MOVING
CONNECTIONS
still moving and still connecting
Moving Connections Fall Outdoor Practice 2020 - Photo by Drew Berry
JOIN OUR FREE ONLINE COMMUNITY MOVEMENT PRACTICE
open to people of all ages, bodies, and abilities - no dance experience required
"It was a joyful moment online together, feeling connected, creative, relaxed, inspired. More embodied in these times."
- Fall Online Participant 2020
Moving Connections is back for 2021! Winter and Spring sessions will once again bring us together online to engage in a live movement practice. In a choreographed sequence developed just before the pandemic, we will move in harmony with one another from our own spaces! These workshops provide a place for friends, family and community to come together to move and connect.
Workshop facilitators will lead participants through a warm-up, the sequence of choreography, plus guided movement explorations. This is a non-strenuous movement practice that will warm the body and activate the mind, connecting us to ourselves and one another. The sequence can be done standing, sitting, or with any modifications. As you become more and more comfortable with the choreography we invite you to find joy in the movement pathways and imagery.
“I think it's an amazing and unique experience… and done with such care and tenderness for each participant.”
- Fall Online Participant 2020
What to expect for the Winter and Spring Sessions:
- New workshop days
- Longer Practice Labs
- Added guided movement explorations
- 2 more facilitators
- Outdoor Practice Labs to return when it is safe
WINTER SESSION: February 1 - 24
These online workshops consist of:
-
Monday Learning Labs
-
Wednesday Practice Labs
Drop-in to one workshop or register for the whole series!
ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS:
Learning Labs will be your tutorials for learning the choreographed sequence and will be taught in two parts (Part 1 & Part 2). The labs will take you through 32 gesture-based movements: 16 in Part 1 and 16 in Part 2.
Practice Labs will be your opportunity to fully engage in an uninterrupted run of the choreographed sequence, connecting Part 1 and Part 2 as a flowing, meditative movement practice. Each Practice Lab will conclude with a movement exploration inspired by memories of connection and touch thoughtfully guided by your facilitator.
*While it is not a requirement, it is recommended that you attend both Learning Labs (Part 1 & 2) prior to participating in a Practice Lab.
Videos with guided instruction, Closed Captioning, and ASL are also available for participants upon request.
SPRING SESSION: April 5 - 25
Full schedule and registration link to be released in February!
"I felt that I had completed something, that it was a positive moment for me to feel that sense of purpose."
- Fall Online Participant 2020
OUTDOOR PRACTICE LABS
We will be offering more physically distanced Outdoor Practice Labs in Toronto when it is safe to do so, and adhere to Ontario Health’s recommendations for outdoor gatherings. Our team will set up clear physical distancing marks and ask that you please bring and wear a mask.
Our Moving Connections facilitators will lead a warm-up and guide the sequence of choreography.
Outdoor practice from Fall 2020; Photos by Drew Berry
Moving Connections
in-studio workshops 2019
Moving Connections
Zoom workshops 2020
"Thank you so much for today! Such a beautiful experience. I kept smiling with amazement and joy...that a group of strangers could perform a series of actions creating intimacy and cohesion. I loved it."
Phyllis Whyte (Moving Connections Participant)
"I truly appreciated the sensitivity and generosity you and your team extended to us non-dancers. It felt such a safe and supportive space."
Brenda Somers (Moving Connections Participant)
Here’s what our Fall Session participants are saying about Moving Connections:
"[I felt emotional] during the experience and after, connecting through movement to my heart and to others -
feeling vulnerable and safe at the same time"
"Feeling joyous and a surprising sadness is coming up for me, too. Grateful for how tender the approach is. Humbled and moved. And so happy to be moving my body with others in this disconnected time..."
"Seeing all of us moving together as a group in our individual interpretations was so beautiful and moving."
"[It was meaningful] to be able to move without judgement of myself, to be in real time with my moving body
and feeling present was a real blessing"
“I found joy in dancing while exploring the gestures. Also, peace of mind which helps with the
cov-19 situation we have today - it relieves the stress.”
“So healing and also helped me feel connected to others as well as my own body”
“Being part of something ongoing with others was meaningful during Covid isolation.”
"I am delighted to send my sincere congratulations to Kaeja d’Dance for the work that they have been able to accomplish in the last year with the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation,” said Jill Andrew, MPP for Toronto-St. Paul’s. “The Moving Connections Program could not possibly be blossoming at a more important time, when we are all faced with isolation due to COVID-19. Your work is not only inspirational, but impactful, and I am incredibly excited to see what lies ahead for the entire team at Kaeja d’Dance. You have shown us once again
why it is vital that we invest in Ontario’s artists, a cause that will always have my support.”
Frequently asked questions
What is Moving Connections?
Who can participate?
What will I be doing?
Who is teaching it?
These workshops are facilitated by professional dance artists experienced in community engagement. Meet our fantastic team below!
Who created the choreographed sequence?
How much does it cost?
Where are the workshops?
ONLINE on Zoom.
What is the schedule?
How do I register?
Link to register here!
MEET OUR TEAM!
PROGRAM FOUNDER & DIRECTOR: Karen Kaeja
CHOREOGRAPHY CREATED BY: Karen Kaeja in collaboration with community members, Dec. 2019 Moving Connections module
ONLINE TEACHERS: Nickeshia Garrick, Mio Sakamoto, Elke Schroeder, Katherine Semchuk, Irma Villafuerte
PROGRAM COORDINATORS: Drew Berry, Katherine Semchuk
CONSULTANT: Dr. Pil Hansen
ADDITIONAL DECEMBER 2019 TEAM
WRITING COACH: Sandra Campbell
PSYCHOTHERAPIST OT: Margaret Powell
ADVISOR: Michelle Silagy
COMMUNITY FACILITATION: Jordana Deveau
MOVEMENT GUIDES: Michael Caldwell, Jordana Deveau, Mio Sakamoto, Elke Schroeder
RESEARCH ASSISTANT: Myrto Koumarianos
SCRIBE: Drew Berry, Elise Tigges
2019 COMMUNITY PARTICIPANTS: Pramila Aggarwal, Nadia Alpert, Mary Barr, Linda Bayliss, Pat Beaven, Pieter Biessels, Jane Deluzio, Joanne Desjardins, Lori Eisler, Luisa Giacometti, Christine Jackson, Suzanne Jaeger, David Keshen, Ana Lima, Sallie Lyons, Mary Anne Quance, Brenda Somers, Jini Stolk, Harold Tausch, Dianne Taylor, Cylla von Tiedemann, Patricia White, Phyllis Whyte, Myriam Zitouni
A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORT TEAM:
Elizabeth Bowes, Jane Deluzio, Lori Eisler, Lori Endes, Christine Jackson, Sallie Lyons, Lori Pacan, Phyllis Whyte
While we remain connected online, we welcome feedback from you at anytime kaeja.team@gmail.com
Moving Connections is made possible by the generous support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, New Horizons Program and University of Calgary / Kaeja d’Dance partnership SSHRC grant - Moving Connections and aging partnership: sharing danced memories to build meaningful relations led by Dr. Pil Hansen.