What’s been up and 2020 schedule!

Dear Cairo movers, shakers, makers,

In September I really enjoyed teaching open classes to you all @ Cairo Contemporary Dance Centre Maat. I also absolutely enjoyed teaching full time dance students in the Cairo Contemporary Dance Centre 3- year dance program.

As one does, I took a break from teaching until the new year to focus on myself and my own practice, well being and artwork.

Starting Mid-January 2020 I’ll go back to teaching group classes at CCDC Cairo Contemporary Dance Centre Maat. They’re applying all kinds of discounts for these classes so contact them ahead of time.

I’ll also starting private lessons. If you’re interested to know more contact me via instagram @movincairo and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Peace Out!

Dear Cairo Movers Shakers Makers,

For those of you who want to be lighter on your feet, breathe better, move in an a more organised way and best of all, learn about what you actually can do, come to class this summer. I will be continuing to teach @Osana on Fridays 11-12

I will also be teach at Cairo Contemporary Dance Centre in Mohandessin from June 14 to July 24th Fridays 2:30-4:00 this is for all of you who want to improve the way you move! This class is open to all levels.

 

 

Dear Cairo movers, shakers, makers,

Group classes and one-on-one lessons will resume in April at Osana.

Group classes are scheduled for Friday and Saturday mornings, please check Osana schedule for details.

For a one-on-one class, I will be taking reservations on Fridays, please call Osana to reserve.

Hope to see you there!

Dear Cairo movers, shakers, makers,

On 6 of April, 4-6 PM I will give a free 2-Hr workshop at CCDC. This workshop is for everyone!

Get to know what Awareness Through Movement is by experiencing it. Words can only do so much!

What is an Awareness Through Movement Lesson?

A practice that uses a Somatic Learning Technique that focuses on awareness and movement, highlighting the link between these two. In an Awareness Through Movement Lesson, you will be guided by the practitioner into a series of movement explorations, shedding the light on a certain movement pattern or function; sitting, standing, bending, reaching etc… This lesson aims primarily to explore various elements of movement, making it easier and effortless to perform a final movement sequence.

Within the lesson, each student is encouraged to move at their own pace, by breathing easy and facing any challenge with patience. This class helps finding new ways of moving, while encouraging a meditative quality. By recognising in ourselves how we move habitually, as well as exploring the non-habitual, we allow ourselves to have more options.

This practice can improve quality and range of movement, quiet chronic pain, improve balance and coordination.

Who is it for?

This workshop is for everyone, bring yourself, a mat and an an extra layer. You can beban experienced dancer or interested or curious without any experience moving. Essentially it would be interesting for anyone who would like to improve their movement for professional, recreational, or even basic everyday functions like sitting and standing.

Workshop Theme:

“If you know what you’re doing, you can do what you want”.

In this introductory workshop, we will use floor-work to explore movement of the torso in relation to the limbs. For a better understanding on how we stand and shift weight we will be experimenting in class with simple developmental movement such as rolling and creeping. By recognising what is a habitual movement for us and what falls outside it, we can explore both and expand our movement vocabulary to include more options for movement of the hands and the legs with as little effort as possible.

Dear Cairo Movers, Shakers, Makers,

Classes are now on hold in March as I am taking my leave to make up some days of Feldenkrais Method training. But exciting times in April as I will be teaching in a couple of new venues, and a free workshop (tell all your cheap’o movers, shakers friends of all age range and ability). Exact times and dates to be released soon.

Watch this space!

Sara

Dear Cairo movers, shakers, makers,

I write to you today to share a video I like that explains thoroughly how somatic learning and Feldenkrais Method works for long-life learning and helping chronic pain.

 

 

 

In an Awareness Through Movement Lesson, a practitioner guides her students into a series of movement explorations which are designed to shed light on a certain movement pattern of function such as : sitting, standing, bending, reaching etc… The aim of the lesson is not to perform the movement to its full extent necessarily, rather, it is to explore various elements of that movement which could eventually make this movement easier and more effortless.

Within the lesson, the students are encouraged to breathe easy and face challenge with patience. Rather than push oneself to make it work, the student is encouraged to try different tactics that can help. We will talk about these tactics later.

The lesson usually begins with a scan, a practice which encourages the student to “check in” with what they are sensing in different parts of themselves, or how these parts are represented in their imagination or self-image. A scan is a meditative practice which is present in many other techniques such as yoga.

Following a scan, the student is invited to perform a certain movement, usually a reference movement, which they will be working towards improving.

The students are then guided through series of explorations where they are invited to move different parts of themselves and see for themselves how adding elements to the movement can make it easier.

They are encouraged to try to perform a movement the habitual way, and to access a non-habitual way. For example, if my habit is to interlace my fingers in such a way that my right thumb is closest to me, I am encouraged to also try the other way around with my left thumb closest to me. This allows me to explore a movement within a space that is slightly unfamiliar and therefore add a new way of being into my movement and learning.

At the end of the lesson, the students are then asked to perform the reference movement which they performed at the beginning of the lesson and see if it has changed. They are asked: what has changed? And how has these explorations changed what they sense in different parts of themselves.

Ideally, an Awareness Through Movement lesson aims to shed light on elements that can make moving easier, elements which are usually neglected in our day-to-day life due to our daily habits (like sitting for hours at a time etc..) An Awareness Through Movement lesson should be regarded as time that you dedicate to yourself, to what you are sensing a feeling and to focusing on how you sense yourself moving. It can be a form of self-care and a space to explore without judgement, as we used to do as children.

Dear Cairo movers, shakers, makers,

In Osana next Friday I’m teaching two Awareness Through Movement lessons, at 11AM (beginners) and 2PM (intermediate).

I am taking requests on themes from potential students. I know lots of you face lower back pain everyday, for example, we can work on improving that together.

You don’t need to be an athlete to attend the intermediate class either, you can always do it smaller and benefit from the movement still.

I am also offering FREE first consultation / one-on-one lessons. This is for those of you who need to improve their everyday movement or have insistent or chronic pain, or those of you who need to improve their movement quality for everyday functions like sitting, standing, reaching. It’s equally for those of you who would like to learn to fall, or breathe better. Call Osana and make an appointment, it’s free for a limited time!