A day of movement, knowledge, embodiment, dance, meditation & time together

 Saturday, 17 August 2024

Quella Studio, Noordhoek

ABOUT THE GRAVITY FESTIVAL

For lovers of Gravity, those wanting to fall in love with Gravity, and also those who fight against Gravity.

The festival is a day of movement, learning, meditation and being together. Finding the portals that deepen our understanding of, and relationship to, Gravity, calming frayed edges and celebrating this phenomenon that shapes our very existence. Guided by a playful and learned team of embodiment people, movement practitioners, and a physics professor, we’ll explore Gravity in the cognitive sense, but also, more importantly, in the visceral, embodied, felt sense (often referred to as “grounding”).

“If you aren’t in your body, life can’t find you.” Jane Sonnenburg

Below is a full schedule for the day we will spend together, info on the facilitators and practical info about joining. Space is limited to 18 participants, so please book your place as not to miss out! 

SCHEDULE 

10.00: Start, settle and welcome

10.15: Gravity as a portal to anarchic non-differentiated embodiment that recognises the other in you 

With: Jane Sonnenburg

Session: visceral embodiment practice, using organic breathwork and movement.

11.30: What about falling?

With: Andrew van Diemen 

Session: We move with, and understand Barophobia, the fear of Gravity/falling.

12.30: Lunch

Share a delicious vegetarian-friendly meal together

13.30: The Physics of Gravity

With: Dr Philip Southey

Session: interactive talk tracing the history of our ideas of gravity: Aristotle’s teleology, Newton’s force acting across space, Einstein’s curvature of space-time. Looking forward: is there an ultimate quantum theory of gravity? And some fun stuff about black holes.

14.15: The Effortlessness of Gravity

With: Dave Gardner

Session: A guided meditation & movement session on gravity and it’s direct experience with the body. Upon stumbling into stillness and silence the ever present yet illusive expression of gravity can be felt and known. From this space of borderlessness we can begin to move and receive the whole of life as it weaves through us.

15.30: A Life-long Love Affair: Gravity ~ Testimony of the Ageing Dancer

With: Tossie van Tonder | Nobonke 

Session: Studio Performance. Tossie is a philosopher of the body. During this performance you will hear and see, feel and begin to understand the life of the aging dancer and how the matter of the body adores gravity. Accompanied by real-time composition, musician playing without a score. With this performance Tossie will celebrate the beginning of her 70 year. 

16.30: Dancing with Gravity

With: Anwar McWhite & Jolene Cartmill

Session: A sound journey into conscious dance (free movement practice) integrating the day and exploring our deepened understanding and felt sense of this intimate, full-bodied, full-time relationship we have with Gravity.

18.00: Closing 

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS:

Jane Sonnenburg (non-compartmentalised awareness embodiment therapist, writer) @jane.aired

Dave Gardner (original condition teacher, meditation and movement lover)  www.original-condition.com / @davefrederickgardner

Dr Philip Southey (professor of physics, musician, explorer of embodied wisdom)

Tossie van Tonder | Nobonke (Mjoli clan elder, dance performer, psychologist, writer) www.theimageofyourperfection.co.za / @tossievantonder_nobonke

Andrew van Diemen (Biokineticist, yoga teacher and massage therapist. Body & spirit devotee) @andrewvandiemen

Anwar McWhite (musician, embodiment explorer & Jungian therapist) @anwarmcwhite

Jolene Cartmill (conscious dance facilitator, filmmaker & instigator of this event) www.dancelove.space / @dance.love.space

REGISTRATION

  • Cost: R1000
  • Limited to 18 participants
  • Please book here: The Gravity Festival
  • Concessions are available contact Jolene on 0714694522 (especially for single parents, students, low-income and post-earners)

TERMS & CONDITIONS

  • The immersion needs a certain number of participants to run and be able to cover costs. If we do not have enough participants to run, or there are other unforeseen circumstances we will postpone to a future date and offer you either to transfer your payment to the new date, or to receive a refund, excepting the booking fee.
  • The schedule and line up may change, and although we will do our best to inform participants beforehand, it may not always be possible.
  • Please note: this event will be filmed – if you are uncomfortable with being on camera, please let us know and we will frame you out of the shots, no problem! Don’t let it be a barrier to joining. Filming by www.thelovepicturecompany.co.za