Butoh invites us to cross every possible layer of the self and dance in the barren landscape where, even while being, you are not. In that place, marked by the absence of yourself, life is found in its most overwhelming exuberance, without judgments or traumas.

On descending from the frantic structures of personality we find an orchard of nature. The body becomes a territory to explore and feel. That body is no longer yours: it is vibrant nature you can stroll through and forget that you were once a citizen.

We go deep into mountains and forests to delve into the dances of nature. Immersed in an environment where time flows at the rhythm of stones and rivers, we learn to listen and observe calmly, patiently. We draw our dance from what we find: we listen to the world’s own melodies and dance for them until we dissolve into that music.

We free the body from its patterns of civilized movement and learn with the chestnut tree, with the rock, with the earth, with the bunting or with the butterfly. We investigate the birth of a flower as well as the death and decomposition of a beetle. To be animal, vegetable, mineral. To find the dance of the dew or that of the starry summer night.

Beyond the classic group photograph, Dancing Ecosystems proposes another way of leaving a trace: instead of images or videos, the trail of our work is recorded in ephemeral dances and poetic words.

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what we’ll work on

Basic outline of the day, to give you an idea of how the work is divided. Depending on the characteristics of the setting and the weather conditions of each edition, the order and duration of each block may vary.

• dawn: we begin the day with liquid-movement exercises to activate the body from relaxation, reaching its maximum efficiency with the least possible tension. Immersed in a sound bath of bowls and gongs that make the body’s water vibrate, undoing the knots of thought. This combination helps dissolve the lumps of the person and leave a calm body, ready to listen in silence to the gifts of the ecosystem that hosts us.
• morning session: activation and preparation of the psychophysical body — crossing its borders, individual and relational. Sensitivity exercises in nature. Improvisations on natural elements.
• afternoon session: devoted to contemplation, listening to nature, research and creation. We practice composing haiku, which teaches us to observe the small great events of the natural world, and the listening to and analysis of nature’s musics. A calm time to let the muses of the surroundings inspire our creations.
• the witching hour: we bring into the working studio the dances harvested during the day. We improvise on these findings, deepen them and show our creations as they become available.

The first and last days of the retreat are devoted to welcome and farewell circles.

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philosophy of the retreat

Respect, trust and challenge. To generate a space where one can research in freedom. Gratitude and forgiveness are the fundamental fuel for surrendering to the practice.

Deep listening to the surroundings and to one’s own body. Enjoyment vs pleasure. Deep freedom.

to dance in the barren landscape where, even while being, you are not.

During this encounter we will deepen the poetic vision — of the body and of the world that contains it. We will practice full observation and translate it into poetry; written and danced. We recommend that during the encounter you minimize the use of modern technology. The memories we generate we will keep in memory, in the notebook and in our own transformation. We will not take photos of the workshop.

If you’d like to read the memories of other editions, you can do so at this link:
POETIC GALLERY OF DANCING ECOSYSTEMS 2023

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who it’s for

The requirements are to beat and to breathe. A retreat aimed at all kinds of bodies eager to experience their most natural otherity — accessible after any ni.butoh itinerary or as an independent experience. It includes the workshop falling up.

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want to come? write to me →