Shows
Material for the brain#54 - Relational Truths. Animism & The Politics of Being / Christos GalanisThis episode was recorded on May 4th, 2025. My guest for this episode Christos Galanis - an interdisciplinary artist, cultural geographer, Animist, and ritual facilitator based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His work intricately weaves themes of displacement, ancestry, and the sacred, drawing from a rich tapestry of personal history, ethnography, and experiential practices.Christos earned a BFA in Integrated Music Studies from Concordia University in Montreal, an MFA in Art & Ecology from the University of New Mexico and a PhD in Cultural Geography at the University of Edinburgh.
2025-10-061h 18
WE MOVE MOUNTAINSEpisode 40: Finding your dance with Matan LevkowichA deep conversation with Matan Levkowich about how to find the right dancing environment that nourishes you and that'll helps you advance in your movement journey. We also share tips for people that want to start their dancing journey but aren't sure how to get going :-) To discover more about Matan's school - Movement Lab in Vienna, head on to: https://movementlab.eu/open-day?meytal-podcast - Open Dayhttps://movementlab.eu/welcome-to-the-movement-lab - Introduction to the Movement LabBy: Meytal Blanaru | Fathom HighMusic in intro...
2025-06-081h 04
Material for the brain#53 - The Paradox of Inclusivity / Matan LevkowichIn this solo episode, Matan Levkowich explores the complex terrain of inclusivity in dance and movement spaces. Reflecting on personal experiences and recent conversations at a contact improvisation festival, he distinguishes between participatory and missionary forms of inclusivity, and unpacks the paradoxes that arise when openness becomes an obligation. A thoughtful inquiry into boundaries, values, and what it truly means to create a welcoming space.Join our Open Day:https://movementlab.eu/open-dayGet your ticket for our Performance Evening:https://movementlab.eu/performance-evening
2025-06-0229 min
Material for the brain#52 - The Purpose of Dance / Matan LevkowichIn this solo episode, I explore a question that has been with me for years: Why do humans dance? Beyond self-expression or personal growth, dance may hold something much deeper—something ancient. I dive into the idea of dance as a social technology, a form of collective sacrifice, and a gateway to the transcendent.Whether you're a dancer, a seeker, or simply curious—this episode is an invitation to reimagine what dance can mean.Join our Info Evening:https://movementlab.eu/info-eveningSupport the podcast:
2025-04-0936 min
Material for the brain#51 - Reclaiming Connection / Sean GreenMy guest for this episode is Sean Green - a couples and relationship coach, trainer of communication and meditation, a father of 3 children, and musician based in Vienna.Sean has spent thousands of hours meditating, practising and learning from many traditions and schools on the Inner Path for over 20 years. His professional engagements are characterised by his calmness, clarity and loving presence. He support his clients in experiencing authentic aliveness, connection and inner peace. In our conversation, we explored the nature of communication—not just as a tool for ex...
2025-03-141h 24
Material for the brain#50 - The Body Knows. Creativity in Times of Grief / Smadar GoshenMy guest for the 50th episode is Smadar Goshen, a choreographer, dancer, a certified Gaga teacher and a Gyrotonic & Gyrokinesis trainer and teacher’s trainer. Smadar completed her B.A in dance and M.A in choreography at the Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance. Since 2011 her pieces are performed on various platforms worldwide. In the yearbook of magazine tanz 2023, She was honoured as one of the 10 promising choreographers & dance pioneers in Germany. Since 2024 she is supported by the state capital Stuttgart and the Landesverband Freie Tanz-und Theaterschaffende Baden-Wuerttemberg. In our conversation, we explored the tension between personal identity and...
2025-02-171h 29
Material for the brain#49 - Rage and Courage / Daphna HorenczykMy guest for this episode is Daphne Horenczyk - a choreographer, dancer, teacher and mentor. Daphna’s artist work is center around the exploration of the gap between experience and representation. Her work has been funded by the city of Vienna and coproduced by different dance houses in the city. I invited her to the podcast once more to explore her current creation ‘Rage’, in which Daphna examines how identity politics have shaped the art culture in ways that prevent artistic freedom and cultivates self censorship and fear. The conversa...
2025-02-151h 26
Material for the brain#48 - Beyond Representation / Nita LittleMy guest for this episode is Nita Little - a dance researcher, theorist/artist, and one of the founding developers of Contact Improvisation (CI). Nita holds a PhD in Performance Studies with a focus on the articulation of presence and creative actions of attention.
Her life work is inclusive of mindbody training, performing, choreographing, researching and writing about the ethics, politics and entanglement of somatic relations.
I invited Nita to discuss the practice of choreography. During the conversation we ended up talking about many things: We talked about her...
2025-01-151h 30
Material for the brain#47 - The Tao of Movement / Zuna Vesan KozánkováMy guest for this episode is Zuna Vesan Kozánková, a dancer, choreographer and writer. Zune is a leading authority on traditional Chinese medicine in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Over the last 30 years, she has developed a unique approach to working with the human body, combining anatomical understanding with the energy systems flowing within it. Through her studies of Chinese medicine and Qigong, she seamlessly connects her extensive dance knowledge with the universal principles of Taoism. She is the author of several books, including her latest, The Tao of Movement: Chinese Medicine Principles for...
2024-12-231h 34
Material for the brain#46 - Dance and the Biology of Consciousness / Asia ShcherbakovaMy guest for the 46th episode is Asia Shcherbakova, a scientist and movement educator. Asia holds a Master of Science in Human Genetics and a PhD in Biotechnology. She is also a co-developer of the Baseworks method, where her focus lies in understanding the brain areas involved in both movement and cognitive tasks.
In her second appearance on the podcast, we delved into the topic of dance and its potential impact on human consciousness. Our discussion explored the differences between the experiential insights from my own research, The Metaphysical Body, and Asia’s scientific pe...
2024-12-151h 42
Material for the brain#45 - Dancing Between Perspectives. Conservatism vs. Progressivism.In this solo episode, I dive into the age-old question: what should evolve, and what deserves preservation?
Inspired by the recent U.S. election ,I explore the ongoing tension between conservatism and progressivism, examining each side’s core intuitions.
Through personal stories and broader insights, I aim to reveal how these opposing intuitions might complement each other, offering a path toward balance and synthesis in today’s divided landscape.
Graphics credit: fran_kie / Adobe Stock
Support the podcast:
https://movementlab.eu/mftb-support
...
2024-11-0841 min
Material for the brain#44 - Beyond the human predicament / Moritz LembertMy guest for this episode is Moritz Lembert is a life/business/personal coach, dedicated to helping individuals unleash their potential and do it with peace. With background in dance and embodied practices, His work is grounded in practical wisdom and radical honesty, with a no-nonsense approach that catalyses profound personal and professional transformations. His coaching encompasses everything from personal development and spiritual growth to strategic business planning and team dynamics.
In our conversation we have talked about the transformative experience Moritz have had, his epiphany moment so to speak, and what are the...
2024-09-261h 24
Material for the brain#43 - Anti-Zionism vs. Antisemitism. Is There a Clear Divide?We are two weeks away from marking a year since the events of October 7th. It has been a challenging year for many Jews, Israelis, and Palestinians alike.
In this solo episode, I take the time to dissect a common argument that has become very prevalent in the dance world: "I’m not antisemitic, I’m only anti-Zionist."
As an Israeli Jew, I am very familiar with the different expressions of antisemitism and feel it is my duty to share and help others become more aware of its mutable nature and how it can seep into our mind...
2024-09-181h 26
Material for the brain#42 - An Economy for human needs / Christian FelberMy guest for the 42nd episode is Christian Felber, an internationally renowned speaker, contemporary dancer and author of several economics bestsellers.In our conversation we talked about his perspective about the boundaries of the term ‘economy’ and what we should consider under this term. We explore the boundaries of the term universal human needs and their relation to the current economical order and looked at at his alternative economical principles.
We talked about the connection between economy and the preservation of a culture, We talked about human behaviour and whether violence is a rooted in s...
2024-06-071h 39
Material for the brain#41 - Dance, Community and the Consumer CultureIn this solo episode, I address the topic of ‘Community’ within the Movement Lab context and beyond.
Join our Open Day:
https://movementlab.eu/open-day
Subscribe to get the podcast to your email:
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The podcast was recorded using riverside.fm - remote recording in studio quality:
http://www.riverside.fm?via=matan
2024-05-3056 min
Material for the brain#40 - Health, Wellness and the Moving body / Ohad InteratorMy guest for the 40th episode is Ohad Interator, a certified Physical Therapist, an independent movement practitioner and explorer, dedicated to teaching, helping and empowering people to live more fully within their bodies. His interests are rooted in discovering and developing better models for movement, health and wellbeing, within a human centric, holistic approach.
Ohad has a diverse movement background, he is a graduate of philosophy studies from Tel Aviv university, and an eco therapist. He owns a clinic in Tel Aviv, and teaches classes, workshops and courses on a regular basis.
In our conversation...
2024-05-201h 27
Material for the brain#39 - Body Philosophy. Dichotomies & Meanings / Eran DorfmanMy guest for the 39th episode is Eran Dorfman. He is a professor at the Department of Literature, Tel Aviv University, and a former Directeur of the program at the Collège International de Philosophie, Paris. He specializes in 20th century French Theory and Literature, Continental philosophy, phenomenology and psychoanalysis. He is the author of several books of which the latest is Double Trouble: The Doppelgänger from Romanticism to Postmodernism.
I met Eran in Freiburg contact festival. We found ourselves delving into a long conversation about body philosophy politics and more. We were both intrigue about ou...
2024-04-191h 34
Material for the brain#38 - Choreographic Feedback / Olivia Court MesaMy guest for the 38th episode is Olivia Court Mesa, a Chilean-Israeli independent dance artist. In the last 30 year She has devoted herself to performance art, performing, choreographing, improvising, researching and teaching. Olivia promote the idea that performance is a conscious meeting point between art and people and aims to use this medium as a space for individual and collective reflection.
In our conversation we dived into her universe, starting from the meta question of why she is engaged in choreography, into the different strategies she applies in the studio. We talked about her art...
2024-03-201h 40
Material for the brain#37 - Living with the soil / Johan NilssonMy guest for episode 37 is Johan Nilsson, an explorer of natural sciences and art. He’s a trained gardener and teacher in Biodynamic farming, gardening and Permaculture Design. He is a contact improvisation dancer and teacher. In his work Johan opens a space in which we can learn more about our own individual bodily system through the study of larger ecosystems, and cultivating our empathy for the larger systems based on your own somatic experiences.
Connect with Johan:
johantraggae@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/johan.nilsson.traggae
2023-12-071h 33
Material for the brain#36 - Conversing in times of crisis #2 / Shady GreisIn this conversation I am speaking with Shady Greis, a dance artist from Egypt. We have delve into our histories and personal experiences, growing in the middle east, in an attempt to shad light on the development of our perception of the 'other'.
This is another episode in the special series 'conversations in times of crisis'.
Connect to Shady:
https://www.facebook.com/4haDy.EmaD
Support Shady's crowd funding:
https://whydonate.com/de/fundraising/help-our-friend-shady
...
2023-11-121h 47
Material for the brain#35 - Conversing in times of crisis #1 / Johannes StolbaThis is a special episode in what may become a series of conversations in which I invite anyone who is interested to join me in discussing the current state of affairs in the Israel-Hamas war.
I have taken the exceptional decision to open up my platform to content that has a direct bearing on politics. In the near future, I will return to publishing content that touches on the more typical areas I cover here.
Subscribe to get the podcast to your email:
https://movementlab.eu/subscribe
2023-10-311h 59
Material for the brain#34 - Intrinsic meanings and the mover's journey / Rafe KellyMy guest for episode 34 is Rafe Kelly, founder of Evolve Move Play. Rafe is a parkour athlete, movement coach and entrepreneur based on the west coast of the US.
Rafe's approach to training goes much deeper than the physical aspects and through his exploration of the physical, he revolves around existential questions of meaning, connection, wisdom and health.
I was thrilled to dive into this conversation with Rafe and go down the rabbit hole of sense making together. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and...
2023-05-301h 27
Material for the brain#33 - The biology of body awareness / Asia ShcherbakovaMY guest for the 33rd episode is Asia Shcherbakova, a scientist and movement educator. Asia holds a Master of Science in Human Genetics and a PhD in Biotechnology. She has been involved in projects related to the effects of stress on learning and memory and currently she is studying the pro-cognitive effects of medium-chain triglycerides. Beside her scientific research, she is a co-developer of the Baseworks method in which she is focused on understanding the function of brain areas that participate in both movement and cognitive tasks and the crossover between language and movement.
Asia is a real Movement...
2023-05-052h 09
Material for the brain#32 - Wandering through artistic landscapes / Roser Tutusaus & Tom WekslerMy guests for the 32nd episode are Roser Tutusaus and Tom Weksler who are contemporary dancers, choreographers and teachers.
They are the founders and artistic directors of Wonderground dance company and the founders of Movement Archery - their pedagogical body from which they offer workshops and intensives world wide.
I have known both Tom and Roser for several years in which we have collaborated, exchanged and fed one another on both the physical and intellectual levels. I have invited them to the podcast to explore their different artistic endeavours which includes the opening of the...
2023-04-101h 44
Material for the brain#31 - Negotiating Tensions. Ecology, Community & the Self / Christian LechnerMy guest for 31st episode is Christian Lechner, who is a communication trainer, dance & movement educator, and an entrepreneur. He is a co-founder of the Tau Magazine, and a co-founder of the Auenweide eco village.
I have known Christian for around 7 years. We met through our shared interest in dance and movement.
Christian professional engagements form together a body of work that is tightly correlated with basic human needs - connection to the environment, to a community of people and to one’s own body.
I was delighted to have him on my po...
2023-03-051h 38
Material for the brain#30 - The religious nature of dance / Gabriella VossThe guest for 30th episode is Gabriella Voss, a religious studies scholar with a personal background in dance and theatre who is currently working on her PHD thesis in the university of Vienna. She is a strong advocate to the notion that there are profound and important insights to learn from contemporary dancers that can be understood as spiritual or even religious in nature.
Despite the fact that contemporary dance and religions has for long been understood as opposing poles, in her PhD research called "The Concept of Healing in Contemporary Dance”, Gabriella strives to bridge these pol...
2023-02-141h 49
Material for the brain#29 - Wholeness as an experience / Meytal BlanaruFor the 29th episode, I have invited Meytal Blanaru - a dancer, choreographer, teacher and a Feldenkreis practitioner.
She is the founder of Fathom High - a Feldenkrais® based dance technique, that uses neuroplasticity to create changes in the way one moves, forms habits and overcome limitations.
I met Meytal many years ago during my dance education and recently we worked closely for several months in which I have assisted her with the creation of her new website.
Her work attracted me as I have seen in it a cross over between what I...
2023-01-071h 42
Material for the brain#28 - Meeting at the nervous system / Defne ErdurFor the 28th episode of the podcast, I had the honour to host Defne Erdur.
Defne (TR/FR/IT) is a mover, researcher and a therapist working in the fields of performing arts, health and education. She is trained in Contemporary Dance , Sociology, Expressive Art Therapy and Trauma Healing.
I met Defne a decade ago, while we were both teaching in the First Austrian Contact Festival.
About two year ago, during the early time of Covid, there was big discussion on my Facebook wall around the topic of race. It was a very heated...
2022-07-021h 41
Good Choices - A Holistic Conversation about Dance, Art & LifeGood Choices - A Holistic Conversation about Dance, Art & Life | Episode 12 - Matan LevkowichMatan Levkowich is a dancer, graphic designer and the host of ‘Material For The Brain’ podcast. In 2015 he founded Movement Lab - a vehicle for movement education, choreographic work and discursive inquiry. His practice is influenced by his enthusiasm for physical and theoretical research and revolves around the question of how to develop a meaningful relationship with the body-mind. In the last decade, he devoted himself to educate people from all over the globe about better movement and to reflect upon urgent social phenomena through the medium of performance and recently also through his podcast ‘Material for the brain’. His passio...
2022-06-261h 00
Into the Unknown#36 Dancing with uncertainty ❘ Matan LevkowichBeing in the present moment is easier said than done. Meditation is one way to do this. But as soon as you have to be in the present moment with someone and react to someone else, another difficult level comes in. Improv theatre has taught me a lot in this respect. And just a few weeks ago I heard about contact improvisation for the first time. So I thought: let's invite Matan Levkowich to talk about Contact Improvisation, a form of result open dance.Matan Levkowich: https://matanlevkowich.comPhoto: Laurent Ziegler
2022-06-2250 min
Material for the brain#27 - Trance states and the state of our culture / Simon MayerFor the 27th episode of the podcast, I had the honour to host Simon Mayer.
Simon is a performer, choreographer, musician, festival curator and workshop facilitator. He was born in Austria and studied at the Vienna State Opera Ballet School and at the Performing Arts and Research Studios in Brussels (P.A.R.T.S.).
I got to know if Simon many years ago when I moved to Vienna. His choreographic work was an inspiration for me and my own artistic practice. Recently we got into a short exchange on Social media and it sparked...
2022-05-011h 36
Material for the brain#26 - Consensual CI and the jam EgregoreIn this solo episode, I explore the issues around the topic of consent within the contact improvisation world and beyond.
In order to explore such a complicated topic, I have been referring to the 4 quadrant model of Ken Wilber's Integral Theory, to help with the process of identification and categorisation of the different challenges and tools we might use to address the problem.
As always, I have been trying to find out the principles rather than the specifics so that you might be able to draw inspiration into other situations and contexts. I find it...
2022-03-281h 22
Material for the brain#25 - The non-human in us / Eva-Maria KraftMy guest for the 25th episode is Eva-Maria Kraft - a contemporary dancer, dance teacher and choreographer for humans and robots. She is also the founder of the dance studio RAUM für TANZ in Vienna and teaches internationally for beginners up to professional dancers.
Her artistic projects move at the interface of different art fields and sciences, explore (artificial) bodies and are based on the real-time composition of movement. She is also a member the trans-disciplinary research group H.A.U.S. where she deals with Artificial Intelligence and choreographs and performs with humanoid robots.
2022-01-241h 25
Material for the brain#24 - Without Control / Tal ShibiMy guest for the 24th episode is Tal Shibi, a native Jerusalem dance maker, an improviser, photographer, , as well as a teacher and ongoing student of movement, art, and therapy.
Most recently Tal has been sharing his passion for life, creativity, and movement through creating improvisation workshops which emphasise tools for life such as playfulness, meditation, the courage to be seen, body awareness, breath work and more.
Tal is a childhood friend of mine, who’s ideas and actions had an enormous influence on my life and the person I am. First and foremost, Tal is...
2022-01-081h 41
Material for the brain#23 - Authentic Death / Daphna HorenczykThe guest for the 23rd episode is Daphna Horenczyk . A performer, choreographer and a good friend of mine.
I invited Daphna to the podcast to talk about her latest choreographic project - Diorama:stories which had its premiered in 2020 and examines the the relationship between the production of images and the embodied experience of the process.
And her current choreographic research ‘Rehearsal of birthing and dying’ in which she is developing a practice to explore the consciousness of extreme states of existence.
Daphna is a very honest and real person who is willing to shar...
2021-11-271h 51
Material for the brain#22 - Learning Manhood / David MordochMy guest for the 22nd episode is David Mordoch, a body-mind therapist, a facilitator of men’s circles, a podcast host. He coming from the world of Body psychotherapy, Thai massage and contact improvisation.
I met David in one of my seminars many years ago and around a year ago, I started following his podcast. I have been very inspired by the conversations that he was facilitating and I wanted to dive with him to a conversation on the topic of men’s work.
Our conversation touched me on some very personal points and I hope...
2021-10-131h 29
Material for the brain#21 - The playful way / Itay YatuvMy guest for the 21st episode is Itay Yatuv, a dancer, teacher, director, and the founder of Contakids - a methodology that uses physical contact to develop a deeper form of communication between parents and their children.
I met Itay in 2007 just as I took my first steps into the world of Dance.
Back then, Itay was the artistic director of a unique dance school called ‘The group’ and after I have decided to join the school program, he became my main teacher and mentor.
Itay made a very profound impact on the way I ap...
2021-06-241h 46
Material for the brain#20 - Where are the adults? / Shanti ZimmermannMy guest for the 20th episode is Shanti Zimmerman, a teacher who is helping individuals to live in emotional authenticity, maturity and honesty and to develop Genuine Interactions in the world.
Shanti came into my attention through her Facebook page. I was very impressed by her ability to handle sensitive conversations online, on topics that tends to spiral into violent accusations and pointless verbal wars. And what I have seen was a quality of integrity that seems to me as her authentic voice that often, brought people together rather than apart.
And after I was...
2021-06-091h 25
Material for the brain#19 - Finding Anchors / Yochai GintonMy guest for the 19th episode is a friend on mine from Israel, Yochai Ginton, a dancer, teacher and performer. Yochai has been working in Israel and abroad in the last 15 years, performing and teaching dance seminars, collaborating with leading figures in the Israeli dance scene.
Yochai was a very inspiring person for me in my own journey of becoming a dancer as he did a similar process several years ahead of me and in his humble way, showed me that it is possible to become a dancer in a later phase of one’s life.
A...
2021-05-241h 40
Material for the brain#18 - Reality Check / Stephanie LeeMy guest for the 18th episode is Stephanie lee, an Entrepreneur and a contemporary dancer. She is the co founder of Trybe gym in Hong Kong, a playground for circus, weightlifting, mobility training and acrobatics.
I met Stephanie in 2018, she invited me to teach a seminar in her gym and from the first moment we met, we had really great time together. I was extremely impressed by her groundless and her ability to be connected to the real world while remaining in touch with her creative and artistic expressions. And even though she was relatively younger than...
2021-05-101h 56
Material for the brain#17 - Transformative Rituals / Jorge CrecisMy guest for the 17th episode is Jorge Crecis - A dancer, choreographer and a researcher, holding a degree in Sport Sciences and a PhD in Philosophy through the department of Performing Arts, Goldsmiths college, University of London
For the last 20 years, Jorge has been working to crack the secret of how to replicate altered states of consciousness through very accessible but highly effective body routines.
His research have led him to create “towards Vivencia” - Peak Performance Training program, that use the most radical advancements in neuroscience to maximise training, speed up learning skills, enha...
2021-04-291h 30
Material for the brain#16 - In search of balance / Yuval AyalonThe guest for the 16th episode is Yuval Ayalon, a Performing Artist, Handbalancer, Acrobat - and a Gymnast. Yuval is a life long physical practitioner. A man, who dedicates his life for the never ending journey of refining his skills and knowledge of his craft.
He came into my attention through a common friend who made a connection between us. I hosted him at my apartment in Vienna while he was teaching one of his incredible Handstand seminars.
I had a real pleasure to meet such a dedicated person, that through hard work, has managed...
2021-04-191h 26
Behind the Movement#48 - Matan LevkowichMatan Levkowich is a dancer, teacher and graphic designer. In 2015 he founded Movement Lab - a vehicle for movement education, choreographic work and discursive inquiry. His practice is influenced by his enthusiasm for physical and theoretical research and is revolving around the question of how to develop a meaningful relationship with the body-mind.
In the last decade, he devoted himself to educate people from all over the globe about better movement and to reflect upon urgent social phenomena through the medium of performance and recently also through his podcast ‘Material for the brain’. His passion for research and...
2021-04-151h 58
Material for the brain#15 - Practice as Research / Nita LittleMy guest for 15th episode is Nita Little, a dance pioneer who’s work had an international impact and changed the course of dance history. Nita is a performer, teacher, choreographer, scholar and theorist. She is one of the founders of Contact Improvisation and in the last 50 years, has been touring the globe to teach and share her research on what she calls relational intelligence.
Nita holds a PHD in Performance Studies and her writing investigates ecological actions of tactile attention and the creative potentials present in entangled relations.
I met Nita in 2014 at the Au...
2021-04-091h 49
Material for the brain#14 - A Martial Mindset / Wilhelm ErberMy guest for the 14th episode is Wili Erber - a martial artist, a coach and the co founder of science of jiu jitsu martial art gym. Wili holds a black belt in Japanese and Brazilian Jiu jitsu and a master degree in sport science.
I met Wili 4.5 years ago when I started my own journey in the world of BJJ and nowadays I am training at in his gym under his guidance. What I really admire about Wili is how he manages to approach the hardship of training with ease and smile, finding a way to lig...
2021-03-291h 21
Material for the brain#13 - Non-political Movement / Richard Sarco-ThomasMy guest for the 13th episode is Richard Sarco-thomas, a life long martial artist and a social worker, working with youth and people with learning disabilities. Richard is a black belt in Aiki jiu jitsu and Aikido and in the last 15 years, beside marital arts, he has been practicing, teaching and organising contact improvisation events and festivals.
Richard was born in a small working class town in the UK and grew up in quite rough and violent circumstances. His life story of building himself back up and becoming an example for his own students is quite astonishing. ...
2021-03-181h 33
Material for the brain#12 - Responsibility for healing / Sabine ParzerMy guest for the 12th episode is Sabine Parzer(AT), founder of the Holistic Dance Institute . Her professional experience spans over 30 years as a dancer, choreographer, teacher, bodyworker, author and organiser.
Sabine does an incredible work in merging the world of dance with the world of therapy. She has an amazing capacity to create educational structures, and during the past 10 years, hundreds of participants from all over the world have attended her events and completed her teachers training.
Sabine’s story is a mixture of self responsibility, hard work and dedication, side by side with comp...
2021-03-081h 28
Material for the brain#11 - Freedom and SafetyIn this solo episode I am sharing a personal anecdote as a mean to examine the tension between our need for safety and our need for freedom and how it can manifest in our bodies, culture and more.
I find that this tension is very present nowadays as the Covid pandemic magnifies both the need for safety and the need for freedom. I am trying to offer a way to help us preserve the ability to communicate even while confronting the people with opposing values.
Subscribe to get the podcast to your...
2021-03-0134 min
Material for the brain#10 - Movement as a language / Manon Siv DuquesnayFor the 10th episode I have invited my friend Manon Siv Duquesnay. Manon is a French-Danish dancer, choreographer and teacher based in Spain. She has studied a BA in dance between Uniarts (SE) and Institut del Teatre (ES), and is currently completing her Master at the Danish National School of Performing Arts (DK).
I met Manon first time in 2012 and during the last 9 years we have played different rolls in each other’s life. She was my first long term student, who become my teaching assistant and later on grew into her own practice and now we co...
2021-02-221h 26
Material for the brain#9 - Structured Anarchy / Patrick OanciaMy guest for the 9th episode is Patrick Oancia(CA/JP) , founder of Baseworks - a movement system designed to increase your ability to sense, and improve motor and mental performance.
Patrick diverse background is unique - a former punk musician, that for the last 30 immeshed himself in athletics, the study of Hatha yoga asana and martial arts while refining more-subtle contemplative practices.
I got to know Patrick in 2018. he invited me to teach a seminar in his studio in Tokyo for 10 days. During this short visit, I learnt so much from him, and was really...
2021-02-081h 42
Material for the brain#8 - Social Tensegrity / Guillermo JustelMy guest for the 8th episode is Guillermo Justel (ES/UK). Guillermo is a Yoga and Hand balancing teacher and the co-founder of 'We-Guild' - a social network for self employed people that helps absorb financial blows through the power of community.
What I really admire in Guillermo is that he is the kind of thinker that doesn't shy away from confronting paradoxes and interacting with conflicting propositions. His engagements in the ream of social impact is a great example of his richness and complexion .
In our conversation we grappled with the question of how...
2021-01-251h 28
Material for the brain#7 - Soft Skills / Outi SulopuistoMy guest for the 7th episode is Outi Sulopuisto, a Finnish friend of mine who lives in Klagenfurt, Austria. Outi is a 4th dan black belt Aikidoka, she has training experience in somatic & dance, She is a certified physiotherapist and Feldenekrais practitioner. She holds a master degree in Health Care and currently is working as a Junior researcher at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences in the degree program disability and diversity studies.
Outi is the kind of person that won't push you in order to get her message through, but rather wait patiently for the right ti...
2021-01-111h 27
Material for the brain#6 - Your authentic voiceIn this solo episode, I am reflecting on the topic of authentic expression. I decided to take a personaI approach and to use some of my own life stories as reference points in order to examine the notion of authenticity and its expression and evolution.
Key questions/topics I am talking about:
What is self expression? Why should I be bother with expressing myself?
How does external structures might affect my ability to authentically express myself?
What is the power of individualism? What are the downsides?
The crucial relation between individualism and self expression.
How to t...
2021-01-0451 min
Material for the brain#5 - From self practice to a life practice / Shai FaranIn the 5th episode, I had the pleasure of talk with Shai Faran (IL/DE). Shai is a dancer, teacher and a choreographer based in Berlin. She has a large base of followers from all over the globe with whom she shares what she calls 'a life practice'. Shai is one of the most dedicated practitioner I have met and she lives her life in a very intense and interesting way.
In our conversation she shared what is a 'self practice' and how it can be connected our lives, what are the universal basics across disciplines and how...
2020-12-281h 36
Material for the brain#4 - What does technology has to do with the body ? / Sarah HashkesFor the 4th episode I have invited Sarah Hashkes (IL/US) to have a conversation on what does technology has to do with the body. Sarah is an entrepreneur, the founder of Radix Motion - a company combining Neuroscience And Immersive Technology To Strengthen The Connection Between Brain And Body. From her academic background in cognitive neuroscience and experiential knowledge in movement, she explains why the current state of technology is problematic and how virtual reality could be used to enable us a more embodied relationship with technology, help to heel negative body images and overcome emotional trauma.
Co...
2020-12-1455 min
Material for the brain#3 - Ways of learningIn this solo episode, I am reflecting on the topic of the different ways we can learn. I talk on the the primary senses involve in learning and the distinct differences they offer, the different study structures you can cultivate - closed focused ones vs. open improvised ones, online vs offline learning and more.
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2020-12-071h 01
Material for the brain#2 - The power of visions / Deborah Smith-WickeTo the second episode of the podcast, I have invited Deborah Smith-Wicke (UK/DE) to be my guest. Deborah is a very inspiring woman, a woman of visions. In her humble way of being, she is sharing how she has managed to craft her visions into reality, how she manages the tension between work, ambitions and family life, how to transform competitive spirit into a force for positive drive and much more.
Read more on Deborah's work:
https://www.sozo-zone.com/
https://www.sozo-vim.de/
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2020-11-301h 40
Material for the brain#1 - A life long study / Tom WekslerIn this episode, Tom Weksler (IL/ES) and I discuss the effects of Covid on the moving body, how one's relation with the body is conditioned by life style, how to maintain the ability to be a student for a life-time, different styles of teaching/learning - linear vs. non linear learning, the importance of cultivating creative spirit and more.
Read more on Tom's work:
https://www.movementarchery.com
https://www.wondergroundcompany.com
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https://movementlab.eu/subscribe
2020-11-161h 42