If you pass Bright Street in Somerset West at dusk on a Tuesday evening you may be enthralled to see dancers in the Imibala studio.
The day’s tutu-clad aspirant ballerinas have been replaced by dancers of varying ages… In loose-fitting clothes they are experiencing the joy of Biodanza with smiles from the hour-long class often lasting for days.
Friendship, vitality and connection are added benefits.
Biodanza was developed in the 1960s by the Chilean psychologist, Rolando Toro, uniting the Greek word for Life and the Spanish word Danza, meaning The Dance of Life.
It encourages a passion for living life more fully. It invites us to connect deeper with ourselves, with each other and with all that exists, through movement to music.
The environment in the class is one of fun, acknowledgment, gentle encouragement and safety, and each class is designed to take the participants on a journey, where every dance has meaning and is matched with carefully chosen music, to assist the dancer in their movements.
While the facilitator shares input on each dance and often demonstrate it, each dancer is then invited to experience it in their own unique way.
Over time in this supportive environment people discover their dance and in the process grow a deeper sense of themselves, their identity, self-confidence and their ability to connect in healthy ways with others and with life.
It has spread around the world and is now available right here in the Helderberg valley, where the group is led by the duo Kerry Sandison and Alan Hughes, who both have a history of enabling personal growth and between them more than 20 years of teaching Biodanza.
For the lithe and lovely Kerry, most of her career has been in leadership development. She draws on her decades of living and rich personal experience for every class.
She says: “I believe in the power of Biodanza to expand people’s lives to be more joy-filled, expansive and passionate -literally learning to dance with life.”
Bright-eyed and wise, Alan brings a special magic touch to the class. He has been involved in various forms of self-development, healing and dancing for more than 25 years.
This journey included many years of 5 Rhythms dancing, with some of the top facilitators in Europe, before turning his focus to Biodanza.
Alan shares: “You do not need to be fit, a dancer or to have a sense of rhythm, you do not need to be musical, clever or articulate and you do not need a partner, special clothes or equipment.
“Biodanza is for everyone who wants to live a more abundant and joy-filled life.”
For more information, contact Kerry at 082 550 3098 or Alan 076 264 9127.
