Dancing a Landscape
An expansive inquiry of how to relate to the ecologies on either side of the skin

November 2-5, 2023
at the historic Earthdance venue, Massachusetts

with Dana Iova-Koga

We meet at the beginning of a new year in accordance with the seasonal wheel of time, based on light. We begin with the gift of observation and deep physical intelligence.

In this Elemental Vessel workshop, we immerse ourselves deeply into the inquiry of how to relate to the ecologies on either side of the skin. Drawing from the practices of contact improvisation, qigong, body weather, wild tending, and deep observation (including tracking, plant ID, and internal states), we will delve into the question of how to dance - and be danced by- a landscape. In stretching the definition of CI fundamentals (such as 'sharing weight' and 'entering a dance') to include our environment, we open up new possibilities of how to be human here.

Our days will be spent in deep observation of the landscape, including wild tending and native plant walks and in the studio practicing deep observation of ourselves through qigong, CI, and bodyweather practices.

Elemental Vessel is a research and practice project created by Dana Iova-Koga and myself. It is a weaving of our complementary and mutually supported threads of expertise into an ecology of investigations. In this dynamic territory we explore the elements in the body and the body in the elements.

Dana is a performer, teacher, mentor, shape shifter. More about Dana here.