This 3-Week dance short-course consisting three 90 minute Thursday sessions (7pm start time) offers an opportunity to discover, experience and harmonise the elemental qualities of vitality that radiate through our expression. Exercise movement plasticity empowering your sense of presence while expanding the body’s expressive dynamics.'

Each week we shall delve into the elemental resonance of two different internal yin organs and external channels, cultivating associated human values while exploring contemporary dance 'Effort of Action Drive' from Laban dance/theatre technique as a creative tool for a harmonious creative body.

3rd December - heart/pericardium ⬆ joy ⬇ mania ∞ FIRE

Effort qualities - Flicking and slashing - inner and outer space

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10th December - spleen/lungs ⬆ integrity/fairnes ⬇ worry/saddness ∞ EARTH & METAL

Effort qualities - Pressing and Thrusting and associated expressive drives

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17th December - kidney/liver ⬆ wisdom/kindness ⬇fear/anger ∞ WATER & WOOD

Effort qualities - Gilding, Floating, Wringing and associates scales.

During the 3-weeks you will discover discover the holistic inter-relationship of your whole body-mind-spirit through explorations of movement, breath and qi (chi).

The number of places on this sought after course are limited so that the facilitators, Andrea and Alex, can best offer an interactive experience with participants. Drop-in tickets for individual sessions can be booked if places are available. It is cheaper and probably more beneficial to book on the 3-week course. A waiting list will be available if the course is full.

While this is intended as an intensive course, only so much can be discovered and experienced in 3-sessions. Attendees who would like to explore deeper and further are invited to continue in January as part of a continuing community of practice / practitioners that Intercultural Roots has become.

Takeaways from the course:

All too often dancers, actors and other performers, including musicians, face criticism for not adequately expressing 'density', 'volume' and 'character' through their work. This qigong infused dance course will provide underpinning knowledge and technique for cultivating and expressing such apparently intangible qualities.

Zeami and his family, were the original practitioner of Japanese Noh theatre and wrote a classic book on dramatic theory called Kadensho. He uses the metaphor of a beautiful flower to describe the exemplary technique of an elite performer yet says that only a handful of people in any generation become 'masters', able to radiate and connect their energy with that of the audience in expression as does the flower that emanates its' perfume.

Language of Instruction: English

Duration of each session: 90 minutes

Technical platform for the course: Zoom Pro

Facilitators:

Dr. Andrea Maciel is a dancer, performer, teacher and scholar from Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Her academic/artistic work investigates the physical resonance of space in urban landscapes through dance, performance and installations. Teacher of the Department of Theatre – PUC / Brazil, Andrea holds a PhD in Political Performance for UNIRIO with a visiting scholarship at Performance Department – New York University. She has conducted several research groups in the field of Performance to undergraduate and postgraduate students at the Universities of Bristol, New York and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Bahia, Brazil. Andrea has 15 years of practice in physical theatre (Grotowski technique) training for dancers and actors. citybodywritings.wordpress.com

Dr. Alex Boyd has been teaching Qigong internationally since the early 1990's. He has immersed himself in studying with many renowned traditional Chinese Wushu and Taoist teachers based in the UK, internationally and in China and, while being a Scottish-British guy, is an inheritor of these teachings and willing to share them in a progressive way so as to benefit the global village where we all live together. Alex is a practitioner-scholar who graduated in Performance Studies and Critical Education from the University of California at Davis (UC Davis). He is a Research Associate with UC Davis researching how actors, dancers and performers can cultivate and utilise chi (qi) in 'presencing' and how ideas manifest into happenings. Alex is also the conceiver and co-founder of the Embodied Research Working Group at the IFTR (International Federation for Theatre Research) and is Executive Director for ‘Intercultural Roots’. https://arts.ucdavis.edu/faculty-profile/dr-alexander-boyd

Image credit: Eduardo Soares

Photography and recording of any part of the event, where allowed by the facilitator, should be used for non-commercial, personal purposes only. Photographs, film or other audio visual material that is recorded may not be sold, used or published commercially in any way whatsoever unless authorised in writing by Intercultural Roots. The use of photographic equipment, mobile telephones tablets or other electronic devices, must not inconvenience any other person at the event. Television, live streaming and other film cameras maybe in operation at the event. By booking and attending you consent to filming, photography and sound recording of yourself. Intercultural Roots and related parties may use such films, photographs and/or recordings (Including any copies) of your actual or simulated likeness without payment in perpetuity.

Medical disclaimer - In attending this Intercultural Roots event you attest that, to the best of your knowledge, you suffer from NO medical or physical condition or disability that will or might increase the normal risks associated with exercise; and/or your doctor has approved your participation in our activities. You are agreeing that you are responsible for your own health and safety before, during and after the session and will adapt any instructions given by the facilitator to meet you own individual needs and ability.

Photography and recording of any part of the event, where allowed by the facilitator, should be used for non-commercial, personal purposes only. Photographs, film or other audio visual material that is recorded may not be sold, used or published commercially in any way whatsoever unless authorised in writing by Intercultural Roots. The use of photographic equipment, mobile telephones tablets or other electronic devices, must not inconvenience any other person at the event. Television, live streaming and other film cameras maybe in operation at the event. By booking and attending you consent to filming, photography and sound recording of yourself. Intercultural Roots and related parties may use such films, photographs and/or recordings (Including any copies) of your actual or simulated likeness without payment in perpetuity.

Medical disclaimer - In attending this Intercultural Roots event you attest that, to the best of your knowledge, you suffer from NO medical or physical condition or disability that will or might increase the normal risks associated with exercise; and/or your doctor has approved your participation in our activities. You are agreeing that you are responsible for your own health and safety before, during and after the session and will adapt any instructions given by the facilitator to meet you own individual needs and ability.