When: 18-22th July 2011
The teacher: Fabiana Pastorini
Fabiana Pastorini was born in Buenos Aires (Argentina). She received first lessons in dancing at the age of nine and attended the national dance school parallel to her high school years and obtained a bachelor degree of pedagogy.
She specialised on modern dance, learning the two most important techniques – Graham and Horton -1988 in New York. Staying in Germany she met Ismael Ivo for the first time in 1991, resulting in a cooperation for a span of several years.
Since 1992 Pastorini resides in Vienna. She teaches and choreographs at the Ballettschule der Wiener Staatsoper, the Konservatorium Wien Privat Universität, the Ballettseminar Wolfsegg, Tanz für Europa and in various european cities.
For several years now she works as guest teacher at ImPulsTanz in Vienna, teaching Dance for health and integrative dance for groups of people with and without disabilities.
She also followed an invitation to Argentina by EMA, an association to help patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, to work with them.
Studying kinesiology helped her on the way to develop her Dance for health technique. This unprecedented system has the goal to help people become aware of themselves.
The class: Dance for Health: body and mind in a natural and dynamic balance
Dance for health is a combination of dance, kinesiology and breathing exercises with the goal of obtaining energetic balance, vitality and restoring the bodies capabilities for self restoration. The perception of the inner energy flow and variations of tension in the muscular system, as well as effects on the whole body and their resulting emotions are taught and explored.
Through special exercises of kinesiology and dance we activate and unharness energy inside the body, by that solving blockages and repair possible dysfunctions. The goal is to establish a kind of energetic auto-balance, that increases life energy and brings body and mind back into a natural and dynamic balance. The released energy adds to power and vitality, encourages creative expression and life begins to flow again.
Dance for health, for amateurs and professionals alike unites dance with the insights of kinesiology.
Content of the workshop:
You will be introduced to the location of meridians (can be imagined as canals, channeling the life energy, the so called Qi), as well as several methods to enhance the energy flow by the use of acupressure, knocking method, as well as synchronisation of breathing. Attached to any of the 14 meridians is a group of muscles, organs, bodily functions and emotions. We will observe and activate, specific groups of musclesand train them. Breathing takes a pivotal role in this. Traditional Chinese medicine states: the lung is the Qi. Breathing is the fundament of life. Thus our main focus will be on breathing.
Practical and theoretical content of the workshop:
– refine the perception of the bodies energy flow
– feel the body and grant it room
– integration of the brain halves
– introduction to the map of meridians based on Traditional Chinese Medicine
– the five elements
– respiratory exercises
– improvised dance
– knocking technique as pain therapy and activation of the energy flow
My verdict: This class was an informative one, beginning with information about the meridians and what we would be focused on, progressing into exercises and finally improvisations. I was the only one in this class to not speak German (no!!), I appreciated the patience it took to explain the concepts.
Pastorini has that impeccable ability to see right through you. Jumping on the dancing bandwagon in this festival, I drove toward the learning that were oldest to me, muscling through things and bringing a dynamic energy to the classes. This workshop calmed me down and balanced me out a little more – like a good yoga class. I was slowed down, able to think about my own body and try to relax into it. Pastorini was a fantastic teacher, delivering individual feedback to all who were in there.
There’s a lot of information captured in this workshop – more than I was able to comprehend in one week. Studies and movement exercises extending from the meridians are something I would be keen to explore in the future. It has parallels with my training in kinesiology, but demonstrated things from a slightly different perspective, dealing not only with kinds of energy, but starting points as well.