Carnal Alchemy at Touch&Play Festival

Carnal Alchemy Intensive facilitated by Daniel Hernandez as part of an incredible programme offered @ Touch and Play Festival: Back to the Roots Lärz, Germany “carnal" ˈkɑːn(ə)l/ adjectiv relating to physical, especially sexual, needs and activities “alchemy” ˈalkɪmi/ noun a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination What is the relationship between bodies dancing in space? What is the transformational potential of performance? How aware are we of the ways we are harnessing the potency of our fertile, sexual/creative life force in our dance? What does ‘magical’ mean to us? What is the place of ritual in our lives? How much is our persona performed/constructed? In a container such as Touch and Play, what are our desires and fantasies and how can we dance them? When are we in harmony? When are we luminous? Can we build a container strong enough hold and perform our carnal dances? In this lab, each participant will bring a question from their life into the game. This question, riddle or conundrum will be woven into a creative process in which - drawing on personal, intra-personal, archetypal, and mytho-poetic inspirations - we will devise and live through poetic acts, rituals, scores and choreographies. The workshop will be physical and embodied, drawing upon my own research into the worlds of Contact Improvisation, Clown, Mask, Song, Butoh, Haitian Vodoun, Sacred Sexuality, Psychomagic, Ritual, Oracles, Myth, Bodywork, and a plethora of experiential somatic and movement practices. Time will go quickly and the pace will be intense and at times chaotic. We will probably be left with many more questions than we began with. Participants must be willing to take responsibility and care for themselves in this experimental space. The work will adapt according to the flow of the work and the needs of the group. All practitioners/curious minds are welcome. In this work we can imagine a ritual space into which – as well as dance - any combination of artistic act is woven - solo, opera, choreography, installation, ensemble work, kink, magic, experiment, trance, ordeal, butoh, cabaret/burlesque, monologue, improv, poetry, music, film, painting, performance, experiment, interactive piece, mistake. No experience is necessary. FACILITATION BY DANIEL HERNANDEZ My name is Daniel Hernandez. I am an itinerant mischief-maker exploring the ritual roots of performance. The deeper I have dived into teaching, performing, and living in this rich territory, the more I have seen archaic/ shamanic clown and mask cosmologies become fascinating and colourful routes into individuation: containing a vast treasure-box of rituals, dance, liminal states, grotesque archetypes and clown-lore. My performances, projects, ceremonies and workshops draw upon a wide variety of related traditions: These include Dance, Clown, Bouffon, Butoh, Contact Improvisation, Tao/Tantra, Vodou, Mask, Psychomagic, Art, Sacred Sexuality and Breathwork. I am continually researching and developing my practice through trainings, readings, writings, ceremonies, experiments, and mistakes. My first love was music. I don’t claim to be a master of anything. REGISATRATION AND FULL FESTIVAL PROGRAMME https://germany2018.touchandplay.org/registration/ LINKS, ARCHIVE, VIDEO AND MORE… https://www.facebook.com/groups/divine.ridiculous/ https://youtu.be/R3U9wFO3dac?list=PL5V9xGQKA_ZZXIjbbJIUAiDNUx32Glodv http://felixwrote.wixsite.com/psychedelickidnap