About Open Floor
Open Floor International (OFI) is a creative collaboration of seasoned movement teachers from different parts of the world.
Most of us grew up on the dance floor with Gabrielle Roth and consider her one of our most honoured teachers. We have also studied with many other brilliant pioneers of movement, meditation, body psychotherapy and healing arts – and been deeply informed by their radical, grounded wisdom.
Now, as new "elders" in the field ourselves, we are joining together to share what we have learned. Our inquiry has been simple:
Why have dance practices exploded around the world in the past decade?
How and why do people heal through movement, no matter what the practice?
What are the healthy human hungers that are expressed and met in the simple act of dancing – alone, in classes, in flash mobs, in community?
What are the universal principles underlying all conscious movement disciplines? What is our common ground?
What is the common good being generated by this simple act of collective embodied self expression?
These ongoing creative conversations are at the centre of Open Floor International.
What is Open Floor?
First timers
Guideline 1
There are no steps to follow.
Guideline 2
On the Open Floor we shift from speaking with words to speaking with movement. It makes for very creative conversations.
Guideline 3
If you have no idea what to do, try something below:
Stay As with any meditation practice, distractions happen – expect them. Just gently bring your attention back to movement.
Pace yourself No matter what the rest of the room is doing, listen to your body. If you relax in the beat, like a swimmer treading water, you’ll refuel.
Stretch yourself If you always keep to yourself, include someone else in your dance. If you prefer dancing with a partner, try going solo. Slow down. Speed up. Experiment. Break a habit. Imitate somebody and see how it feels. Create your own remix of others' moves.
It’s not just about the music The teacher uses music to catalyse movement. Love it or hate it, how you respond is up to you. Use everything as fuel for your dance.
Don't give up on yourself We all hit patches of fatigue, boredom, shyness, frustration, or discomfort. Even if you can only wiggle a finger or nod your head to the beat, stay with it until something changes. Most often, it will.
This doesn’t need to be something else in life that you work at.
About 5Rhythms
5 rhythms are flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness. They come together to create the Wave, a movement meditation practice. Rather than having steps to follow, each rhythm is a different energy field in which you find your own expression and choreography, thereby stretching your imagination as well as your body. Each rhythm is a teacher and you can expect to meet different and sometimes unknown aspects of yourself as your dance unfolds and your practice of the rhythms deepens over time.
The rhythms are the foundation of Gabrielle’s body of work, a series of healing maps for the body, heart, mind, soul and spirit that provide a lifetime of self-discovery and a path to awakening. The 5Rhythms practice starts you on that journey and is the place to which you will always return.
https://vimeo.com/57105745
What happens on the dance floor?
In every class or workshop, there is always a wide range of experience in the 5 Rhythms work - from first-timers to certified Wave addicts. In any given class, the teacher will be following the energy in the room. So, while the essential map is one of the five rhythms, the teacher might take the class through the entire Wave or focus on just one rhythm or one facet of a rhythm.
The rhythms themselves are gateways to literally thousands of different movement landscapes. Like the body, they are alive and designed to catalyze the dancer’s movement expression in the moment. You are different every time you walk in the room, so is the group and so is the teacher. Therefore, each class holds completely unique possibilities.
How do I start ?
1. Arrive earlier than the suggested start time and treat the warm - up as a time to really take care of and stretch your body in the way it needs.
2. Go at your own pace.
3. Be responsible for your own body (stay aware of injuries and limitations). Let the teacher know if there is anything that could impact you being and staying in the dance space
4. Keep your eyes at least half open to stay aware of others.
5. Dance barefoot or in dance shoes only - no socks on the floor.
6. Move how you feel and stay open to changing.
7. Know that everything that is alive has a dance, and your only task is to find and express yours.
8. Know that there is a place for you whatever state your body is in.
9.This is a non-verbal practice – please keep all conversation off the dance floor Please switch off mobile phones and do not use them or other devices to record or photograph any part of the session
10. Please stay for the closing circle at the end – this is an important part of completing the dance
11. Children - We understand that sometimes its not possible to find a childminder.
Children are welcome with the following provisos - No electronics or talking in the dance space.You remain responsible for your child throughout the session. Children are welcome to join the dance
5Rhythms dance meditation is a drug and alcohol free space
Here are some commonly asked questions.
When you walk onto a 5 Rhythms dance floor you may ask yourself -
I’ve just walked in and everyone seems to be doing different things – what are they up to?
They’re warming up. Some people stretch while others just start to dance gently. Often it helps to start on the floor, moving gently and feeling your weight supported. Try to get warm and get moving any way that feels right for you.
What happens after the warm-up ?
There will be some instruction from the teacher – sometimes a lot and sometimes very little. Most classes comprise some solo dancing, some partner work and some dance as a whole group. As the name suggests the rhythm and tempo of the music will usually progress through 5 rhythms in a wave from flowing music to staccato (rhythmic music) to chaos and back down to lyrical (lighter music) and stillness (music for moving with the quality of stillness.
What happens if the teacher says “take a partner” and I don’t want to ?
The most important thing is to be true to yourself. This might mean thanking but stepping away from a partner or just turning your back. It’s a gift to the other person to be honest with them – and if they feel hurt or rejected this is just more stuff to put into their dance and learn to express and move through.
What if the teacher gives an instruction I don’t feel like following ?
If you're really deeply into your dance or if an instruction feels wrong for you, you don’t have to follow it. On the other hand this is a laboratory of sorts – you are encouraged to experiment trying things that break your patterns. If its unusual for you to try something new then you might go along with the teacher anyhow. If it’s unusual for you to say no, then you might want to try doing so here.
What do I do when I get bored, feel really self conscious, busy-headed or judgemental ?
This is a movement meditation and while its great to be totally 'present' and absorbed in your own dance, most of us can’t sustain that state throughout. The teacher will offer you different ‘doorways’ into this state but here are a few suggestions in the meantime:
1. Put your feeling into movement – dance your boredom or self-consciousness…. Exaggerate it, get fascinated by it – on the whole really being where you are is the best medicine.
2. Focus on any body part, such as your left elbow, and let it lead your dance. You will find different body parts have very different dances for you and that as your dance becomes stranger and more varied it will absorb you more and more.
3. Connect - find someone else to dance with and focus on them
Some people seem to be having sensual dances together – what’s this all about ?
You might see people dancing together intimately on the floor or otherwise. Occasionally there’s some sexual energy between them, other times you’ll imagine there is just because it’s such an unusual sight. This is a practice of presence in which you can express a fleeting attraction without committing to marriage. You should be prepared for connections to change from class to class. Some beginners are broken hearted to find that someone they had an amazing dance with, goes on to dance just as closely with another person. If you do end up feeling rejected, disgusted, jealous etc, we encourage you to try to put those feelings into your dance.
What should I do if someone seems really upset ?
On the whole people can handle their own feelings and we don’t advise you try to comfort the crying or soothe the angry. You might actually end up interrupting an important and therapeutic process they are going through. The teacher and crew will keep an eye out for those who might need help.
What if I knock into or hurt someone by accident ?
Keep your eyes open when on the move and stay aware so as not to hurt anyone. Even so it may still happen. If it does then you are responsible for them – to check they are okay, to taken them out and apply first aid or get help as needed.