Rhythm is a Dancer

Lab Overview: Rhythm, Movement, and Cosmic Transformation

This practice lab explored the deep connection between bodily rhythms, emotions, movement, and sound. Led by Jenny, the session was a highly immersive and experiential space where participants engaged with their internal and external environments to create expressive movement and sound-based responses. The lab incorporated elements of dance, video, DJing, and visual art, blending these disciplines to examine how rhythms—both physiological and environmental—shape emotional and psychological states.

Process and Key Activities:

1. Introduction & Thematic Foundation:

   • Jenny introduced herself and shared the personal and cosmic inspirations behind the workshop, touching on themes of astrology, celestial imagery, and rhythmic pulsations.

   • Participants reflected on their astrological signs and their connections to music and movement.

2. Exploring Heartbeats & Emotional Rhythms:

   • The session was inspired by a cardiologist demonstrating irregular heartbeats through movement, leading to an exploration of how different emotional states alter bodily rhythms.

   • A collaborative exercise had one participant listen to another’s heartbeat and translate its rhythm into movement, fostering trust and embodied communication.

3. Sensory and Environmental Listening:

   • Participants engaged in deep listening exercises, tuning into the everyday sounds of their apartments and external environments.

   • They were guided to visualize their spaces transforming into cosmic realms, allowing outside sounds to merge with inner bodily rhythms.

4. Movement Improvisation & Transformation:

   • Using repetition, speed, and intensity, participants explored how movement can shift and transform emotions.

   • Exercises encouraged them to physically express internal tensions, blockages, and pulses, gradually evolving these sensations into new forms.

5. Collaborative Sound & Movement Composition:

   • A dancer’s movements were later translated into a soundscape, created with outside recordings, demonstrating the interplay between movement and sonic environments.

   • Participants engaged in drawing exercises to visualize their movements as symbols or shapes, creating a deeper connection between their internal experiences and external artistic expression.

6. Final Reflections & Ecstatic States:

   • The workshop concluded with guided improvisations that connected movement, sound, and visualization, encouraging participants to embody a cosmic transformation.

   • Inspired by Patti Smith and Buffy Sainte-Marie, participants explored “magic as a sensorial experience,” moving through different dimensions of sound, emotion, and space.

Core Themes:

• The relationship between heartbeat rhythms and emotional states.

• Using movement and sound to translate internal experiences into external expression.

• Deep listening as a tool for transformation and artistic creation.

• The intersection of cosmic imagery, personal history, and sensory experience in artistic practice.

Overall, the lab was a deeply personal and expansive exploration of movement and rhythm, offering participants a space to engage in transformative physical and sonic practices.