Author Archives: Anouk Froidevaux

Lusciously & Soulfully Interview!

Dancing The Moment Tatwerk 16'Hello Friends! 

I hope spring is blossoming for you in a positive way!

A couple of weeks ago, I had the great chance of meeting Janelle Hardy during a great online creative event called, The Creative Revolution Summit. http://www.radiantwildheart.com/creativerevolution.html#fb

Actually, she contacted me after finding me on the Facebook page and checking out my website and asked if I wanted to be interviewed for her, Lusciously & Soulfully series on her blog! I was amazed she found me and learned again from this experience that if you show up, dare to step out of your comfort zone and reach out to communities that interest you, things happen! 

It turns out we have a lot in common, both coming from the west coast of Canada, having a background in dance and combining our passions and skills in movement, bodywork, healing, coaching and personal development. It was a a real pleasure not only to have the opportunity to connect and share my work with Janelle and her community, but also to take the time to answer her beautiful and thoughtful questions and reflect on my personal journey until now. I’d like to share the interview with you here!

http://www.janellehardy.com/lusciously-soulfully-anouk-froidevaux/

I’m so grateful to Janelle for this lovely encounter and highly recommend that you spend some time going through the other interviews as well for inspiration!

With love,

Anouk ***

 

Getting To The Essential

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Feeling nothing but gratitude for this weekend’s workshop at Tatwerk in Berlin. 12 brave souls showed up and went on a movement journey that a friend of mine described as, “getting down to the essence or finding the essential”. It made my heart sing when she described it that way, because it’s exactly what I’m aiming for! I believe there’s power and beauty in our essential nature and our “humanness”. Yes, we have complex personalities and can perform and articulate ourselves in interesting ways, which is wonderful. At the same time, I feel like it’s our attention to the things we do every day and may sometimes take for granted like, standing, sitting, breathing, walking, seeing and observing, that give a richness to our self- expression. This awareness or attention to “being” can also give us a support in our increasingly complex world. Like an anchor, being present in our bodies and daily actions can be a ritual to help ground us, making our way of life more artful as well!

Whatever our stories are, we can make the journey to our essential nature linking us at a very basic human level. By connecting with our essence, we also encourage our own individual and authentic voices within the collective to emerge, creating something greater all together.

Thanks again to everyone who joined and until next time, keep dancing ***

With love,

Anouk

Dancing The Moment This Weekend!

Hello Friends! 

What can I say, I’m stoked to be hosting another workshop, Dancing The Moment this weekend, April 16 & 17th in Berlin at TATWERK! One of my favourite parts to prepare creating my playlist and I guarante some rad tunes will be served! If you are in town and still want to join, there are some spots left for last minute drop-ins! http://www.tatwerk-berlin.de/index.php/en/programm/workshops/112-dance-moment-21?date=2016-04-16-10-00

Contact me at: anouk.froidevaux@gmail.com 

I’m so looking forward to sharing another movement journey with all of you either in the studio or here online!!!

Stay Tuned! ***

With love,

Anouk *

 

Brave Souls

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Hello Friends & Brave Souls,

How are you doing? Doesn’t it seem like our world is changing so rapidly these days, faster than our minds and bodies can keep up with?

I think it’s more important than ever that we learn how to slow down and find a sanctuary within ourselves and within our communities. It’s vital to have a creative outlet and place to go to where we feel welcome and safe to share our thoughts and feelings. Practices like conscious breathing and movement can re-align us when we’re overwhelmed. Movement, exercise or dancing, channels our feelings creatively and frees the energy in our body which starts flowing again. Both are essential to help us come back to the present moment, which can change our situation and how we feel in an instant.

But what’s so attractive about the present moment right now, especially when life’s so challenging? Why would we want to be there?

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The thing is, the moment is all we have and the only place we can really act from. At least from awareness we step back and gain more perspective. Focusing on our breath creates a space inside of us where we become an observer of our thoughts and feelings, while stillness quiets us down and centers us. We start responding rather than impulsively react to things that are out of our control.

Yes, there are moments in life when we’re stretched and tested to the limit and that’s where consistency comes in. Practicing presence gives us a foundation, while doing it daily helps build resilience for the harder times that are to come. No matter what happens though, we can create an inner sanctuary to go home to. Going to that place, we take back our power and change our state of mind.

Dancing The Moment Workshop Berlin 15'

Dancing The Moment Workshop Berlin 15′

The world needs you brave ones. Sharing with others can amplify our experience and uplift us and creative practices help us transcend any challenging situation we may find ourselves in.

Take care and thank you for being a part of this creative community!

 

Dancing The Moment Nazaré, Portugal 15'

Dancing The Moment Nazaré, Portugal 15′

With love,

Anouk

 

Surfing The Waves

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Hello Friends!

I just came back from another surf adventure in Morocco. After 6 months break it was so good to get back in the waves!

Surfing teaches me to how listen to my intuition and use my instinct. I confront my fears and find back my strength. All at once I need to surrender, let go and commit 100%. The bigger the waves, the more my boundaries are tested. I learn how to respect my limits and when to push through them.

The ocean makes you feel small and insignificant and at the same time totally connected to something bigger. The gift of riding a wave is a feeling of perfect union with nature and the creative energy that flows through everything. Just like improvising, surfing is all about timing, sensing, listening and taking bold action. It also teaches how to build resilience, go with the flow and navigate through challenges by staying calm and focused.

There’s something so powerful about surrendering to the moment and the forces of nature. When we let go of our need to control and embrace our fears, a sense of clarity and peace takes over. We honour our totality as human beings and sense that we’re part of something far greater, whatever it may be.

Dance and any form of creativity can help us access this very sense of connection and aliveness. Celebrating life in all its facets through these challenging times is difficult, but possible!

Keep shining your light: Your presence is what makes your experience unique in this world and a part of the thread that links us all.

Be safe and much love,

Anouk *

Dance your story, dance to forget, dance to remember, dance to celebrate, dance for peace, dance it out: APRIL 16-17th is my next workshop at Tatwerk in Berlin.

http://www.tatwerk-berlin.de/index.php/en/programm/workshops/112-dance-moment-21

THERE IS 1 WEEK LEFT FOR EARLYBIRD REGISTRATION UNTIL APRIL 1ST!!!

I hope to see you there!

 

 

 

 

Coming Up

DTM-1

Back over the pond and I can’t believe it’s already March!!! I’m so looking forward to my next Dancing The Moment workshop at TATWERK in Berlin April 16-17th – EARLYBIRD REGISTRATION ON NOW UNTIL APRIL 1st. You are warmly welcome to invite spring with me and dance! For more details check the link below and I look forward to sharing another movement journey with you soon!!!

http://www.tatwerk-berlin.de/index.php/de/programm/workshops/111-dance-moment-20?date=2016-04-16-10-00

Coming Home

Vancouver Workshop

Bridging my past with the present by coming home to Vancouver, Canada to teach at The Dance Centre this week has been a real gift. Thankful for this great opportunity and looking forward to how this journey is unfolding moment by moment ***

 

Next Dancing The Moment Classes!

DTM-25Hello Friends!

I’m thrilled to announce I’ll be back home in Vancouver, Canada next month giving classes at The Scotia Bank Dance Centre for the Training Society of Vancouver! If you’re in the neighbourhood I’ll be teaching February 15,17,19th. Come downtown and start your day by Dancing The Moment!

Working Class

Mondays–Wednesdays–Fridays
10–11:30am
Scotiabank Dance Centre

677 Davie St, Vancouver, BC

For more information check the link below:

http://www.trainingsocietyofvancouver.ca/2016/01/10/anouk-froidevaux/

 

2016: New Year, New Intentions

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Hello Friends!

I hope 2016 started off on a bright note for you. If it didn’t no worries that happens too! It doesn’t mean that the rest of the year is doomed! Sometimes life is like that. It throws us a curve ball or takes us off guard, makes us realize we’re not quite ready for what’s coming and then shows us exactly where we have to turn our focus.

My New Year pretty much started off like that: It took me by surprise with an emotional storm rolling in and my immune system crashed.

Then like the calm after the storm, reflection came and along with it my word for 2016: Gentleness.  

Over the holidays a big sign from life kept saying to me LET GO and SLOW DOWN. It was hard at first. My mind didn’t want to accept how exhausted my body was. I’ll be honest, low energy is not a state I’m comfortable operating at and being still can be hard for me. It was scary, because being in that quiet space felt like losing control.

I was so caught up in my actions and the events going on around me that I’d forgotten how important stillness was in order to create space, regenerate my body and renew my creativity.

The only way was to take a step back and look inward. I started to observe and listen again. It was like life was holding up a mirror for me to see how I was responding to my reality. I could see what was being reflected back to me depending on how I was viewing the world at that moment: from a place of love or fear.

My experience taught me how much we like to keep the “pressure button” on in our lives. We try to push through everything in order to feel in control or “on top” of things. During the creative process, we think we need to produce something spectacular and put such high standards on ourselves to keep achieving and showing up for deadlines.

My slow start to the New Year reminded me about the balance between action and stillness, especially before moving forward in new directions. We need to slow down in order get in touch with how we feel and where we truly are, otherwise we’re not creating from an authentic place anymore. It’s important to take time to gather our energy and strength back, so that when the moment comes to move on, we’re clear with our intentions and can embrace our actions with renewed energy and optimism.

Out of all the chaos, fatigue and letting go, came a new sense of awareness and my word for 2016, gentleness.

What’s your word for the New Year? Take some time to think about it and let it be your guide. Follow your inner rhythm and be gentle with yourselves through times of change.

Wish you all a bright 2016 and hope to meet again soon in the studio!

With love,

Anouk *

 

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