MovingArt (MA) is a creative synergy of body, mind and soul through movement, art, journalling and reflection. Through a myriad techniques derived from diverse disciplines, you will have an opportunity to....




MovingArt (MA) is based on the notion that our bodies and minds together hold and store our experience to date, with both positive and negative ramifications. For a wide variety of reasons, part of this experience may include shutting down the capacity for open and unrestrained self expression and inhibiting spontaneous manifestations of innately joyful creativity. MA thus comes from the premise that within every one of us is an enormously rich vault of capacity, ability and brilliance patiently waiting to be uncovered and accessed, made possible primarily through symbol activation and creativity. (The symbolic is an important aspect of MA, permeating every part of the process. Most visibly, MA draws on the creative, spiritual and mystical symbol of the hand, which unites the five elements into one and signifies a longing for unity in both Kaballah and Eastern philosophy. For thousands of years, the hand has represented the strongest of emotions and the subtlest of moods, and it is this that the classes aim to unlock.)

Because body and mind are irreducibly linked, attempts to rekindle this creative conduit that do not engage with the body and all the senses, are ultimately ineffective. Instead, a multi-pronged approach is called for. The emphasis is on exploring bodily movement in the form of self-authentic dance and includes silent walks through nature, the construction of personal tableau from which to glean unconscious themes and perhaps grasp unconscious constraints, and engagement with painting, clay modeling and writing. Thus, the physical body and the mind are brought into alignment with one and the same intention: to shake off the dust of self-limiting, ingrained beliefs and return to that sense of openness, ease and license unwittingly jettisoned along the way.

The brainchild of Balu Nivison, MovingArt currently takes the form of quarterly weekend workshops catering for a maximum of 30 people, personally facilitated by Balu and helped by four or five assistants. These intensive weekend workshops are veritable “baptisms” into the ethos of MovingArt, and are held in areas of natural beauty within easy driving distance of Cape Town. The workshops are followed by an optional 12-week process comprising once-a-week practical gatherings in Balu's Cape Town studio. (Note that the weekend workshop is a prerequisite to doing the 12-week course, and also that there are a maximum of ten students on each 12-week course.) During these sessions the focus is on creating a re-enactable spiritual narrative, told through the medium of dance. It is said that any pattern takes three months to change, and by the end of this process, the principles of MovingArt have become a way of life.

*Accommodation during the workshop weekend is always extremely comfortable, and all dietary requirements are catered for. No previous creative experience is required, and all are welcome.