BIO
Iiris Raipala is dance artist, performer and teacher based in Helsinki. She graduated in 2004 as Master of Arts in dance from the Theatre Academy of Finland. She also has Master in Art Pedagogy. She been working closely with improvisation and contact improvisation in several performing groups and has performed in the choreographies of many internationally acknowledged choreographers like Tomi Paasonen, Rosalind Crisp, Mirva Mäkinen, Lisa Nelson and Nancy Stark Smith. She is part of artistic-scientific Liminal Art -collective working in the field of improvisation and ritual art. (www.liminalart.fi). She has been practicing, teaching and performing CI for over 20 years, and she is one of the founders of Goa contact Festival and Skiing on Skin Festival.
Embodied – Towards body wisdom, flow, and connection
Teacher: Iiris and Jarno
Pathway:
Through touch, hands-on work, breath, and somatic movement, we open body channels and explore receiving as an active, creative process. How does touch turn into movement, and movement into dance?
This is an embodiment practice: bringing thoughts, intuition, and experiences into the body and physical reality. When they grow roots, they can turn into agency and transformative power. Positioned as channels between earth and sky, we remain open to what wants to flow through us. Through contact improvisation, we explore weight, support, and active listening, building a bridge between inner experience and shared movement. Being seen and sharing movement amplifies the process and makes it more tangible.