Hello Friends!

After finishing another workshop last month, I want to express my gratitude for the experiences and people I’ve met since offering this work for the first time in 2014.

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the concept and why I call it, Dancing The Moment. A participant brought the name to my attention again, when she acknowledged what it meant for her and how she experienced it while dancing. As I listened, I understood why I began exploring the subject four years ago.

During workshops, I get these insights on just how fleeting life really is. We try to convince ourselves there’s some kind of continuity or security by giving structure and form to things, when in truth it’s so beyond our grasp. Life is a series of moments, with ups and downs that rise and fall to the beat of our hearts and the sound of our breath.

I think I’m currently processing some of my own fears and awe around the impermanence, mystery and vastness of life. Perhaps dance has such meaning for me, because it’s a way to celebrate the journey and give it ritual. Dance is a way to transcend form and connect to an infinite, greater truth that we can all aspire to. Interestingly enough, it’s through form, through our bodies that we’re able to have this experience. In sharing our dancing, we act as witnesses for each other and create a space where we find our commonality and learn to tolerate our differences. We become nourished by our connection and enriched by our diversity.

Being present in the moment, allows us to take rightful action and access our highest qualities as human beings. It gives us a sense of clarity and energy to keep engaging with life moment by moment. We can’t always have control over the events in our lives, but we can choose how to respond to them. We can express how we feel and give meaning to our experience, as we dance with the changes.

Let’s keep dancing!

With love,

Anouk

Hello Friends!

I hope you’re enjoying these few days of rest over Easter, spring break, or however you choose to celebrate this time of the year.

Slowing down is essential for our minds and bodies to digest and process all that’s going on in our lives.

There’s so much emphasis on putting ourselves out there, showing up, and performing in ways that are required of us. Retreating and turning our attention inward is necessary to re-center ourselves, re-balance and re-connect to a state of inner peace. Finding a soft focus in our gaze again, we’re able to see and feel what’s going around us without losing our sense of self or inner focus.

Practicing the language of perception and sensation is something I realize as a dancer, I’m hardwired for after years of training.

Dancers are tuned into their bodies, movements, spatial relationship, and are simultaneously able to express themselves and interact with others. We communicate in a wordless language that’s receptive to both our internal and external environment. This wordless realm is the language of the body, the thinking-body. Using the irrational, free-associative mind is a powerful creative tool that can be applied to all kinds of situations. We can use these skills in both our personal and professional lives in positions of leadership, conflict resolution, management, creative directorship, the possibilities are endless. 

When we’re able to pay attention to details and at the same time keep a wider perspective on what’s happening around us, we operate in a state of multiple-awareness. Like a camera we can zoom in and out simultaneously. Going further by giving equal attention to everything we see, we create a soft focus in our perception and a deep inner stillness takes over.

Quite literally, magic and synchronicity happens when we awaken and learn to work with these skills! 

Join me for my next workshops in Berlin or Brussels – we’ll be playing in this magic realm!

*** There is still time to register or contact me if you want to drop-in *** 

With love,

Anouk 

“Touch the space and let the space touch you”

Hello Friends!

As I move throughout the day, I look around at all the people coming and going and think about how everyone has a story. I sometimes wonder how can I be present with myself and at the same time relate to the larger picture?

There’s so much going on in our world today and it’s challenging to navigate all these changes. If we pay closer attention to our bodies and our environment though, the space we inhabit opens up and becomes like a living composition. We literally feel touched by the space, as it takes on a deeper meaning.  

The entire journey of moving from A to B becomes a co-creative event when we recognize that we all play an important part in a larger picture. In that moment, our connection to our environment and to whom we’re sharing it with, becomes enriching. We behave more respectfully towards ourselves, others and to our environment.

I think this is where real and positive changes in our societies can happen.

The process of learning how to respond rather than impulsively react is an empowering exercise that we practice in the studio and in performance. Without abandoning ourselves or our own desires and impulses, we can remain in dialogue and stay open to what’s changing around us. This work can also be integrated in any aspect of our lives, and as we start opening up with more curiosity, life becomes a daily act of creativity. Let’s create!
 
With love,
 
Anouk

Hello Friends!

Several weeks ago, I attended an event in Brussels called, “European Angst”: A conference on the rise of populism, extremism and Euro-skepticism.

What stood out for me during the two days of analysis and debates was the brave message from the writer Elif Shafak calling for, A new form of Humanism, based on empathy. She encouraged us to embrace our multiplicity and emphasized that our core strengths reside in our complexity and diversity.

I feel her message is essential, as we approach a New Year full of uncertainty.

My goal for 2017 is to practice more listening. I believe listening increases our capacity for empathy and compassion towards ourselves, at home with our families, friends, and in our communities. It’s a place where we can start making positive changes in our lives that ripple out to the world at large.

I also think words can be misleading when they’re thrown around on a daily basis from mainstream to social media. No matter how fast our connection online is it still matters how we show up in our daily lives. How can we nurture meaningful relationships and create more sense of community? What would happen if we spent less time on social media and more time with those in our immediate environment?

How can we accept our complexity and multiplicity? We have the capacity to open our hearts in a world that appears to be more divided and polarized.

Wishing you a New Year full of courage, fulfillment and connection. ***

Much love,

Anouk xo.

2017: 
Dancing The Moment Workshop: January 26-27th at Dock 11 Berlin.
Early Bird Regsitration is on until January 10th! 

Gyrotonic lessons at Corpus Studios: my schedule is open from January 13th – Mid March!

Performing: Megalopolis with Dorky Park in Hannover on April 13th!

Hello Friends! 

As we enter the last month of 2016, I want to thank you all for being here and for your supportive feedback. Writing this newsletter has been a wonderful experience for me and I hope to continue sharing it as the New Year unfolds!

The impulse to start almost 2 years ago was my desire to build more connections and create a sense of community. My experience of working with dance and movement as a tool for personal development and growth has taught me a lot about connection. The studio is a special place that offers a safe environment where we can express ourselves freely, as well as explore and challenge our boundaries. It’s a space where we learn to engage deeply on both an individual and collective level.

I’ve experienced through my body what it’s like to step out of my comfort zone, overcome my resistance to change, let go of certain patterns that were limiting my growth, and find the confidence to take action. I’ve been transformed through this work and have watched others transform along the way, which inspires me to keep going.

Relationships are like mirrors and the importance of having a witness and being one for others is essential. Being seen, heard and accepted for who we are, is something we all long for as human beings.

I think these times are urgently calling for us to open up, gather together, support each other and collaborate, in order to make positively lasting changes for ourselves, for our communities, and for our planet.

Wishing you all a very blessed holiday season, surrounded by your loved ones.

Much love,

Anouk

I invite you to start the New Year off by joining me for another movement journey! ***

Where: Dock 11 Studios, Berlin

When: January 26-27.2017

From: 10:30-15:00Uhr.

How: Register at: anouk.froidevaux@gmail

http://www.dock11-berlin.de/index.php/cat/2_3/id/p499_Dancing-The-Moment.html

I’m also offering the first 3 people who register, a free pranic healing session from me!

Hello Friends! 

During my workshop in Berlin last month, we spent our final hours together diving into the subject of the “Inner Critic”.

Many questions came up about how to master this voice that’s inside all of us. How do we deal with it? What can we learn from and how can we transform it?  

The first step, I believe is to give it a name. By naming it we immediately distance ourselves and no longer identify with our negative self-talk. Instead, we become an observer of our critical mind. We realize that although it’s a part of us, it’s not who we truly are.

Secondly, once we recognize our True Self (the observer) from our Inner Critic, we can deal with it more easily.

For example, during times of change we must accept the unknown, which makes us feel vulnerable. Common reactions like negative self-talk, fear-based beliefs and survival instincts show up in the voice of our Inner Critic. Recognizing this can positively transform our relationship to change and our ability to respond.

Connecting with our bodies through mindful-movement is a safe way to experience our limits and practice dissolving any boundaries that might be holding us back.

When we connect more deeply with the present moment through movement, our mind becomes quiet and our heightened awareness allows us to tap into a more intuitive state. Magic things start to happen through synchronicity. We experience moments of being in the right place at the right time and feel like we’re in a creative flow.

So how can we bring this embodied experience into our daily lives?

Learning to cultivate and work with our child-like curiosity, as well as our wise and mature ability to respond in the studio, helps us build the confidence and self-trust to take action in our lives. 

Life itself becomes a creative dance when we’re curious and playful, commit to something we feel strongly about and at the same time, remain open to change.

We’ll be exploring more in my next workshop on January 26-27th. in Berlin, and I hope you can join me as we dive deeper into this fascinating topic. Early bird registration is OPEN NOW!

Keep breathing through these times of turbulent change and gather with your loved ones. #Staywoke and keep the fire burning! 

 
Much love,

Anouk

 
COMING UP:

November 14-December 21.2016: Teaching at Corpus Studios Brussels.

January 13-21.2017: Teaching at Corpus Studios Brussels.

January 26-27.2017: Dancing The Moment Workshop at Dock 11 Studios. 

http://www.dock11-berlin.de/index.php/cat/2_3/id/p499_Dancing-The-Moment.html
 

Hello  Friends!

I  hope  you’re  finding  some  peace  in  your  summer  days.

I  had  the  amazing  opportunity  to  visit  Pantelleria, a  magic  volcanic  island  in  the  middle  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  Wild, remote ,  rich with  nature  and  tradition,  its  elements  had  a  powerful affect on  me.

One  early  morning  I woke  up  with  questions  running  through  my  mind  about  the  future, so  I decided  to  take  a walk .  Along  my  way  to  the  bakery ,  I  passed  by  the  tiny  church  in  the  centre  of the  village  and  without  thinking  much,  stepped   inside.  It was  empty  except  for  myself,  an  elderly  woman  from  the  island  and  the  warm  Scirocco  wind  from  North  Africa  that  filled  the   room.  As we  both  sat  in  silence ,  I  closed  my  eyes  and  surrendered  to  the  moment.  I  don’t  know  for  how  long  I  sat  there,  but  when  I opened  my  eyes  again,  the  lady  was  gone .  I left  the  silent  space  feeling  more  at peace  and  a  sign  immediately  caught  my  eye:  An arrow pointing  in  one  direction  with  SENSO UNICO  written  on  it.

The  answer  was  right  in  front  of  me .  After  weeks  of  reflection  and  contemplation,  I  knew  it  was time.  A  new  path  was  making   itself  clear  and  there  was  only  one  way  to  go : Forward  or Senso  Unico.

Somehow  that  quiet  moment  in   the  church  brought me  back  to  the  present  and  a  place  of  trust.  The  sign  encouraged  me  that  life  was  flowing  in  its  natural  way  and  I could  either  accept it by embracing the changes  or resist  it.

I  decided  to  accept it.

What signs are coming up for you these days?

With love,

Anouk

Hello Friends,

I’d like to share a bit of my story with you and what inspired Dancing The Moment.

In the summer of 2012, I was diagnosed with a hernia in my lumbar spine. It happened at the height of an intense tour performing across Europe. At such an important moment in my career, it was a huge disappointment and loss for me. I continued to perform, but felt more and more divided. I was in need of healing and ready to face myself, so I set out on a journey to the source of my pain. 

I discovered that my essential joy of dance and freedom of self-expression was overpowered by my desire to please others, my constant pursuit for perfection, my belief I was never good enough and my need to prove myself.
 
I was full of fears: Fear of abandonment, fear of my emotions, fear of shining, fear of my power, fear of rejection, fear of failure the list went on. My fears guided me though, showing me how to accept, integrate and transform them into fuel for my growth and freedom.

A series of synchronistic events took me on adventures across Europe, Bali, Morocco, Oregon and Canada. I started surfing, rediscovering my passion and joy for life, as well as my belief in myself. I dove deep into my healing process taking part in rituals, workshops and doing one on one work. I met incredible people who shared their experiences and support. I spent a lot of time alone journeying into my own psyche and body. I wanted to share and help inspire others find their own way back to wholeness, so I started teaching. Every adventure although challenging at times, was always life affirming.

Reflecting on the last four years, I realize my injury was an important turning point. It paved a way for me where the paths of art and healing started to merge. I’ve learned I have nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, those darker parts of me are a source for my creativity. My fears and traumas I’ve experienced or inherited are part of my story, but don’t define me. I’m learning to embrace my wounds, finding peace and reconciliation with them in my heart.  
 
I came full circle last month when I was back on stage after a year without performing. It was exhilarating to dance again and return home to the language of my heart.

Wishing you a beautiful summer as we navigate these intense waters of change in our individual and collective lives…

With Love,
Anouk

http://www.timeout.com/london/dance/open-for-everything

Hello Friends,

After some time of being in Retreat (my latest newsletter), I’m back on stage this month in two productions that are very dear to me:

June 16-18th I’m performing in “Open For Everything” by Constanza Macras / Dorky Park at LIFT Festival in London. https://www.liftfestival.com/events/open-for-everything/

June 25th. I’ll be performing in “Serious Immobilities” by Ari Benjamin Meyers at K20 in Düsseldorf. http://www.kunstsammlung.de/en/home.html

If you are in the neighbourhood I’d love to see you there!

Hello Friends!

I had an interesting experience two weeks ago where I stepped out of my comfort zone. I was selected along with 49 other women of various professional backgrounds, to attend an event focused on helping women improve their network for business. It was fascinating to be surrounded by such a variety of successful women of all ages and levels in their careers. Being the only “artist” in the room I felt insecure at first, wondering if I belonged in such an environment. However, as the evening went on and we were encouraged to talk and get to know each other, I realized that although our career paths were extremely different, very fundamental things connected us. We all wanted the same thing: Equality in our working environments, to achieve our dreams, find our voices, be able to express ourselves more clearly and freely, and grow our communities. Not only that, but rather than compete, we wanted to help support each other by exchanging our talents and gifts to bring us further along our paths.

Talk about a paradigm shift! I walked in there feeling inadequate, insecure and like an impostor, and left feeling like I’d just met a new community of like-minded women, expanded my network, and opened doors to all kinds of possibilities I’d never even imagined! My mind and world were blown wide open.

Reflecting on it after, I understood that those moments where I’m pushing up against my boundaries, fear and inner resistance, are in fact when I’m growing the most. My reality starts changing as I expand into more of myself.

What experiences do you have with stepping out of your comfort zone and how did it help you grow?

Share your experiences in the comments below!