SPINE FLOW Improvisations around Material for the Spine - Koh Phangan

■ WHAT IS SPINE FLOW? SPINE FLOW is an Intensive Workshop of Somatic Movement developed from an original workshop created in China called Body Material. It has been touring in Japan, United States, Colombia, and now is coming for first time to Thailand. 　This workshop, offers an introduction to the basic principles of MATERIAL FOR THE SPINE, to develop a smoother engagement of the spine in our movements, and it explores ways to apply them in an improvisational dance setting. 　Additionally, this intensive proposes a serie of new sequences to be practiced in partnership, colliding the individual sequences created by Steve Paxton with partner based movements, integrating the MATERIAL FOR THE SPINE practice with Contact Improvisation approaches. This is an open space to play with the sequences and principles proposed by Steve Paxton, in MATERIAL FOR THE SPINE, aiming to balance somatics, technique and playfulness, to integrate our movement and findings in the broader arena of Improvisational Dance, Contact Improvisation and Performative Arts. After going through a first part of individual research of our inner anatomy, we experiment with it in relationship with our surroundings, exploring how it meets exterior forces, finding ways to be present, play and cooperate. ■ WHAT IS MATERIAL FOR THE SPINE? Initiated more than 20 years ago, the technique MATERIAL FOR THE SPINE created by Steve Paxton, also creator of CI, concentrates accumulated knowledges from his background—from the walk study to dancer experience, from Contact Improvisation exploration to the Aikido practice. 　MATERIAL FOR THE SPINE techniques are very useful to understand the body’s structure fundamental axis: the spine. It proposes concrete movements and shapes to explore the bio mechanics and practical functioning of the spine in coordination with the rest of the body, specially the limbs and the head. These series of shapes are practiced individually by each person paying attention to the functioning of the musculoskeletal system and its inner sensations. “MATERIAL FOR THE SPINE can be seen as a system for exploring the interior and exterior muscles of the back. It aims to bring the light of consciousness to the dark side of the body, that is the side not much self seen, often an omitted element in a dancer self-definition. (…) I wanted to bring to consciousness the inner sensations, the moments when usage reveals operations of the skeleton, the muscular connections available between pelvis and finger tips and the soft energetic support of leverage which I take to be the Eastern concept of Qi or Ki (氣). Some of the forms arouse from my efforts to teach Aikido rolls, the Asian Martial Arts diagonal roll. MATERIAL FOR THE SPINE takes as given that the power of the dancer exists as sensations in the body. It attempts to point out naturally occurring events and develop exercises which bring them forward for examination. (…) The sensation of Ki (…) can be felt and applied to the design within the exercises (…) which contain revealing coordination challenges. With MATERIAL FOR THE SPINE, I was interested in alloying a technical approach to the improvisational results.” Quoted from Material for the Spine Official Website, with quotes by Steve Paxton ■ WHO IS FACILITATING? Daniel Rojasanta Multidisciplinary Performer Artist born in Latin America. Studied Plastic Arts & Contemporary Art at the Colombia National University, got a Master degree on Traditional Chinese Painting at the China Art Academy, with a thesis about Painting & Performance, and learned Physical Theater in South Korea with the Theater Troupe Georipae. For more than a decade, he has been living and developing his Art work in Asia, specially in China, integrating his Western experiences on Contemporary Art, Capoeira, Clown, Improvisation & Physical Theater with Eastern Arts and Culture: Meditation, Zen, Yoga, Tea Ceremony, Calligraphy, Butoh and Taijiquan (Tai Chi). After co-creating the first CI community in Hangzhou, China, seven years ago, he toured extensively in China, opening workshops of Somatics & Contact Improvisation, and performing his own Dance pieces co-created in collaboration with Contact HZ, as well as Dance & Theater pieces produced by The ASK in Shanghai, created by the Theater Troupe Teatre Animal from Spain and the Dance Company Ingrid Olterman Dans from Sweden. He had performed at the India Art Fair in New Delhi, the Myriang Village Theater in South Korea, the National Grand Theater in Beijing and the Power Station of Art at the Shanghai Art Biennial; was part of ECITE, the European Contact Improvisation Teachers Exchange in Italy and Belgium, and was Teacher & Performer at TOUCH, the China Contact Improvisation Art Festival; he has developed his Performing practice together with explorations on Theater, Music and Literature, in Art Events and International Festivals in India, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Georgia, China, Japan, South Korea, Colombia, United States and Thailand. ■ When? March 17, 18 & 19 15:00 - 18:00 ■ Where? The Source, Koh Phangan Thailand ■ How much? - Supportive Price: 3900 Baht / 100 Euro - Regular Price: 3000 Baht / 80 Euro - Low Income Price & Early Bird before March 8: 2500 Baht / 65 Euro *Registration required **Reach out if you have financial limitations but you really want to join ■ Registration: @danielrojasanta (Facebook & Instagram) +66 98 075 1796 (WhatsApp)