How are you today?
I am in Liverpool working with Cheshire Dance and Movema on a wonderful year long project called Wildfire Rising, and yesterday, I facilitated a movement workshop exploring aspects of identity and creativity inspired by all the things I have been processing after recent workshops with the wonderful Orchidacae.
The concept of the Genius Loci was introduced to me by Piny Orchidacae and Vedic Astrologist Rita Diamond, and really resonated as a way to approach cultural appropriation and empowering the individual to find their authentic truth with the concept… but without shying away from this issue which is hugely un-explored in dance.
I have been further sitting with the ideas they presented with my amazing dramaturgy Eva Martinez, and after our last session, I developed the idea into an intuitive movement ritual to honor the essence of the modalities and music we are working with, to look at how we honor and why we are dancing these styles using intuition to allow them to express and move through us!
One of the intuitive messages I got from an intuitive guidance practice during the workshop was to, “Earth, Heal and Ground”, which for me, was connected to the energy and essence of the particular music and movement style, but also related to standing for what I believe in: my values, and to giving thanks and blessings to honor these modalities and the gifts they bring us all as we practice them. 🌍
Just as the energy of my chosen modalities taught me how dance can be a revolution, reclamation and healing ritual, so too is the work of Wildfire Rising: Thank you to Movema & Cheshire Dance for all your hard work over the past year: I have absolutely loved mentoring these amazing artists, love how you ran the project, and I am so inspired to see what you will all create next.
Below are a few invitations to connect with my company over the next two months.. and if you want to know more about intuition, sign up for my Maya Musings at this link.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Biggest loves,
Ella “Maya Gandaia” Mesma xxx
