Classes:
Open Floor
What is an Open Floor class?
There is no choreography and nothing to learn or get right. I put the music on, offer something to explore, and you move however that lands in your body.
Some of it is quiet and inward, some of it loud and sweaty, and most classes hold a bit of both.
Underneath the dancing, it is a practice of paying attention: noticing where you are tense or fluid, what you are avoiding, what wants to move. Over time that starts to carry off the dance floor as well. Some weeks it feels profound, some weeks you just have a good dance and go home, and there is room for both.
You don't need any experience. Newcomers and experienced dancers are welcome at any time. It’s a vibrant, friendly group, please join us if it calls you.
Friday Morning Open Floor in Forest Row
Summer pause through August.
Restarting September 11th with guest teacher Natasha Frost, September 18th with guest teacher Uli Walleser. Sarah Davies will be back on 25th September, holding classes every week.
When: Fridays, 9.30–11 am. Arrive from 9.15 am to warm up. Doors remain open until 9.40am.
Venue: Peter Griffiths Hall, Lewes Rd, Forest Row, East Sussex RH18 5ES (map)
Peter Griffiths Hall is behind Freshfield Village Hall, on the “Island” between Tesco’s garage and Lloyds Chemist, in the centre of Forest Row. Parking is available in the surrounding area.
Cost: £15 on the door - (cash or contactless). No pre-booking necessary.
It can help to...
Wear comfortable clothes to move in (layers work well)
Dance barefoot or in soft soled indoor shoes
Bring water to drink
5Rhythms
5Rhythms is a movement meditation built around five rhythms: Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness. Danced one after another, they make up what is called a Wave.
Nothing is choreographed. Each rhythm has its own quality, soft and continuous in Flowing, sharp and definite in Staccato, and you find your own way of moving inside it.
Gabrielle Roth developed the form over many years of working with people through dance. She noticed that most of us are at home in one or two of the rhythms and avoid the rest, and that learning to move through all five tends to loosen something, on the dance floor and off it.
Saturday Night Sweat - 5Rhythms in Forest Row
A guided 5Rhythms Wave on the first Saturday of every month. Beginners and long-time dancers are equally welcome. The gym at Michael Hall is a big, light space with a good floor and good acoustics, and plenty of room to move.
When: First Saturday of the month, 7.30 to 9.30 pm. Come from 7.15 to warm up. Doors stay open until 7.45.
Where: The Gym, Michael Hall School, Priory Road, Forest Row, East Sussex RH18 5JA. Free parking on site, and the venue is wheelchair accessible.
Cost: £20 standard, £17 reduced, £14 concession, plus booking fee.
Wear something comfortable to move in, layers work well. Dance barefoot or in soft-soled indoor shoes, and bring water.
Any questions, contact me or email the organiser, Beam, at earthbeam@gmail.com.
I am a member of the International Conscious Movement Teachers Association, a professional network of qualified dance and movement teachers, and I work to its code of ethics.
