The Power of Gentleness: A Creative Weekend led by Amy Voris & Carolyn Roy

Gentleness is a force of resistance to power … the name of an emotion of which we have lost the name, coming from a time when humanity was not dissociated from the elements, from animals, from light, from spirits.

Join dancers and facilitators Carolyn Roy and Amy Voris for a weekend of embodied enquiry, creative exploration, and philosophical reflection. This workshop invites participants to explore gentleness not as passivity, but as a potent force - one that can shape artistic practice, interpersonal connection, and social engagement.

Through guided movement, improvisation, and contemplative exercises, we’ll work with the body’s fluid systems, heart presence, and cellular breathing to deepen awareness of how our physical processes inform imagination and thought. Drawing on experiential anatomy, research scores, and the writings of Anne Dufourmantelle and Edouard Glissant, the workshop will alternate between:

• In-depth bodily exploration
• Dance improvisation
• Space for personal creative practice (in any medium)

Whether you're a dancer, artist, writer, or curious mover, this weekend offers a space to engage with the philosophical, the visceral, and the imaginal—opening up new pathways for creative resistance and embodied presence.

Please note that tickets are for the full weekend.

If you would like to book a single day, please email sam@chisenhaledancespace.co.uk

Saturday Only Tickets - £45

Sunday Only Tickets - £65

About the Facilitators:

Amy Voris is a dance-maker and facilitator based in Manchester. Her practice is process-oriented and collaborative, driven by the desire to develop enduring relationships with people, places and movement material. The outcome of the work is contingent on hunches and interactions that occur during the process and varies widely. She has completed training in Integrative Bodywork and Movement Therapy with Linda Hartley and a foundation course in Gestalt Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Carolyn Roy is a London-based, freelance dancer and writer whose practice examines philosophical concepts through the materiality of bodies. Her work crosses disciplines, with outputs in the form of performance, writing, audio work and political action. She uses improvisatory and somatic processes, and durational performance to explore politics and the social agency of dancing; trans-disciplinary encounter and exchange; the pedagogy and writing of dance practice. Teaches at Laban, ID and LCDS. Member of CDS and Musarc music collective.

Accessibility:

Please note, we are on the second floor of a warehouse building, accessed by a staircase only. We regret that we cannot currently adequately support wheelchair users and those for whom stairs are a barrier.

We are committed to removing other barriers to access. If you would like to talk to us about your access needs, please contact: mail@chisenhaledancespace.co.uk. Read more about our commitments to anti-ableism as part of our Artist Community Culture Document

For more information about our building and our space, visit our website.