May Pollinate

THE PURPOSE of Pollinate is to create a space in KW where lovers of dance & music improvisation can come together in embodied research of what generates co-intelligence, flow and collaboration. WHAT IS POLLINATE? Pollinate is a monthly dance event for those who enjoy moving in a focused creative space in collaboration with other dancers and with improvised sound. This includes solo, duo, group dancing, conscious witnessing & stillness. Each event hosts veteran musical improvisers who support the space with inspiration for movement, expression, surprise and delight. This could include both acoustic & electronic sound. And each month there will be a different themed focus and guided warm-up to stimulate new ideas & practice. There will be nibbles to energize our bodies, a soft plounge space to rest them, a tickle trunk for our dance with identity, and art supplies to entice our creative spirit. Children are welcome with supervision. THIS MONTH AT POLLINATE the dance floor will reverberate with soundscapes of Todd Schiedel, Joel Brubacher & Sara Fretz on cello, bowls, harp, guitar, banjo, accordion, clarinet, keys, drums, brushes, kweeka & a host of other sound-making magic. And we are deeply blessed to have Tasha Allain guide us in a presencing to the land and bring us home with her voice and bowls. THE RESEARCH QUESTION THIS MONTH is: If spring is a time of arousal, how might we dance with these energies that need to move? And what wisdom and capacity might grow from this dance? THE ARC OF THE NIGHT: 7:15 Doors Open 7:30 Warm up to Music 7:40 Opening Circle (note that doors will be closed during circle) 8:00 Dance to Live Music 9:15 Dance to DJ 10:30 Singing Bowls 10:40 Closing Circle 11:00 Pack up CORE PRINCIPLES that support our vision of collaboration & improvisation in this space: 1) Learning. I see myself & everyone as learners, and everything that happens as an opportunity to learn. 2) Honour & Nurture Self-Trust. Everyone's experience & needs matter to the well-being of the whole. I will honour & nurture a space where I, and we, listen to and honour our needs. 3) Curiosity. When faced with the choice between curiosity & judgment or defensiveness, I choose curiosity. 4) Co-Response-Ability. As part of a complex living system, we are all interconnected and affect what happens. 5) Creative Tension. I can embrace both what is happening AND my vision of what I want (& don’t want) as a creative tension. 6) Practice & Play. These are core to how we learn. 7) Focus on Non-verbal Conversation. Let go of the urge to speak, unless it’s necessary, so that we can deepen our experience of our dance. 8) **New Principle!** Subjectivity. We each experience the world from our own unique point of view & perception of what is happening. Pollinate WELCOMES everyone who embraces these principles in & around the dance space. All ages, abilities & backgrounds enrich our dance. WHERE: Church of the Good Shepherd, 116 Queen St N, Downtown Kitchener. ACCESSIBILITY: If we are in the lower space, we are fully accessible. Unfortunately the upper space is not fully wheelchair accessible, however, we may be able to arrange to lift a chair up a couple steps to make it so! Just let us know ahead of time, if you can. PARKING: The church often sells their parking to patrons of the Centre in the Square to survive. We will reserve 10 parking spots which you can buy from us for $3.50 instead of $8. Our parking is to the left of the purple door and along the back of the lot. Carpooling is a great option and you can always look for a spot on the street. COST: Sliding scale $20-30 PAY-WHAT-MAKES-DEEP-SENSE We invite you to be present with ~ your own capacity to pay, ~ the energies & resources that go into creating Pollinate, and ~what you wish to sustain & grow in your community IF YOU FEEL UNWELL, we ask that you to stay home and care for your dance there. No masks are required, and mask-wearing is also welcome. We invite allowing ourselves to be unfettered by our devices. There will be no photos or video taken of people in the space. We love FEEDBACK and we are interested in your experience of Pollinate. Please let us know! POST-POLLINATE SUNDAY BRUNCH & EMBODIMENT FORUM If you attend, we invite you to a Post-Pollinate Brunch and Embodiment Forum on Sunday as a way to integrate your experiences at Pollinate and deepen your connection with yourself and others in the community. Check KW CONTACT JAM or the Pollinate group on FB for details.