Performance in Tabacalera, MADRID, New Year 2012

I am kind of person very active and in French I would said "touche à tout" (= into everything). During my Law study and lawyer time, I have been always doing some artistic activities (art installation, photos, sewing, dance, theater...). So during my journey, I have been always open to other activities than Dance improvisation.

I discovered Tabacalera, some years ago, during a business trip in Madrid.
An old tobacco factory used as an amazing backdrop to a hip collaborative art space putting together with the cooperation of local artists and the Spanish ministry of culture. Musicians, Painters, filmmakers, photographers, sculptors, dancers, theather, Circus, "do it yourself" place with a lot of material... Huge amazing building! I just fell in Love.

My first art project in Tabacalera with the art collectif Muestrarte has been "Salida interior" in collaboration with Voix Off, June 2011 (Video). We did an art installation in the basement of Tabacalera.
"Hilos de lana entremezclados creando una atmósfera de equilibro, y movimiento natural.
En la entrada del sótano de la Tabacalera, los artistas Jean Charles et Nezha, crean una Salida Interior que invita al público a re-descubrir el Espacio a través líneas re-dibujadas; una suspensión temporal."

"Salida Interior"

 I came back in Tabacalera with my sister Hanane and my brother Wadih for the 2012 New Year. We used to do art installations together (we did some in Barcelona, Lyon, Istanbul...), my favorite art colleagues!!!
So, we decided to create an art installation in the same place: "Trinidad" but this time with the idea of inviting people to perform inside.  

"Libre y unido, perpetual movimiento imitando un corazón que late... Expansión luego contracción. Todo parte desde un punto y todo se acaba en un punto.
3 puntos. Una infinidad de lineas inter-conectadas, que alejando y acercando estos puntos se vuelven con el tiempo inter-dependientes.
Un hilo rojo como garante de una union fraternal, fragil y fuerte al mismo tiempo, animandose alrededor de una red infinita.

3 puntos, 3 hilos, 3 vidas. un principio, un final."

"En esta instalaciòn se entreve la infinidad complejidad, y la magìa de las relaciones humanas. En segunda parte, performance de danza improvisada, la instalaciòn respire."

The organization of the performance was quite challenging, and it was only few days after the New Year's party, sic.

IMPROVISATION I love you!
I convinced 4 wonderful dancers Diana Bonilla (I met her in a CI workshop), Mamen Agüera, Cristiane Boullosa, and Jonathan Martineau (Butoh dance Master).
Victor Alonso, an amazing violonist. I met him some days before in a huge tunnel between 2 subway stops (Embajadores y Acacias, close to Tabacalera). I play flute with him and then I came back for dance with him playing! (see the video of our first meeting).
And Marco Ferraris for video and photo (I also met in a CI workshop).

Great improvisation... Here the Video of the performance.

CI workshop, MADRID, November 2011

When I came back to Almeria, after the week intensive workshop of Contact Improvisation in Lyon, I was new. 

I advised my boss, my boyfriend, my family and my friends that my life will change. I want to dance and traveling alone.

Of course, I was not able to give any detail of my project, because the reality was that I did not have any idea of what would happen, and what I was really "looking for"... 

My doubts and fears were there, I was hearing them but not listening to them... 

At this moment, I was only listening to the funky rythm of my heart pushing me to move!!!

In November, I was not working anymore. Now the Time is Mine...

Joerg, Daniel Werner and Sebastian Ferro were offering a workshop of CI in Madrid, so I went!

Contact Improvisation inspired by martial arts (Aikido, Chi Gong, Capoeira)
In this workshop, this fabulous trio introduced some martial arts concepts and used them in ways we found to be inspiring and supportive for CI.  They also introduced ideas around opening, widening and softening, the trust in giving and taking weight, the ability to follow and surrender, the art of breaking rules, the delight of making mistakes, the awareness of the whole group... And a lot of fun!

I felt great in my body but to be honnest sometimes a lilte voice was whispering to me: "they are so great dancers", "You are not a dancer and they know it", "it's so obvious Nezha, it's too late for you", "you are so different, you are crazy...".
It was very interesting for me to learn about my way of freeing my mind... blablabla "you should lift him... she is waiting that you go up or down" blablablablabla... Suddenly, my body was enjoying so much, and without be really aware of it, this litle voice was not anymore audible ;)

Below Marco Ferraris beautiful photographs:


My first contact with the Madrid CI community, nice dancers, different styles, levels and nationalities. Very active, generous, they organize worksops with many different teachers during all the year.

From 2008, there is a Contact improvisation Festival in Madrid, in Estudio 3, End of March.

Classes and Jams:
- Puerta Roja with Diana Bonilla. Very nice warm up, body work with partner. Love her!
- Estudio 3 with Cristiane Boullosa
- Bambudanza with Diana Bonilla and Cristiane Boullosa
- Tabacalera (Molino rojo)
This information is from nov 2011, today september 2013, there is new jams in:
- Casa amarilla
-  La pértiga
- La Exentrica  with Africa Clùa Nieto
 

My body-mind wake up! LYON, August 2011

Hi!!!

I am Nezha.

Today (12/09/2013), I  am right now writing from Morocco, at the principle of a new life... Happy as never before... Full of projects and dreams...

How I get here? How I discovered myself? How I allowed myself to follow the pathway which my body-mind-soul needed to follow? How, at 28 years old, I get the courage to let my career of lawyer and to go traveling 2 years dancing around the world, and today starting my own project in Morocco? No doubt, I was just sure that I had to let my shoes and go barefoot to my happyness...

 

I write this blog to share with you my journey from the last 2 years. I called it "improvie" (improlife), wich is my new leitmotiv!!
You will be the witness of my changes, in my way of moving (I did many video dance) but also in my way of writing my experiences, you will be able to feel how I incorporated in my body-mind everything I learnt during this amazing journey... my first Contact improvisation class, my first performance, my first step as teacher...

So let's start by the beginning:
I spent 4 years leaving in Almeria (South of Spain) and working as Lawyer in an International business department of a big Spanish Company, traveling all the time for promoting Solar Energy in worldwide. Very exciting job, challenges every day, I was working with a very good team. I learnt so much during this "business girl life" experience. Thank you

But the last year, I started to feel sad, with less motivation, with many body pains, blocking back, very stress and, for the first time in my life, pessimistic and negative...
It was obvious that I should change somethings in my life... But what? How? When?

For my summer holidays in Lyon (my home town), I decided to participate to an intensive week Contact improvisation (CI) workshop with Joerg Hassmann in Arts en Scène.
Many many years ago, when I was leaving in Barcelona, I heard about CI and play a bit with but I let it there...

With Joerg we practiced "bodyworks" , various exercises to create awareness of our body alone or with a partner, by touching and exploring the joints of the body.  Ways to say "no"  with your body. Joerg underlined that we should be always present and honest and aware of our own limits. Not ever to be a victim, if we don't feel comfortable, if our partner hurts us, if we want to stop or if we don't want to dance. 
To be able to say "no" was for me a slow and important process  of discovery and empowerment in CI, because in some ways this is in contradiction to my social habits of politeness, and the assumption of commitment when you start a discussion or relationship...

How to witness others in the dance, as well as yourself . For Joerg the witness role is very important for CI practise. First of all, for the person who is the witness, it is a very good way of learning, and being inspired. It is also interesting to watch all the reactions, the expressions on the face of the person who is the witness, and this can also be considered as part of the performance. The person who dances can feel the support of the witness. Then there is also the opportunity to discuss and share the different points of view of the performance, and this creates a constructive  discussion. 

We were 20 participants, and many like me beginners. It has been a very nice group, all very sensitive and receptive. The last day, we went dancing in the park "Tête d'or" with the CI community of Lyon "Jam'in Lyon".
Jam'in Lyon is a group of CI dancers (initiated after a workshop done by Joerg in 2007), who organized workshops, lab and a weekly jam (Sunday jam in Arts en Scène). Beautiful bodies...

The workshop was full of information for me, and full of emotions. I was re-discovering my body, little by little. And my body was already starting to store new information of movement, and the feeling of connection with my mind. The body has memory and mine will never forget this experience. 
At this moment, everything was clear. I have to change my life! I have to do it! and now! Dancing and traveling... perhaps yes this is my new pathway...
I remember very well the reaction of Joerg when, at the end of the workshop, I told him that I will let my job, my house and go for dancing! Mix of surprise, fear and fun... 
Incredible, at this moment I didn't feel any fear, any doubt. I was just feeling alive, many many many new opportunities guiding me to my deep happyness...

THANK YOU

Now I will dance as I want, always. Now I will be as I want always...
I will not be viewer of my body moving anymore.