5Rhythms & Whirling - Elective

DESCRIPTION

In this one-day intensive, we will explore the meeting point between 5Rhythms and whirling as two complementary pathways into embodied awareness.What happens when the wave meets the whirl?

At first glance, 5Rhythms and whirling may seem like very different practices. One moves through changing rhythms, shapes, directions and relationships with the space around us; the other turns inward through the repetition of the spiral, the breath and the center.

Yet beneath their different forms lies a shared invitation: to come into the body, to move beyond habitual patterns, and to discover what becomes possible when we allow movement to guide us.

We will begin with the 5Rhythms Wave, allowing the body to gradually awaken, soften and become more present. Through movement, rhythm and awareness, we will explore our body parts, our relationship to gravity and space, and the ways we move both individually and within a group.

From this moving landscape, we will gradually enter the spiral.

Whirling invites us to discover another quality of movement: repetition, stillness within motion, connection to the center and the experience of surrendering to movement rather than controlling it. The turning body becomes a place of inquiry. What happens to our awareness when we spin? What happens to our sense of self? What can emerge when we allow the body to move beyond the familiar?

The wave takes us through movement.

The whirl takes us into the center.

Both invite us to listen.

Throughout the day, we will explore movement not as something to perform or perfect, but as a way of experiencing ourselves more fully. There will be space for breath, meditation, warm-up and stretching, individual and partnered exercises, free movement, 5Rhythms practice and whirling.

You may find grounding while moving.

You may find stillness while turning.

You may encounter emotions, memories, sensations or simply the joy of being in motion.

No previous dance experience is required. The practices are offered as invitations rather than demands. You are encouraged to move at your own pace, honor your body's boundaries and remain curious about your own experience.

THE PRACTICES :

5Rhythms® is a movement and embodiment practice developed by Gabrielle Roth in the 1970s. Through the five rhythms, Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness, participants are invited to explore movement, awareness, connection and the constantly changing nature of experience.

Anne Paré is an accredited 5Rhythms teacher. Her other professional fields include bodywork, writing and mentoring artists.

Whirling is an ancient form of movement that can be approached as an active meditation. Through the spiral and the relationship between the body's center and its movement through space, whirling can become a practice of presence, release and inner exploration.

Safa Solati is a trained psychologist specializing in music psychotherapy, with a deep passion for dance as a path of healing and spiritual exploration. She has studied Persian dances for many years and, over the past 10 years, has devoted herself to the study and practice of Sufi whirling combined with contemporary elements.

Together, the two practices create a dialogue between grounding and lifting, movement and stillness, individuality and connection, body and consciousness.

Note: For those on the 5Rhythms Dancing Path towards Teacher Training, this workshop counts for half a day, as an Elective workshop.