WORKSHOP
The Body Awakens The Senses
Body Training for Actors, Dancers, and Movement Artists
What happens when the body becomes a listener, a sensitive territory, an expressive instrument?
This workshop offers a space for comprehensive training where the body is activated, refined, and opened to perception. Through the practical synthesis of three powerful disciplines from India—Kalaripayatt (martial art), Mayurbhanj Chhau (martial-dance), and Odissi (classical dance)—participants are invited to explore the body as a channel of energy, emotion, and storytelling.
Each session unfolds from the physical to the expressive, combining technical precision with sensory awareness. It is a formative and creative experience that strengthens the body, sharpens attention, and expands expressive potential through deep listening and a holistic approach.
What does this workshop offer?
The training is structured in three stages, inspired by the distinct qualities of each discipline:
🔸 Kalaripayatt – The Body Awakens
An ancestral martial art from South India, Kalaripayatt offers a powerful foundation for physical preparation. Through warm-up sequences, dynamic movements, stretches, and defensive techniques, it activates vital energy (prāṇa), builds strength and flexibility, and sharpens coordination and balance.
🔸 Mayurbhanj Chhau – The Body Grounds and Expands
A martial-dance form from Odisha, Chhau merges martial power, fluid movement, and stylized emotion. It works with weight, suspension, rootedness, and expansion. Sessions will include walks, codified forms, and theatrical dynamics that develop stage presence and symbolic physicality.
🔸 Odissi – The Body Expresses
A classical Indian dance of deep aesthetic richness, Odissi integrates sculptural postures, complex rhythms, and a refined gestural language. The training includes coordination exercises, movement sequences, exploration of mudrās, and the relationship between gesture, rhythm, and emotion.
Methodology
Each session weaves a sensory and progressive pedagogy that includes:
- Dynamic and ritualized physical exercises
- Breathwork and energy-centering practices
- Walks, displacements, and technical sequences
- Rhythmic work with body patterns
- Exploration of mudrās and expressive elements
- Composition of short physical scenes
This approach blends technique, perception, and creation, aiming to expand expressive and physical resources from a conscious, sensitive, and powerful place.
Who is it for?
This workshop is designed for:
- Actors, dancers, performers, and movement artists looking to enrich their physical and expressive vocabulary
- Performing arts students seeking somatic tools for acting or dance training
- Yoga practitioners, martial artists, or oriental dance students interested in new ways of connecting body, energy, and emotion
- Somatic therapists or body-based educators wishing to integrate new tools of embodiment and awareness
No previous experience in Indian dance or martial arts is required—only openness to movement and a willingness to explore.
Benefits of the Training
- Improves strength, flexibility, and coordination
- Develops stage presence and expressive energy
- Enhances the connection between body, emotion, and narrative
- Enriches the gestural and symbolic vocabulary of the performer
Offers creative and physical tools for composing and expressing from the body