse, plus all meals: £530

To join just for the weekend (Fri-Sun):

Camping, live-in vehicle or dance-studio dorm, plus all meals: £280

All options include all meals, access to sauna, hot tub, hot showers and teas and coffees.

*We have tried to make the costs as accessible as possible without reducing the quality of food/practitioners. Please get in touch if these prices are inaccessible to you, or feel free to pay more if you’re able!

To register please send a non-refundable deposit of £100 to PayPal.me/zoemotionsolomons and an email to sophieroffmarsh@hotmail.com with your sleeping preferences / whether you'll be joining for the weekend or entire 5 days. Please use Moor Than Contact as subject.

Rooms are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Travel: location details will be shared on booking.

Nearest rail station is Steeton and silsden. 10 minutes by taxi.

Full payment to be made 3 weeks before the event.

A weekend of CI in Frome, Somerset with Zoe and Hugh.

1 day workshop Fri 9th Dec

Booking

https://app.tickettailor.com/events/fromecontactimprovisation/788259

From the ground up

An in-depth dance into for anatomy and it’s implies for walking and dancing

————-

Weekend intensive

Booking

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/fromecontactimprovisation/788226#

These workshops will be a deep dive into contact improvisation fundamentals: connection, weight-sharing/bearing, listening, flow, play, presence.

After we thoroughly enjoyed the December 2021 gathering in Frome with Zoë and Hugh we are doing the same again!

We will have workshops by day and jams in the evening. Also a snuggle space, plenty of tea and a Christmas tree.

Zoë and Hugh have been doing some research together to cook up some fun new movement avenues for us to explore. More details to come soon.

Open to beginners and ultimate experts of CI and all in-between.

If there is anyone new or fresh to CI who would like an intro workshop the week or weekend before get in touch, we can put something together if there is enough demand for it.

LOCATION:

Selwood Academy

Berkley Road

Frome

Somerset BA11 2EF

Times: TBC around 9:30am-9:30pm each day with breaks in-between.

Price: TBC

If you are local and can offer a bed or floor space for out-of-towners to stay for a £ contribution please get in touch it would be super helpful!

Biographies:

Zoë Solomons

Zoë is a dancer/mother/teacher/Osteopath and activist. Zoë has been been practicing and performing improvisation since 2000 and considers it a life practice as well as a professional skill. She has performed for Felix Ruckert, Tino Seghal and Simonetta Alessandri among others. Zoë qualified to teach Axis Syllabus universal motion principles in 2008 and has since taught at major dance centres and schools in the U.K. and internationally. Her eclectic training in medicine and bodywork, and a dance background including improvisation, tango, folkdance and contemporary inform her embodied approach to functional movement pedagogy.

Hugh Stanier

Hugh is a movement artist specialising in Improvisation & Contact Improvisation. He has over 15 years of teaching & performance experience. He began dancing when he was 15, training in Break dance and Contemporary. He went on to train at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, graduating in 2008. Since then he has worked with companies such as 2Faced Dance, Tom Dale, STAN Won’t Dance, and Ultima Vez.

He has taught intensives internationally at the Goa Contact Festival(2015-17), Berlin contact festival, Soma Arts festival (Munich), Portugal Contact Gathering and the Goa Dance residency 2019 & 2020. He has collaborated with Danceworx Delhi on an international dance film, and is also creating his own work with a focus on collaborative improvisation with Musicians.

Currently his main focus is organising & facilitating his own events and workshops.

He is also a qualified TMW (Tai Chi Movements for Wellbeing) facilitator. The principles of Tai Chi and Qi Kung underpin his approach to teaching and sharing movement.

Contact Improvisation weekend intensive with Zoë Solomons and Hugh Stanier.

14th-16th October. Stunning moor-top Yorkshire location.

All day workshops Saturday and Sunday with a Friday and Saturday night jam. Plus hot tub, sauna and beautiful walks.

Suitable for all levels of movers from beginner to advanced.

These workshops will be a deep dive into contact improvisation fundamentals: connection, weight-sharing/bearing, listening, flow, play, presence. Supported and informed by the surrounding natural environment, which is home to the largest collection of pre-historic human rock carvings in England.

We will move in a large moor-top dance studio as well as outdoors, when we’re not studying and jamming we will enjoy delicious vegetarian food and relaxation in the hot tub and sauna. With plenty of time for self care and exploring local nature.

About your facilitators:

Hugh is a Contemporary Dance Artist specialising in Contact Improvisation. He has over 15 years of international teaching & performance experience. He began dancing when he was 15, training in Break dance and Contemporary and graduated from Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD).  He has worked with companies such as 2Faced Dance, Tom Dale, STAN Won’t Dance, and most recently Wim Vandekeybus/Ultima Vez. 

Presently, what interests Hugh most about teaching and facilitating is holding spaces for people to find a deeper connection to themselves through playful exploration. Whether through improvisation, contact Improvisation or choreographed movement, Hugh’s focus and intention lies in finding joy and power in a movement practice connected to presence, awareness and breath.

Zoë is a dancer/mother/teacher/Osteopath and activist. Zoë has been been practicing and performing improvisation since 2000 and considers it a life practice as well as a professional skill. She has performed for Felix Ruckert, Tino Seghal and Simonetta Alessandri among others.

Zoë qualified to teach Axis Syllabus universal motion principles in 2008, when teaching she combines this knowledge with anatomical understanding from her work as an osteopath with dancers and athletes. She has taught at major dance centres and schools and festivals in the U.K. and internationally. Her eclectic training in medicine, bodywork and nature based practices and a dance background including improvisation, tango, folkdance and contemporary inform her embodied approach to functional movement pedagogy.

Costs:

£100 non-residential (travel in or local bnb)

£125 non-residential but including dinners and lunches

£150 camping, live-in vehicle or dance-studio dorm, plus all meals (including breakfast)

£200 shared room in the farmhouse, plus all meals

£250 private room in farmhouse, plus all meals

All options include Friday evening jam, Saturday workshops and evening jam, Sunday workshops. Plus access to sauna, hot tub, hot showers and teas and coffees.

We have tried to make the costs as accessible as possible without reducing the quality of food/practitioners. Please get in touch if these prices are inaccessible to you, or feel free to pay more if you’re able!

To register please send a non-refundable deposit of £30 to  PayPal.me/zoemotionsolomons and an email to solomonszoe@gmail.com with your sleeping preferences. Please use October workshop as subject.

Rooms are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Travel: location details will be shared on booking.

Nearest rail station is Steeton and silsden. 10 minutes by taxi.

Let’s gather to thaw our winter bones, wake and warm our bodies, dance alive our sensuous skin; let us, unmasked and sun-blinking, play kiss chase to the Beltane bells.

‘Kinetics and Clown’

Join us for round two of Divine Ridiculous meets DANCE. Zoe Solomons, Dan Hernandez and Chloe Wykes present a Beltane themed, Persephone inspired, sensuous dive into movement, clown and myth.

This time for a week long retreat, we will come together to explore both our dynamic dancing bodies and the mysteries of the Divine Ridiculous - in the sweet holding of Fell Edge event space in the Yorkshire Dales, with an expansive dance space and sweeping nature within which to frolic and dive deep.

Our days will be a rich combination of gentle connection to body, focused dancing and the magic world of ritual and clown. Within this juicy and creative holding, we will learn and practice connection to body and dance technique, we will investigate the contrasting energies of clown, playing, creating and opening ourselves and we will come together as community.

Key words: Axis Syllabus, Dance, Clown, Myth, Ritual, Magic, Community, Play, Nature Connection, Massage, Embodiment, Liberation, Performance, Song, Vocal Improvisation, Music, Family, Contact Improvisation


THE DANCING:

Led by the wonderful Zoe Solomons, through the lens of the Axis Syllabus we will study the science of sensuality. Reawakening skin and sinew; dancing deeper in and opening to summer. We will spend up to two sessions day with Zoe. The sessions will be physical; we’ll explore the sensations of our flesh in movement, informed by anatomy diagrams and principles. expect to roll, breathe, touch and be touched. We may stretch, fall, unravel as we reawaken our sinuous animal bodies. We will be in the studio, outdoors, solo and in contact. Suitable for humans with a body and a heart longing to be moved.

THE CLOWN:

Often we wish to show ourselves as perfect, beautiful specimens. This is a mistake that shields us from many learnings. Since forever, clowns have helped us deal with this tendency by tickling our funny bones, reminding the holier-than-thou that we are only human after all. We’ll explore the contrasting energies of clown: Silent pathos, vulnerable presence, mad saint, dumb fool, blasphemer, eccentric, satirist, masked dancer, puppeteer, etc. In a dance with the shit we all live through - rooted in the totality of our bodies knowing, complete with its unique flaws, wounds, ego, pains and pleasures - we will dance in raw, colourful creativity. We’ll connect in an innocent curious trance. Permission will be given to gently burlesque everything we usually take as sacred, including ourselves. The clown’s challenge will be to do this without becoming heavy, to find lightness, vulnerable and open-hearted inside this mirroring work, to guard carefully an awareness of the whole space and stay in a wickedly kind state of hilarious poetic bliss infused with pure love. Guided by Dan Hernandez

THE REST:

There is vast nature to explore and a sauna to enjoy, along with self-care, socialising, cooking and eating food, spaces will be set aside for rest or indulgence, merriment and surprise. We will also dip into the world of vocal improvisation and song.

_____________________________________

ESSENTIAL INFO

Facilitation:

Zoë Solomons (www.motionislotion.co.uk)
Daniel Hernandez (www.facebook.com/divine.ridiculous)
Chloe Wykes (chloeamiaisabelle.wixsite.com/chloe)

Dates: Mon 2st – Mon 9th May 2022

Location: Fell Edge Retreat Space, close to Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire.

Investment: £450 - £600 (includes; a week of food, venue, camping and facilitation).
______________________________________

REGISTRATION

To register your interest please fill out this form...

LINK HERE
https://forms.gle/Mk6t7otwYmnW339q8

Any questions please email: chloewykes@gmail.com
______________________________________

FACILIATORS

Zoë Solomons

Zoë is a dancer/mother/teacher/student of osteopathy. She is dedicated to the exploration and facilitation of functional and expressive movement. Zoë has taught internationally through the lens of the Axis Syllabus since 2008, including professional class for Independent Dance, the Place, GDA, Tripspace, Jose Vidal Company, Company Bewegungsmelder (Austria) and Seke Chimutengwende and friends. She has performed for Felix Ruckert, Tino Seghal and Simonetta Alessandri among others. Her eclectic training in medicine and bodywork, and a dance background including improvisation, tango, folkdance and contemporary inform her embodied approach to functional movement pedagogy

Daniel Hernandez

My name is Daniel Hernandez. I am an itinerant mischief-maker exploring the ritual roots of performance.
The deeper I have dived into teaching, performing, and living in this rich territory, the more I have seen archaic/ shamanic clown and mask cosmologies become fascinating and colourful routes into individuation: containing a vast treasure-box of rituals, dance, liminal states, grotesque archetypes and clown-lore.
My performances, projects, ceremonies and workshops draw upon a wide variety of related traditions: These include Dance, Clown, Bouffon, Butoh, Contact Improvisation, Tao/Tantra, Vodou, Mask, Psychomagic, Art, Sacred Sexuality and Breathwork. I am continually researching and developing my practice through training, readings, writings, ceremonies, experiments, and mistakes. My first love was music. I don’t claim to be a master of anything.

Chloe Wykes

Artist, alchemist, bodyworker, songstress and mother.
I am a researcher of creative practice, movement and the healing arts. I curate workshops and happenings, make vocal improvisation and harmony singing spaces, do art and crafting and am part of the Divine Ridiculous family.
My intention is to share magic, love and liberation; to support connection to tribe and the primal self; to be in, and promote, harmony with nature.

_________________________________

Venue *******

We will be located at Fell Edge - a farm on the beautiful Yorkshire moors, within an area containing the highest incidence of prehistoric carved stones in England! There is a sauna and spectacular views as well as a big studio.

Check it out here: www.felledge.co.uk

Accommodation ******

We will be camping in a beautiful and well-resourced camping field. If you prefer not to bring your tent or just wish to share, there is the option to stay in a large tipi with other participants. There are also options to source accommodation in neighbouring guestrooms, just a five-minute walk away; you can find information about and book these options via the Fell Edge website.
www.felledge.co.uk/what-is-fell-edge-2/

Food ******

The food will be organic and locally sourced where possible, with gluten free and vegan options. We will share the pleasure of cooking, eating and cleaning together.

Cost ******

£450- Low income/Student - covers cost of retreat and small contribution towards facilitation/organisation
£525- General Admission - covers full fees & course facilitation
£600- Supporter - Helps cover costs for a low income participation

Crew ******

There are some discounted spaces available for support roles. 2x cook lead and 3x childcare.

If you are interested to know more please indicate in your registration form.
__________________________________

REGISTRATION

To register your interest please fill out this form...
LINK HERE

https://forms.gle/Mk6t7otwYmnW339q8

Any questions please email: chloewykes@gmail.com

Your dynamic animal body is sensitive and heart led, expansive, vibrant and fun.

In this workshop we will resource from the Axis Syllabus -a dictionary of practical anatomy, to embody technical movement skills; learning to create physical pathways that are resilient and functional, therefore inherently sensual and heart opening. Biomechanical theory allows us to make informed choices in our movement; Our aim is to evolve as movers in our capacity to embrace freedom and play.

Morning sessions will be a deep dive into solo patterns and motifs that create space for in-depth, nuanced exploration, building to dynamic flow.

Afternoon workshops will focus on contact improvisation. Applying the physics of our dynamic animal bodies to contact with another(s) human or non human body.

We will weave in song, creative practice and bodywork to support, integrate and enrich our journey together. There will also be time to explore the magic landscape and sit with nature and share in the warmth of community and hearth.

This workshop welcomes movers with all levels of movement experience; we are all experts and beginners in our bodies and movements.

_______________________________________

In colaboation with Chloe Wykes and Daniel Hernandez

Chloe:

Artist, alchemist, bodyworker, songstress and mother.
I am a researcher of creative practice, movement and the healing arts. I curate workshops and happenings, make vocal improvisation and harmony singing spaces, do art and crafting and am part of the Divine Ridiculous family.

My intentions are to share magic, love and liberation; to support connection to tribe and the primal self; to be in, and promote, harmony with nature.

Daniel :

I am an itinerant mischief-maker exploring the ritual roots of performance.
The deeper I have dived into teaching, performing, and living in this rich territory, the more I have seen archaic/ shamanic clown and mask cosmologies become fascinating and colourful routes into individuation: containing a vast treasure-box of rituals, dance, liminal states, grotesque archetypes and clown-lore.
My performances, projects, ceremonies and workshops draw upon a wide variety of related traditions: These include Dance, Clown, Bouffon, Butoh, Contact Improvisation, Tao/Tantra, Vodou, Mask, Psychomagic, Art, Sacred Sexuality and Breathwork. I am continually researching and developing my practice through training, readings, writings, ceremonies, experiments, and mistakes. My first love was music. I don’t claim to be a master of anything.

————————————————————————

Investment: £350-£500 sliding scale (includes; food, venue and dorm accommodation over five days and facilitation fees).

Venue *******

In the midst of the moors, amongst tree and heath, river and rock, fur and feather. Somewhere in or near Dartmoor.

Food ******

The food will be organic and locally sourced where possible, with gluten free and vegan options. We will share the pleasure of cooking, eating and cleaning together.

Accommodation ******

Accommodation is in dorms with between two and five beds. There is also space for some live in vehicles and there are one or two private spaces available for an extra fee (price tbc).

Cost ******

£350- Low income/Student (covers cost of retreat and small contribution towards facilitation for 3 facilitators)
£425- General Admission- covers full fees & course facilitation
£500- Supporter- Helps cover facilitation costs for a low income participation

Crew ******

There are also two or three spaces for support roles.
1 x = kitchen lead (who will need to prepare a menu before the gathering and be available to support in the kitchen during the workshop. You shouldn't miss any sessions.
2 x childcare supporters - who will be on childcare for a couple of the sessions during the gathering.

If you are interested please indicate so on your registration form or contact Chloe directly.

__________________________________

REGISTRATION

To register your interest please fill out this form...

LINK HERE
https://forms.gle/QfrokvzWQNnN5kUq9

Any questions please email: chloewykes@gmail.com

WEEKLY CLASS IS PAUSED FOR REVIEW. Please contact me for more info about whats coming up

Weekly class during term time at Elizabeth House Community Centre. OPEN LEVEL, followed by shared lunch.

The curves and surfaces of our body that invite rolling, tumbling and falling. Places to push off from, anchor into and launch out of. Taking inspiration from climbing, and the subtle movement play of tango, we unpick anatomical puzzles and muddle ourselves in movement, finding rivers and rootsThe curves and surfaces of our body that invite rolling, tumbling and falling. Places to push off from, anchor into and launch out of. Taking inspiration from climbing, and the subtle movement play of tango, we unpick anatomical puzzles and muddle ourselves in movement, finding rivers and roots

Weekly class hosted by MoveMe at Elizabeth House Community Centre

The Axis Syllabus is a body of information about human movement compiled and updated by the Axis Syllabus International Research Community. It is a jumping off point and clarifying force for all who seek to unravel and savour the perpetual process of human movement research.

Whatever your movement background you’re invited to delve into your body’s inherent intelligence. These classes are a research context where each mover can explore and contribute to the learning of the group. We will work with a theme each week, exploring anatomical and biomechanical concepts in movement. Because children are curious they can spend hours climbing trees without tiring, for us too our research is our training, and through it we will soften, groove, and sweat.

These classes are open to all with a desire to deepen their body knowledge and physical health. Please wear loose comfortable clothing. You're also warmly invited to stay, contribute and prepare lunch in our fully operating kitchen from 12-1pm.