Offerings
When you do the registration you can choose one between three intensive workshops. The intensive is a close content that gives an opportunity to deep the work and cultivate complicity with the folks throughout the week.
In the afternoon there are single classes and you can choose on the moment wich one you want to go.
In the evening there are different open proposals and introductions to open spaces like jams, the sexy tent, ceremonies, the dungeon…
intensives
Andreas Demmel and Clara Pawlytta
ANDREAS: Born in Bavaria, lives in Berlin. As therapist and facilitator, Andreas passionately co-creates and holds space for a new culture based on connection & cooperation. After a diploma in social pedagogy (environmental and cultural pedagogy) he has completed various trainings in systemic constellation work (Nature Constellation Work, Classical Family Constellation Work and Systemic Ritual®). Additionally through many years of experience in various somatic methods and breathwork he created his own systemic-somatic approach. He offers extensive experience working with topics of Love, Sex, Relationships and sexual trauma. He also has a particular expertise in the healing accessible by altered states of consciousness (through meditation, breathwork and ritual).
CLARA: As a tattoo-artist, sexplorer, magic seeker, creation of nature and lover of life’s wonder, I love to open realms for deep connection and integration.
For several years I have been exploring selfdevelopment through bodywork, meditation, yoga, movement&dance, transpersonal experience spaces such as Holotropic Breathwork, the exploration of authentic sexuality and relationship forms/constellations in self-initiated group work. In the 2018 I started the Sexological Bodywork Training.
To understand myself and the dynamics of the collective (sub)consciousness especially focussing on love&eros&sex, I started the following groups: women circles, lovepack, vulvaportal. The wish is to be part of the evolutionary development of unfolding communities, connected to ancient wisdom, upgrading from individual awareness to the intelligence of love and collective consciousness including sexual energy as the juiciest and delicious of medicines.
We invite a shift in self perception that occurs once we sense and experience our embeddedness in the world.
We will encounter the spirit of the earth ignited by self love witnessing practise, we will immerse ourselves in eros rituals, cocreate a conscious homebase for body and authentic relating within the tribe. We will arrive and expand with integrative tools such as FORUM, movement, systemic-somatic constellation work, body work and sharing.
We open a container of presence and aliveness to explore our desires and wishes, finding our resources, moving from a place of embodiment, selfcare and responsibility to meet, dive and drop into the ocean of our authentic self.
This intensive welcomes you however you are to show yourself, allowing your vulnerability to shine through. All emotions, body expressions and identities are welcome, yet we are not pushing premature things, but rather midwifing our next layer of experience into being.
Rita Vilhena
Choreographer and researcher of dance and movement, looking at the body as culture or sacred place, in different communities; walking through different ethnic and historical realities. Professional dancer since 2003 whose main motivation is the idea of transformation and participation, driven by intuition. Established in 2005 the Baila Louca Foundation (Rotterdam / The Netherlands). She is a dance teacher, is part of Contact Improvisation Amsterdam and in Lisbon, Modern Dance School of Theater (Amsterdam), Arnhem Dance Academy – ARTEZ, Dansateliers in Rotterdam, Dance for professionals in Station Zuid Tilburg and several international festivals. She holds a Master in Performing Arts at FCSH and works as a scholar at the Center for Scientific Research of Dance and Musicology INET-md in Lisbon, Portugal.
Rita’s intensive offers an opportunity to regenerate, strengthen the sensation of physical pleasure, expand curiosity and astonishment at the micro and macro level of our reality. She’ll promote active meditation, friction techniques (prolong the need/wanting), transition, and involuntary movement.
We’ll practice individual contact with the floor and other landscapes before we bridge (quantity and quality) to other bodies. Go to the limit and relax in it, in a special silent and quiet place. Getting in and out of our comfort zone by slowing down the speed of movement, durational exercises and performative practices. It can be hard but we’ll make it fun.
Lisa Josefsson
Lisa has worked for over 10 years with different dance forms such as traditional African dances, Blues and Swing. These dances are shortcuts to feeling radically free; the movement is an expression true to one’s soul. Being playful and finding one’s own expression is the focus of Lisa’s classes, she will guide you to love your body and to connect with others. By now Lisa runs her own weekend workshops in kink, dance and sexuality and regularly teaches at sexuality festivals.
Lisa is grateful to her dance company Hodi Maputo Afro Swing in Mozambique who showed her what presence, dancing and community is all about.
Themes:
1. See me, see you! Let us meet through dance in acceptance opening up for each other and also sharing our longings and fears.
2. Find your pleasure! Through dance, touch and tantric exercises we will go deeper into finding our own pleasure without expecting anything from anyone else, we need to awake it in ourselves!
3. To say yes and to say no! Let us explore our boundaries finding out what we want and what we don’t want, when you feel safe in yourself, there is nothing to fear.
4. To hold and let go! To feel pleasure we need to allow ourselves to let go and trust others to hold us, to get there old frustration and anger might have to be let out. We will explore this through dance, pleasure and pain.
5. Stay in your sexuality! One thing is to feel your sexuality, but how do you stay there? Can you dare to express it and live in it fullY? It is time to feel proud of your body, show to the world that you are invincible. To express your sensuality can be a powerful tool to release shame and find acceptance of yourself.
Single classes
Radical Contact
Radical Contact is a guided research space for conscious dance encounters and play with honesty and intimacy. What happens when you show yourself as you are – outwardly as well as inwardly? When you look at yourself and others in a state of non-judgment? If you perceive your fear, shame and lust full of loving curiosity?
We are looking for playful possibilities to show our impulses and boundaries. With different communication methods like Radical Honesty and Circling we explore deep and present contact with others. With the help of the traffic light system (GREEN = that’s great, YELLOW = we’re approaching a border, RED = stop what you’re doing), we can quickly and accurately communicate what we need at any time.
What is happening,…
… when the dance becomes combative?
… when we bite, kiss or undress in duet?
… if you submit to your partner?
… when your head stops thinking while moving?
… if you live your fantasies?
We will try out what is possible with body and mind and thereby consciously and joyfully discover boundaries – or maybe expand. Conscious awareness, honest exchange and reflection are tools to learn together and from each other. We are looking for clarity and authentic encounter, for freedom and connection, for new sides in others and ourselves …
Security & Adventure
A contact-improv research circle
Security and adventure – these are two great longings that drive us through life. Often they feel incompatible and yet we realize that one part can not do without the other and vice versa.
This different and at the same time similar twin has many names:
… security & freedom
… bond and independence
… Rest & play
… relaxation & tension
… parasympathetic & sympathetic
… openness & loyalty
… delicacy and wildness
In this class we explore what space these two aspects of our selves have in our own lives and how we embody them. How does the dance look like between these two poles? And how do we develop a loving relationship between them?
Or in other words, how much security do we need in order to trustfully jump into adventure? And how much do we have to play to relax deeply? How much safety do we need to feel free and how much independence do we need to allow healthy attachment?
We will play in this class especially with a new format. In pairs, we sit in a circle. One has the partner in his lap. He/she is held and allowed to relax deeply: Here is your haven, here you are safe. As long as you want. If you are ready and feel courious for an adventure, you leave the deep security and move in the middle of the circle. There you will meet other playful people to meet in dance, tussling and cuddling. While trying that you know that your partner is constantly witnessing you. Whenever you feel discomfort, you return to her/him. There you will be received and caught and allowed to relax again.
In the role of the spaceholder you can discover the joy of caring and how your loving feelings can come and go. Your presence can give your partner strength, courage and connection.
Christopher Gottwald
Gives lectures and workshops in Berlin and other German speaking cities on polyamory, intimacy and sexuality, founder of “Liebe tanzen”, “Weiche Wilde Welten”, “free jam” and other events.
As an actor, contact improvisation dancer and Sexological Bodyworker I enjoy the conscious physical work with movement, touch and encounter.
What happens if we are honest with each other? If we show impulses and set bounderies? And when emotions and sexuality are forces that we show and use…
Since 6 years I live in Berlin! I love the city of unlimited possibilities, the variety of research spaces and the desire and openness of the people.
With Touch and Play I would like to achieve new dimensions with you. I want to dive into something that is greater than the amount of all of us!
Ask and you shall receive
This workshop is about how to make our touch interactions with another human being very clear and direct.
With this clarity we will develop the qualities of true integrity, gratitude, surrender and generosity opening a field of great pleasure. We will become a safe place for ourselves being able to navigate delicate situations and deciding to expand our boundaries in a nurturing and empowering way.
Through subtle yet powerful exercises we’ll improve our capacity to feel our needs and limits. Drawing from the wisdom of Betty Martin”s Wheel of Consent we’ll train our expression and negotiation skills and have a lot of fun exploring the different touch dynamics at play.
The art of self love and vulnerability
This workshop is about intimacy… What is intimacy and why does it matter?
Through somatic exploration, emotional awareness, authentic movement, and various meditation skills we’ll question our willingness and ability to feel, move through and be witnessed in a state of vulnerability.
Then we’ll take it to another level, introducing self touch and pleasure and offering different possibilities in how much can be seen. We’ll dive deep and safely into the art of authenticity, self love and presence.
Yohanna Biojout -Bliss
Multidisciplinary artist, wild yogini and life explorer, Yohanna is a gem finder. She’s been learning lots about the alchemical art of becoming whole and wants now to share her discoveries. She teaches embodied wisdom through meditation, conscious movement and conscious touch. Intimacy, connection and emotional integration are key words of her transmission. With this at heart she uses tools coming from Somatic Practices, Yoga, Tantra, Buddhism, modern Psychology and Shamanism to help you get in touch with your depth and activate your full potential.
Passion and Power
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Exert by Mary Oliver
‘An explosion of desire that wants to collide into the experience we are having. Our lives are a mix of satisfaction of that we are living or have lived and a drivenness to meet unmet qualities inside of ourselves.’
In this workshop we explore the terrain of our animal instinct that wants what it wants with no apology. It wants that object of desire, it wants it now, full bodied no questions until the animal is sated or exhausted.
So we offer an invitation to drop down and into our felt feeling of the body. To relinquish the grip of drivenness and allow body intelligence to arise. Moving, resting, dancing emerges from this moment, a feeling presence arises and it is as if grace is visits us all in our dance. 30 bodies all moving as one greater body, every moment is connected as if we are all part of one larger tapestry.
Then we touch back into our desire, pendulating between the wanting and the feeling state. Can we meet all that is wanted and desired at the same time as receiving the world around us? Taking responsibility for our impulses and our lives. It is said that the animal can only look out, as human beings we look inwards and outwards reflecting on our experiences. Can we be a human being and an animal simultaneously.
This workshop draws from the somatic practices of Contact improvisation, Body Mind Centering and embodied inquiry. Bringing an interest in relating to ourselves, each other and a sense of our place in the whole.
Living from the heart
It’s a particular invitation to be in life with what is, intimate with ourselves and each other.
In this journey of coming home what is often surprising over and over is how much we don’t want this level of intimacy. How much we try to get away in both small and big ways from situations, feelings… what ever, that might uncover more intimately who we really are moment to moment, raw and tangled, seemingly shameful, ideas of ourselves.
In this contrasting workshop (to Passion and Power) we will touch into areas that our ‘Animal’ has no interest. It is an invitation to step close to touch and include and take responsibility for being here and showing up in this world. How we impact and are impacted by our actions, our desire, our wants and by just being a human (animal). This is an invitation to stand in vulnerability, rawness and pain and feel here, feel connection, and even be loved, very simply.
This workshop will be rooted in the explorations and practice of embodied consciousness, supported by the use of Body Mind Centering, somatic practice and Contact Improvisation.
Lee Bolton and Jamus Wood
LEE
Dance is a passion as well as a teacher for me. It has been my way of getting closer to myself and finding a more real sense of myself.
For me within all dance there is the possibility to find the conversation, the meeting point, and the connection both with myself and with others. So much can come from this. How can I interact with you as you are and bring myself. There is always a way to communicate and ultimately of finding that meeting point here we find depth and excitement and the beauty of connecting.
The work of Embodied Presence is in essence about relationship and connection. Resting back into the support of your body and allowing awareness to lead and spontaneity to happen.
JAMUS:
My interest is in the dance, particularly in the art of dance improvisation. I love to know how the body is put together so experiential anatomy can often play a part in my teaching. I have been dancing and exploring dance improvisation for more than 20 years. When we actually listen to what is inside we find a movement towards growth and wholeness that leads us quite simply into the dance.
The work of Embodied Presence is in essence about relationship and connection. Resting back into the support of your body and allowing awareness to lead and spontaneity to happen.
Tools & Toys in Contact Improvisation
In these first sessions of the festival we intend to give us as a community the chance to share a vocabulary in CI technique and a toolkit for boundaries and consent to have a base to explore and play with. My part in this will be preparing a juicy cocktail of Contact principles and tools for enjoying this amazing danceform together throughout the festival and beyond. It might be flavoured with some ingredients from acting and NVC (non-violent communication) to give us more skills and freedom to express and enjoy together.
Playfight
In this system I combined my desire for intensity and dynamic play from martial arts with the awareness and softness of Contact Improvisation. From 25 years of experience in different martial arts forms (Judo, Aikido, Kickboxing, Boxing and Muay Thai) and Playfighting I created many exercises, which also enable fewer sportive people to explore and enjoy their warrior energy in a safe environment. Since 2011 I’ve been offering this work countless times in workshops and festival settings all over the globe and the reactions never were less than enthusiastic. One side effect of this work is replacing old stereotypes of violent conflicts (or even trauma) with a joyful and playful togetherness, to experience intensity with presence and respect. Enjoy the opportunity to integrate this powerful aspect of being human!
Playfight
In this system I combined my desire for intensity and dynamic play from martial arts with the awareness and softness of Contact Improvisation. From 25 years of experience in different martial arts forms (Judo, Aikido, Kickboxing, Boxing and Muay Thai) and Playfighting I created many exercises, which also enable fewer sportive people to explore and enjoy their warrior energy in a safe environment. Since 2011 I’ve been offering this work countless times in workshops and festival settings all over the globe and the reactions never were less than enthusiastic. One side effect of this work is replacing old stereotypes of violent conflicts (or even trauma) with a joyful and playful togetherness, to experience intensity with presence and respect. Enjoy the opportunity to integrate this powerful aspect of being human!
Ulli Wittemann
A passion for movement and growth has drawn Ulli to new directions since he was a child.
From practising Ballroom Dance and Hip Hop as a teenager and 25 years of studying different Martial Arts forms (Judo, Aikido, Kickboxing, Boxing and nowadays Muay Thai)
he finally fell in love with Contact Improvisation in 2001 during his actors studies at the University of Performing Arts in Frankfurt, Germany. After eight years of performing more than 1000 shows in the German State Theater system he decided to change his focus from performing to sharing his love for Contact Improvisation, Acting, Awareness and Communication in Munich and abroad. In the last years he taught Workshops, Classes and Retreats in China, Japan, India, Thailand, Bali, Israel, Palestine, Russia, Crimea, USA, Canada, Turkey and many European Countries. He is one of the Founders of the Tempelhof Contact Festival in Germany and the Conscious Flow Festival in India and co-organized four editions of the Touch & Play Festival. His latest creation, the BODY MIND SOUL Festival is happening in May 2019 in South Germany.
“In myself I feel a deep longing for connectedness, healing and joy. I seek for depth and lightness in everything I do and so also in the spaces that I open for people, no matter if it’s teaching a class or a workshop or creating a festival. By growing a network of motivated humans I want to give us the chance to learn and enjoy together and work towards peace and harmony with each other and our planet.”
Reflection Circle for everyone
Reflection Circle for everyone
Diving into a festival experience is a brave act that we have choosen! To dance Contact Improvisation itself is often an invitation to ask deeper questions about our patterns, emotions and relationships. Now that we also invite more than just the physical exploration in our encounters we include another layer to the festival flow.
Fully immerse in such an environment might be a chance to take a deeper look within us. I would like to invite us to embrace all the ripples that might occur during our journey.
We will share, listen and empower each other within topics that might come up during the festival.
I believe that embracing our insecurites is an important part of our journeys and I am happy to hold the space for that to happen.
The format is for movers of all experience levels.
We are all in it together.
Katya Dikowa
Liquid Love
The Liquid Love Experience is a collective journey of the senses.
It is an exploration of sensuality in its purest form and can invoke a strong feeling of love for oneself, one’s community and for life itself! Through the use of copious amounts of our liquid love potion (e.g. organic olive oil, coconut oil or similar substitutes) we are, for a while, able to eliminate friction from our lives allowing for incredibly smooth flowing encounters with ourselves and others. The concept is simple: we pour warm, fine, neutral oil on to your skin, from where it will spread over your whole body and form a lubricious substance, which allows you to engage in flowing skin to skin contact and float in a sea together with other oily bodies. Everyone is invited to respect their own rhythm and limits to touch and nudity. Allow yourself to be moved without intentions or sexual orientation. Be present with erotic sensations and thoughts but rather than act on them, relax into the energetic flow of the bodies around you. This is a place where you can love and be loved in an impersonal and unbound manner and above all a place to super charge your soul.
Daniel J. Hayes
POOJA (Indian Fire Ritual)
Navgrah Shanti Yagna or The Fire Pooja for Peace and Prosperity: A Yagna or Havan is a traditional Indian Pooja ceremony that involves the recital of Vedic Chants and holy offerings(Samagri) made to the fire. The combined effect of these chants and the fire together cleanse and purify the air and aura.
You are free to participate or observe during the ceremony. A brief explanation about the Havan, its origins and scientific and spiritual benefits will also be shared.
Zinnda
ZinnDa: means to be alive! A free spirit and a bundle of pure joy, there is nothing this happy soul isn’t capable of! His evolution has been quite a journey, from being a techie with his own IT – company to transforming into an Osho sannyasin. He was born with the heart of a nomad and has been a traveller for most of his life now. What’s his purpose? one might wonder!
He has been closely working with the Osho Communes, spiritual festivals all around the world and the Contact Dance Community to help in bringing spiritual awareness and spreading peace in communities everywhere. This was the thought that lead him to create his NGO: Global Cultural Exchange Organisation that brings communities around the world and people from all walks of life together in a peaceful and harmonious environment of sharing and learning.
Yoga
Isabelle’s Yoga style is inspired by Anusara Yoga, which is rooted in Hatha Yoga and Iyengar Yoga. Based on a good knowledge of the anatomy, biomechanics and biodynamics of our human body, using universal principals of alignment and connecting to the inherently good power of our hearts, this Yoga form can improve your physical and spiritual well-being and connect you to your inner self. It is suitable for all people in any level of abilitiy or agility. Practicing Yoga can be a joyful self-discovery, leading to self-empowernmet.
“Allow yourself a pleasant start into the day with the gift of giving yourself love, awakening your life – energy, give yourself ease and feel good from inside out!”
Isabelle Pyttel
Isabelle Pyttel is a creature dedicated to movement, healing and nature, born and raised in Bavaria. Since a young age she gained experience dancing on stage and as a choreographer. She studied Fine Arts at the Academy of Arts in Munich with a focus on Performance. A deep longing for finding her purpose fueled by a profound curiousity in the human body and energy system led her to an intense yoga practice, the study of various massage and healing techniques connecting to the subtle energies of nature, intuition and holistic movement. She is a certified Cranio Sacral Therapist and got an examination as a Naturopath (Heilpraktiker). After practicing Hatha Yoga and a gentle form of Iyengar Yoga for several years, she focused her Yoga teaching on the heart opening Anusara Yoga. Isabelle believes in the wisdom of our human heart and keeps researching different approaches like CI, free movement and dance. For her life-long learning is a key quality for finding our path as humans in coexistence with nature.
Cacao Ceremony
Ceremonial cacao is a gentle yet profound heart opening medicine. Cacao also increases sensuality and tastes delicious.
Ola Hasia
Psychologer, body therapist, CI teacher, movement facilitator, founder of Healing Belly Massage, osteopath.
Let‘s Sing!
Lisa Fatuma
I grew up in Germany and currently live in Cologne. Concerning work fields I am a mosaic of many little stones. For years now I have been active as a fiction film director and singer, group singing teacher and sexuality talk workshop leader, shaping my skills and interests by a variety of intense seminars, workshops, gaining experience in group leading. My background involves Gestalt therapy, theater, 5 rhythms dance, singing, voice performing, slow sex approaches, actors‘ guidance, non-violent communication, intercultural peace education, along with group games for all ages, touching exercises, ways into truthful connection and opening up. My current workshops around sensuality and sexuality are very popular and always full, which reassures me about my work being wanted in the world. I see myself as a dream dancer and explorer, dedicating my life to opening up, encouraging, singing, dancing, bringing fun and lightness into sexuality in all its aspects.
Live music & Jamming
Pipaluk
Pipaluk works within contemporary dance, music and installation art, and teaches internationally. Her background is extensive training and research within movement art. She is currently based in Copenhagen.
Local Undress Score
You close your eyes, start moving and when you open them again you are dressed with clothes you have never seen before. Meanwhile, 2 hours have passed in the clock but in your perception only you can tell. Now, either you swap your clothes back directly with the one’s wearing them and go home; or you enter the“The free (but not cheap) market”and face the 3 minute game to get back your clothes from the new owners, who ever they are.
In the market, they will give them back to you anyway but they may ask something from you in return: will you be willing to do what they ask? It’s up to you: you can say yes, you can say no and you can say yes, but if instead of…… we….
This Score is thought to be safe, sensual and erotic but it’s not about penetration. It’s a frame for pleasure and sensual exploration, art, flow, sensitivity and care. The deeper lasting gift of the Local Undress Score would be to allow one self to exercise noticing and expressing their own desires and boundaries in 2 very different modes: first in a group flow, on a sensorial journey, and later in the frame of a clear verbal structure of consent with a single partner at a time. Welcome!
Nirvan
I feel like an absolute beginner but maybe I’m not and yet, definitely I am. I am not a virgin but pisces and that’s a start. I am over 40 which is kind of unbelievable, from my perspective. I am part of organization of the Silent Contact Retreat, which makes me proud and joyful (from there I’m writing). I’m conscious I won’t last forever and yet, who knows? I teach contact Improvisation and I met Steve Paxton and Betty Martin in the flesh and we had an empathic connection (confidential). I love water and give Therapeutic Sessions in Water for a living… and massage, and water dance… and Airbnb (shit!). I dance for some years and I love scores, creativity and permission to try ideas with people… with care, sensitivity and let’s go use these bodies!
I think about relations and lovers all the time, but less and less and I like transparency. I love transparency and clarity, what a challenge! I often wonder if I should be with just one or several partners, or infinite. End.
“Touch&Play offers a warm home and a supportive community to expand your edges, connect to your desires and share your truth.”