I facilitate movement improvisation classes for groups of all abilities, in which we use simple tools to playfully explore the inner impulses of the body.
We experiment with dancing solo, in duets, and in small and large groups, never knowing what will emerge. It is a magical process – sometimes silly, sometimes profound, often both.
Dance – specifically improvisation – is a key element of my personal practice, and I am honoured to share it with others. The core skill is presence, not flexibility or strength. Allowing the body to speak without judgement, to reveal its inner life through movement, can be life-changing …especially for those of us who “live in our heads”.
My classes are suitable for all levels of experience, and can be made accessible to all ages and abilities. Participants who come along with the firm conviction that they “can’t dance” discover a love of expressive movement, whilst professional dancers have said they find a much-wanted freedom in the simple tools and exercises we use. This is not therapy, but it is therapeutic – and fun!
If you’re curious about movement, open to experimentation, and prepared to spend some time listening to your body, these classes are for you.
Barbara Mettler and Mettler-Based Dance
I am a trained facilitator of dance/movement improvisation in the lineage of Barbara Mettler (1907-2002), a pioneer of what we now know as somatics – an intentional attentiveness to the sensations and impulses of the body.
Mettler fiercely claimed dance as a vital creative practice that should be available to all, and devoted her life to developing tools to make this possible. In particular, she created accessible yet profound routes into group dance improvisation, where participants experience themselves as part of an wider organism, the “group body”.
I am passionate about the transformative power of this approach to dance and movement, and was privileged to study at Mettler Studios in Arizona in 2022, where I became certified to share her work as a teacher/facilitator.
