Movement Research with Paola Madrid & Lola Vera. Tictac Art Centre, Brussels.18-22 July 2022

A great wish this summer was to join movement courses. The body, movement and different approaches interest me endlessly and every course teaches me so many (unexpected) lessons. About movement, about interactions, about my body, but also translating to lessons about life and how I move myself in this world. Providing me with tools I can apply in all fields of my work and personal growth.

This was the second movement course this summer and such a special experience in so many ways. Coming into a place that felt like home from the moment I walked in the beautiful courtyard. What a way to meet new people: physical, all sweaty from the 1st second (heatwave was real), curious and authentic. So beautiful.

Movement research in it’s purest sense, I love it so much and this course brought me many new insights, tools and experiences too. Really something that everyone could and maybe should try! Negotiating between the technical and the emotional body, we experienced how playfulness can function as a quality for connection and creation. No steps, no choreography or right or wrong.

Starting from exploring our own sphere, with our own energy projecting inward and outward. Later moving in relation to each other's spheres, adapting to each other's energy. Or experiencing an intense focus, moving according to non verbal directions of 3 other people. Playing with high/low, speed, direction, music, contraction and relaxing. An inspirational lesson is to really decide to pause sometimes. Again I learn how taking things slow and absorbing, observing, or really pause and change your situation, can provide a better sense of awareness, clarity and with that connection and meaning.

Group improvisations were new for me, but such an amazing experience, wow. Warming up exercises supporting, catching and holding each other. Observing others, giving and receiving feedback on one's role and energy, so interesting. Together intuitively finding beginnings and endings. So much joy, care, creativity and focus. Observing people from a wide spectrum of backgrounds move in their own authentic and intuitive way, and moving together with them is for sure one of my favourite things. Fully present in time and space, with an openness and safety to let things happen, play and create. Thank you to each special person who joined during the week, Paola, Lola and Tictac and David Zambrano for the guidance, input and safe space.

Another insight came afterwards, after we shared an evening on a cute terrace in Brussels. It was lovely to take this moment to finish the week together, enjoying conversations with each other, sometimes for the first time. We had been playing, we have shared intimate moments, we have seen and shared truest expression. I felt like I knew or at least felt some things about these people and we did not need the 'Hey, where are you from and what do you do'. That's the best, right? It is so interesting and powerful to feel this connection to people in a group like this after such a week. The openness, shared experiences and interests connect us, but we all live really different lives. I was so curious to learn more about them and stay connected, but at the same time we were ending the week.

Closing, closure... Really something that can be difficult in life, but I also learn to appreciate the beauty in it. I felt the need to physically and verbally share my gratitude and goodbye with some people, but the night ended quickly. Gradually shifting to continuing our lives separately, with travel schedules, practical decisions and also the need to rest and reflect individually. Something I really love as well. Taking time to process and take care of myself. Feel how I feel, feel what I need, trying to write something down to revisit later.

I wrote down that I should remember to live in the present, in the moment and experience with all my senses. As a person I am super open for new experiences, but true experience requires a physical and emotional presence, safety, and focus. I can be in my head too much, or in such a week I can be hesitant, or 'look the cat out of the tree', as the Dutch expression says. That is all okay, but I wish for myself to open up a bit earlier and to remind myself to fully experience the moment. It would make the closure even more beautiful, grateful of more special moments shared, in stead of feeling the need to catch up. All in all, this is just a great lesson for which I am grateful to myself. There were so many new elements in this course, in an unfamiliar place, a new group. I took all I could from it and next time I will try to challenge myself a bit more. See what I need to feel safe and from there, open up and experience. Not to bring in something in particular, but just to let things happen, play, connect and feel.