DANCING TREES - Somatic Movement, Contact Improvisation & Ecology project in Pai, Thailand

DANCING TREES - Somatic Movement, Contact Improvisation & Ecology project, with Dolores Dewhurst-Marks & Tristan Lecomte 9 - 11 DECEMBER 2021 PAI, THAILAND DANCING TREES is part of BEING NATURE PROJECT - Encouraging people to discover their own way of connecting with deeper self and the natural world. Inspiring them to feel nature as part of their body, and from that embodied understanding move towards positive change, with acknowledgement of the current environmental situation. Offering space for exploration, collaboration, artistic expression and environmental activism. DANCING TREES is about trees and the human body’s shared ecologies, explored through somatic movement, contact improvisation, and dance with nature. The project contains 3 days of workshop, followed by an artistic laboratory for those who are interested to continue. Morning sessions will be in nature, where we will process the embodiment of anatomical information through hands on partner work, visualisation & movement explorations of breathing and grounding. Engaging in physical contact with nature and each other. Sharing the ground of our imagination and intuition, letting dance unfold. Part of the process will be about witnessing each other dancing. At the end of the workshop we will make a small group performance. Afternoon sessions will be in the format of talks with Q&A. Learning about tree ecology, the benefits of trees, and connecting with environmental issues around trees with Tristan Lecomte. www.purprojet.com The process will bring attention, sensitivity and curiosity to our own body, the bodies we are in relation with - the human and non human nature. Moving from objective relating to intersubjective relationships; from thinking connectivity and independency, to sensing and feeling interconnectedness and interdependence. After the workshop there is potential to continue with the topic in an artistic laboratory format, in which its possible to share/collaborate writing, performing, making short dance films. Schedule: Morning sessions moving in nature 10:00 - 13:30 Afternoon sessions talks & discussion 15:00 - 16:30 Price & Registration: Based on donation, to register pm Being Nature / Dolores Dewhurst-Marks. https://beingnature.space/ ABOUT DOLORES Dolores was born and raised in London, England. Her parents were environmental and social activists, vegetarians, vegetable growers, entrepreneurs in the health food movement of the 1980’s. For over 20 years her father led the UK’s main aluminum recycling organisation. Her mother, a sociology major, worked in social welfare for governmental and charitable bodies, and supported local and national environmental protests, by informing protestors of their civil rights. Their care for environmental conservation, social responsibility and independent initiative has deeply inspired her work as an artist and curator. As a member of Woodcraft Folk, a co-operative movement for young people, she was educated on world issues such as the environment, world debt, global conflict and sustainable development. She graduated from Roehampton University with a Bachelor's degree in Contemporary Dance and Choreography in London, where she was introduced to Buddhist Meditation and Contact Improvisation. Further studying Somatic Movement Education at the School for Body-Mind Centering in Germany. Before leaving the UK, Dolores made the Coast to Coast walk across the north of England. She spent 4 years travelling throughout Asia; India, Thailand, Indonesia, Maylasia and Cambodia, studying yoga and meditation, and volunteering for 6 months with the charity All Hands and Hearts, helping communities in the Philippines impacted by typhoon Yolanda. Living nomadically for almost 10 years, she has been teaching and co-organising somatic, Contact Improvisation and water dance events in India, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal. She is currently based in Koh Phangan, Thailand. Dolores is a multidisciplinary artist, working with somatics, dance, performance, poetry and nature. In collaboration with Sasha Dodo directing and curating REVERSE RIVERS COMPANY, a vehicle for their artistic work; ART CONTINUUM NOMADIC RESIDENCY, designed for international artistic exchange, development and production of art, focused in fields of dance improvisation, performance, poetry and film. The residency is a supportive and inspiring environment for emerging artists and artists searching for new perspectives, multidisciplinary experimentation and artistic development in collaboration; Co-organizer of TOWARDS center for the education and research of Contact Improvisation, THAILAND CONTACT & MOVEMENT ARTS FESTIVAL, and THAILAND CONTACT IMPROVISATION CONFERENCE . Co-author of THE LOST PLACE book of poetry and FORGOTTEN POEM, a contemplative poetic dance film. You can find most of her works displayed on Reverse Rivers Company website.