Refining Focus
Feldenkrais, Contact Improvisation and Ensemble composition

Casina Settarte, Italy  July 21–27, 2025
In the grounding landscape of Southern Italy, a unique blend of skill-building workshop and retreat offers a platform for researching and exploring movement and connection with others, while engaging in personal renewal and growth. The workshop is designed for those interested in deepening their knowledge as dancers, improvisers, or performers, as well as for anyone who wishes to connect with themselves and others through movement.
Focus is something to uncover, already present and ready to be experience.
In Refining Focus, attention becomes a gateway not only to more refined movement but also to a deeper connection with how we feel, perceive, and create. As we shift the way we notice ourselves in motion, the dance reveals layers we might have missed: the subtle transitions, the spaces where movement feels effortless and clear, as well as the unpredictable, surprising, and unexpected variations in tone and dynamics.  Through the Feldenkrais Method, Improvisation, and Contact Improvisation, we will investigate how awareness shapes our experience of the present moment. A shift in focus can unlock unexpected pathways, bringing clarity where there was uncertainty and ease where there was effort. In doing so, it reveals new possibilities, allowing us to explore the edges of our consciousness and imagination.
A shift in focus can unlock unexpected pathways, bringing clarity where there was uncertainty and ease where there was effort. It also reveals unpredictable and surprising variations in tone and dynamics, allowing us to explore the edges of our consciousness and imagination. In this process, dance becomes a practice of presence, a way to feel connected to ourselves, the space, and those around us. We will work in solo, duets trios and large group with guided exploration which also includes touch and shared weight to revisiting fundamental skill of Contact Improvisation.   With curiosity, we embrace new terrain and discoveries, cultivating the joy that arises from the ever-evolving process of creative exploration. Discussions will serve to reframe and ground our experiences, offering a space for collective reflection.