THE PRESENCE OF THE BODY
by Federica Dauri (3/4h)

The workshop is open to performers, dancers, actors and amateurs, or who ever wants to explore the body.

“Performance deals with present, present is the only reality we actually have. It´s a time based art. If you are not present right here,right now when this thing happens, you miss it”
Marina Abramovic

The seminar that Dauri proposes is a creative and artistic path, as well as necessarily human, on the possibility of seeking new approaches to performance, and of developing a personal awareness in the presence of the body as a performer but above all as a human being.

The practical methods of physical theatre, Butoh, Eurhythmy and the basic skills of contemporary dance only provide a foundation from which the body can be pushed towards the unknown, the beyond, the hidden, the indistinct, the elusive - this is where the performer truly reformulates their own feelings and actions.

“The Presence of the Body” introductory workshop focuses on the body in its entirety’ in order to investigate its transparency, its fragility, its strength, as well the the drives that animates it.

The workshop is designed for those who wish to explore the topics of body awareness, presence of the body, and conscious movements in order to create functional creative tools for performers and amateurs..

Through a profound listening to the inner body, an awareness of self is created which provides information on what the body is, on what the body can do and on how to interact and build relationships with others.

The class begins with a very deep warming up of the body through stretching; exercises from the Butoh technique to awaken and explore all the parts of the body in a slow and deep flow; and a warming-up of the voice with some exercise from Eurythmics technique, in order to release feelings and complete the warm-up of the body.

During the first part of the workshop, the intensity of movements will increase gradually and organically. Using elements of the Floorwork technique, we will explore the principles of weight, gravity, fall and recovery — in contact with the floor and with other bodies — introducing elements of the Contact technique.

The second part of the workshop will be directed toward a more experimental work, featuring exercises and games to introduce body contact among the participants, to stimulate phisycal creativity and spontaneity..

After a 30min break, the third part of the workshop will focus on developing improvisation skills based on exercises from the Grotowski method and Butoh images, combining body movements, voice work and pure presence.

This introductory day workshop runs for 4 hours. First two hours warm up and exercises, then half an hour rest and the remaining time of the course is dedicated to improvisation exercises and the creation of “personal dances/images”.

The workshop will be contribution based