rope manipulation​
- speaking knots
Speaking Knots is one of the frog methods in the Rope Manipulation approach that I have developed since my Master studies at DOCH in Sweden. It consists of a series of improvisation tasks aimed at creating confined spaces of research within which practitioners can experiment freely on the aerial apparatus.
The emphasis of such exploration is to train to speak the language of knots, where knots are opportunities for pathways.
The purpose is to stimulate to think through movement developing body intelligence, as well as to encouraging the making of conscious choices and to be present and aware as we practice and explore.
With this work, my objective is to expand technical knowledge of our practice through personal experience.
sensing
Sensing is one of the four methods in the Rope Manipulation approach, and it brings focused attention to the body.
In this practice, the body is understood in two dimensions: the outer structure and the inner experience, linked to perception, sensation, and imagination.
In Sensing sessions, we explore movement by focusing on our articulations - the places where the body bends, shifts, and connects (body knots). By initiating mobility from these points, we gain a deeper awareness of how our body moves and how it can move differently. This exploration not only refines proprioception but also opens new physical possibilities.
We also examine contact with the rope, treating it as an extension of the body rather than an external tool, and rope as our floor.
From this point of contact, we enter a space of imaginative exploration, where perception and sensation become the guides.
Through this interplay - between body awareness and imagination - we are led through the tasks. The practice becomes a process of tuning in, adapting, and discovering movement from within.
This work is in very close connection with the ground and can be done together with Speaking Knots.
writing the body
We live in a society where we learn to communicate verbally and, simply, we do not understand the language of our own body. We learn to train and perform tricks without establishing an intimate connection with ourselves and the relationship with the bodies involved in the process.
This seminar focuses on movement research through the lens of writing as a method to verbalise the body.
We will work on a physical sequence which, with my guidance, we will alter by adding layers to it. We will keep alternating writing and movement to feed off and enrich one another.
The purpose of this process is to get a better understanding of the emotions embedded in our movement, to notice them and give meaning to the actions we normally do.
A poetic, inmost, guided investigation to encourage awareness and discover something more about ourselves.
rolling technique
During this sessions, I focus on Rolling Technique.
I will share a variety of single exercises and small sequences to help improve and better understand the art of rolling. We can focus on roll ups, roll downs, rolling on the spot, entries into propellor that I have found through my creative research.
Starting from the ground, we will gradually move onto a higher level, allowing everyone to refresh the basics while experiencing them through my lens, giving the opportunity to each participant to push their own limits.
duo ROPE
The purpose of this work is to better understand the principles necessary to move with someone in the air. The main focus of this work is to go beyond the common knowledge of duo work and push the boundaries of our knowledge, tapping into the exploration of alternative routes and the chance to generate new material.
The creative research happens through improvisation tasks aimed at stimulating participants to explore partner work, close connection between two bodies, as well as learning to communicate silently and only through our bodies, instead of verbally.
We travel through a series of exercises that stimulate to find continuous ways to give and take weight, building trust in our partner, understanding how to communicate and manipulate one another, as well as experiencing rope from another perspective.
The material proposed is the result of the investigation of Rollmeknot, a collaboration with Georgina Cassels from 2018 to 2021, Rope Manipulation and the investigation carried out with Betka Ticha since 2022.
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technique
Technique and tricks are the words of our circus language, words necessary to be able to create. Without this vocabulary, it would be impossible to navigate our apparatus and to make sentences.
In this work I share a variety of tricks, mostly sequences that I have generated over the years through my creative methods.
All of these include technical tools such as rolling, beats, dynamic and manipulation which can be extrapolated and explored as single elements and/or as part of the whole sequence a well, depending on the level.
We will break them down, try them on the floor and up in the air, through a progressive process that allows participants to get a better understanding of the movement and the appropriate technique to succeed.
Floor rope
The focus of this work is to delve into the interplay between rope and the ground, enhancing our understanding and movement possibilities while dancing on the floor with our apparatus.
We will investigate our relationship with the ground and how to use the floor as our partner, both technically and creatively, as well as researching how it transforms our movement and vocabulary.
In this process, ground and air melt into one and inform one another.
The aim is also to foster a deeper connection to our senses as vital channels of communication and expression.
I will share my own repertoire to give you examples of movement on the ground as well as sharing the creative processes that underpin my individual Floor Rope explorations.
Depending on whether this is a private session or a workshop, part of this work can be about guiding participants through the choreographic journey starting from improvising tasks and ending with generating material.
The aerial dancing body
This session is for all those who love dancing and are interested in investigating dance, body articulation and creative movement in the air, where we don’t have a floor to push off and our steps are climbs.
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We pay extra attention to each joint as we warm our bodies up. We work closely with music and in connection to, tapping into concepts of musicality.
We explore how to articulate a body part specifically, its range of motion, possibilities and variables.
Instead of forcing the floor dance knowledge into the air realm, we learn from the air first. We later, progressively move from the air back to the floor and again to the air, in a dialogue between the two and a process of listening to deeply explore our possibilities.
rope experiences
Alteration and Adaptation is one of the four core methods of the Rope Manipulation approach. It invites you to step outside conventional rope practice by altering either the rope itself or the environment in which you work. These shifts create new conditions that change how the rope moves, how your body responds, and how the relationship between the two unfolds.
This method is about breaking habits and discovering alternative ways of engaging with the rope - ways of approaching it, moving it, and moving with it. It expands your physical vocabulary and deepens your creative connection to the apparatus.
The process begins with guided tasks where I share specific experiences taken from my personal experiences. I then gradually lead you to open into personal experimentation. From these experiences, we return to traditional rope practice with new insights and possibilities.
Rope Manipulation was born from this method. There’s so much to discover simply by taking the rope somewhere it hasn’t been before.
