COMPOSING LIGHTNESS

Axis Syllabus – Somatics – CI: A 10-Day Dance Workshop

The Axis Syllabus offers a somatic approach to movement, blending dance techniques with a rich collection of knowledge about the body. It invites us to move and think through anatomical relationships, physics, bio-tensegrity, and ongoing multi-disciplinary research. In an Axis Syllabus class, we cultivate a collaborative learning environment, where personal research becomes central to the practice.

In this workshop, we begin by deepening into the element of water reaching into various body systems as well as into physics to discover and stimulate the fluid nature of the physical, energetic and feeling body. We explore the body's materialities, anatomical relationships, and sensory experiences through various entries. 

One approach to soften the body is a principle called “sequencing", which involves moving the body in parts, first larger parts and then smaller and smaller increments, playing with and accessing energy within the elastic spectrum of muscles and connective tissue. Sequential movement principles allow for less inertial resistance and promote tonal changes in neuromuscular activity. It gently stretches soft tissues and enhances perception of oneself and of dynamic processes in a gradual and gentle manner. Another important part is the practice of listening with, inspire direction and transform through touch into all states of matter be it solid, liquid or gas. We further play with fluid dynamics through space and experiment with rhythm to expand our dances into more dimensions. We will move between the solo body and contact improvisation research. My curiosity is to re-search the question. “What prepares us for the unknown?, so that we seek out the unknown and to dance with presence and wonder.

Dancing in the mornings for 3 hours and engaging in 2-hour lab sessions every second afternoon, this workshop offers a rhythm that balances structured learning with personal exploration. Join us for an immersive experience that bridges somatic inquiry, movement principles, and contact improvisation.

Kira Kirsch

Kira Kirsch is a movement artist, community organizer, and experiential researcher, originally from East Berlin. After spending seven years in San Francisco, she now resides in Berlin with her family as residents of Lake Studios —a vibrant, artist-run space for dance, performance, and creative production. Kira is deeply invested into creating and shaping spaces for people to experience, learn about and sensitize their mind-body-movement continuum. She has pioneered, taught and continuously researched through the lens of the Axis Syllabus (AS) for more than 20 years and has established dance research communities in Brussels, San Francisco and Berlin. 

Her work is deeply informed by studies in Moving Alchemy with Sarah Shelton Mann, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Mind in Motion with Nita Little, Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and Body-Mind Centering (BMC). As a curator, Kira has been involved with projects like the "SENSING IN" festival, mov*ed—a peer exchange platform for movement educators—and leads the Movement Artisans educational program in Berlin.

Kira’s teaching spans internationally, from contemporary dance festivals to contact improvisation gatherings, and she is a regular presence in professional dance institutions. Recent artistic collaborations include Many Lives with choreographer Jorge de Hoyos, (dis)comfort behaviours with actress Anneke Schwabe, Earth Will Come with filmmaker Katelyn Stiles and musician/poet Barnaby Tree, as well as the music video We Are the Flood and the short film Dreamstroy with the collective Cargocult.

Energy exchange for 40 hours training: 

330 Euro / 12000 Baht

Early bird: 300 Euro until 01.01.2024 or 10000 Baht

2 scholar ships for thai researchers

2-3 helper spots 250 Euro or 8000 baht

limited space

Registration at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpvAbKaGM4o0QhK8cQMHC_0RIiLI5Q76RnHX4mhgRKOKhW0w/viewform?usp=pp_url

More info: 

https://www.contactimprovkohphangan.com/workshops