Join the unique opportunity to study Contact Improvisation with Nica Portavia!
Dates:
16-18th January 2026
Location:
Jungle Dance Studios, Goa, India
Get in touch to book your spot:
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Workshop description:
Where is the first perturbation? Where i can feel the smallest? How the smallest is becaming so big?
In this workshop we will take time to explore contact improvisation as a practice of inquiry , awareness and solidarity.
We will approach the body as a community, a web of relations that is impacting the inner and the outer space, and how our story is impacting our steps.
We will explore a somatic-antropological approach that will give us access to the smallest, researching how a little impact can become a revolution in the way we perceive and move on this planet earth.
We will research Contact Improvisation as a practice of sensations-revolutions-choices and small/big impacts.
Diving into our tissues, the skeleton system( approaching Material for the spine by Steve Paxton) breathing and imagining together. Rolling, falling, flying, jumping - being ready for any changes and dancing any NOW.
We will dance cooperating with gravity, with space, with the support that we receive living on this planet earth. Researching relations as a practice to soften our heart and make space to meet.
We will practice CI as a space of exchange, solidarity, support and revolution.
´When we do it together we can multiply and expand the impacts and soften our heart to make more space to receive'
About the Facilitator
Nica Portavia
I was born in Fano, Italy, from an Italian father and a mother from Lebanon. I started dancing as a child, following a Professional Dance School program before in Italy and then in Spain, Barcelona. I am a dancer, teacher and researcher, performer in the field of Contact Improvisation.
I discovered CI many years ago, after having taken my first training in contemporary dance, and I fell in love with it from the first moment. I mainly trained abroad with many teachers including Steve Paxton, Daniel Lepkoff, Charlie Morrissey,Angelika Doney, Asaf Bacharach, KJ Holmes, Anya Cloud, Karen Nelson.
I followed a training on Material for the Spine, by Steve Paxton, where I had the big pleasure to meet and study with Steve, diving completely in his research.
I followed a 3 years training course called Tatto Interno ( Deep Touch) that is about the relation between fascia and the nervous system.
I'm co-teaching with Karen Nelson our project called 'Faking it with gravity' and we are performing together our research-work called 'Smaller' that is traveling around the world.
I have taught in France, Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Russia, Poland, Germany, Lituania, Portugal. I have participated as a teacher in numerous international and European festivals, and have taught intensive workshops in different parts of the world.
I am an organizer of national and international events, including the Italycontactfest (International CI Festival which takes place in Italy and has now reached its eleventh edition www.italycontactfest.com) and of Being Touch Festival (www.beingtouch.org)
I was in the organization team of Ecite 2022 Portugal, and I'm part of the team of Ecite 2024. I am a communicator for the CI Global Calendar project.
I presented various performances during my residency in France and the latest performance 'SottoSale' traveled to Russia in summer 2019 and in Italy in 2021.
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