Also working in association with The Studio, is Leah Bartal, a truly inspiring and educational pioneer in dance therapy. Leah is a senior dance movement therapist and uses movement awareness and creative arts as her form of mentoring. Her sources include Modern Dance, Feldenkrais, T'aiChi Chuan, Chi Kung and BMC: Body - Mind – Centering & Authentic Movement. With 35 years experience in the fields of movement, dance, dance therapy, drama and art, this international leader has co-authored two books: 'Movement Awareness and Creativity', and 'The Metaphoric Body'.

Leah draws on the holding form of myths, fairy tales and archetypal figures to facilitate personal change & to enrich creativity. Thus, leading people to have more fulfilled lives through increased confidence and self-expression. Particularly, Leahs critically acclaimed book “The Metaphoric Body” is a conductive guidebook and resource offering suggestions, ideas, exercises and a way of working towards an increased understanding of the transformational potential of the body.


Opening up to playing in a meaningful way we enter into an exploration of the Biblical & Archetypal World, experiencing he body as our sacred vessel. Our journey will include movement derived from Tai Ch’I Chaun, Feldenkrais, inner visualisation, drawing, writing and group interaction. Wear sensible comfortable clothing and bring a blanket if possible.

THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO FLYING THAN FLAPPING YOUR WINGS
                                                                                Richard Bach

Free movement workshop, using the body to improvise and feel free through creative play. Standing, sitting, walking, jumping, the dot, the straight line, the curve, materials to change the shape and character of the body.

We will be moving with our bodies the shapes of our names: finding open, closed, angular or spiral shapes. Remember your childhood names, pet/formal names, and language derived. What is your relationship to your own name? Or the memories of different voices calling you? The roots of your names and its meaning through movement is our quest.

Inspired by the theme of Genesis I 14-19.
The making of the two great lights, the greater to rule the day, the lesser to rule the night.
We will discover opposites in the body- large and small up and down in space, light and shadow in relationship to other people. We will play with straight and curved lines, radiating and receiving light in a symbolic sense. Using inner visualisation we will find a symbolic image for our personal experience; drawing the vision and/or writing about it. We will share in the group before re-entering into everyday life.

For older students.
This workshop is based on the Biblical legend of the Goat that was sent to carry the sins of the community into the wilderness. In it we identify personal traumas and guilt; their recognition, replay, dramatising and allowing the body to ask for what it needs, brings about transformation and healing. Exploring the Mythological Scapegoat Archetype enables us to focus on our own feelings of being victimized - What secrets did we bury in silence? What did we take on that is not ours to bear? How do we carry our own shadow and project it onto others? We aim to create a more integrated Self Image by transforming negative qualities into positive ones, discovering joy, peace and ecstasy.

Leah Bartal presents this following session as a demonstration model for use by teachers working with children.
Wood gives birth to fire, Fire gives birth to earth, Earth gives birth to metal, Metal gives birth to water, Water gives birth to wood.
These Elements are described as the “Cheng” or “Creation” cycle, known in oriental medicine as the “Mother- Son” relationship, according to which:
Wood burns to make Fire whose ashes decompose into the Earth where are born and mined
Metals which smelted become Water (liquids) which nourish trees and plants
Movement introduction focuses on moving on the floor, discovering mobility and flow of different parts of the body: the extremities, the central bines of the skeleton, paying attention to the flow of the breath. The next step suggests to flow as a small brook, a large river, an ocean, a lake in the forest, nourishing trees in the dark, light waters and inviting suggestions of different kinds of water by members of the group. We move in spirals, with one, two or three limbs until we go on our feet, where movement happens with one or two partners and in small groups.