09/05/2026
Greetings Austin !!!
How I miss you all!!
And I miss teaching Body-Mind Centering® Classes in Austin.
But I have a treat for you! My colleague Lani Nahele is coming to Austin!!
She's an amazing dancer who danced with Trisha Brown and many other people. And she's been deeply immersed in Contact Improvisation and Body-Mind Centering® for years. And she's just the loveliest person to learn from because she truly loves what she does and is super playful.
So don't miss this opportunity to study with her in Austin, Texas where most to you all are.
And I will look on in envy from Portland, Oregon. Even though I just got to see Lani in Northampton where we were assisting Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen (founder/teacher of BMC®).
Lucky us.
And I told Lani how great the people in Austin are-so if you've ever studied Body-Mind Centering® with me or love moving from a felt sense, don't miss this opportunity to study with Lani.
Details below:
Body Mind Centering ® & Contact Improvisation workshop with Lani Nahele
Joining from where you are, in the moment, this workshop welcomes movers from all backgrounds and levels of experience. Drawing from decades of practice in Contact Improvisation, Contemporary/Postmodern Dance, and Body-Mind Centering ® , Lani Nahele will invite participants to trust sensation as a guide, allowing movement to emerge through inquiry, presence, and relationship, rather than focusing on achieving specific shapes or techniques. One of the inspirations for this workshop is related to spirals found in nature, in our bodies, and in our growth patterns throughout history. We repeat, but at a new level, with integrated information. Together, we will investigate and explore developmental movement patterns and sequencing, anatomical structures, as well as spatial relationships, both in solo exploration and in contact. Through structured improvisations and exercises, we will experience how the body's tissues, weight, and organization support movement, cultivating greater efficiency and responsiveness.
Contact Improvisation is a movement practice of listening through touch, weight sharing, momentum, and gravity. The practice arises from attending to basic physical principles with two bodies in contact. The dance emerges through the body's organization and disorganization, balance and disorientation, proprioceptive awareness, and the "third thing" that arises when engaging in a dialogue of sensation and responding to the changing conditions from moment to moment.
What is Body-Mind Centering®?
Body-Mind Centering® (BMC®) is an integrated and embodied approach to movement, the body, and consciousness. Developed by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, it is an experiential study based on the embodiment and application of anatomical, physiological, psychophysical, and developmental principles, utilizing movement, touch, voice, and mind. (sourced from https://www.bodymindcentering.com/about)
Saturday, September 26 | 10:00 AM–3:00 PM
Sunday, September 27 | 11:00 AM–2:00 PM
Sliding Scale Pricing
$175–$220
We are offering two BIPOC scholarship spots for $75 (0/2 claimed)
Space is limited
Location
This workshop will be held at Wood Haven ATX Somatic Arts and Training Center close to Dripping Springs
The address is 11008 Tangleridge Circle, Austin, TX 78736
limited parking is available , carpooling is highly encouraged, a ride share form with be shared upon registration
About the Facilitator
Lani Nahele is a professional dancer, choreographer, movement educator, and bodyworker based in Western Massachusetts. After earning her BFA from SUNY @ Purchase, she danced in New York City with Ohad Naharin and was a member of the Trisha Brown Dance Company for several years. For over four decades, Contact Improvisation has been central to Lani's movement and teaching practice, and she had the opportunity to study directly with Steve Paxton, the instigator of the form. She also studied extensively with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and became a Certified Practitioner of Body-Mind Centering in 1994.
Lani spent many years in Europe, including Spain, France, Austria, and Germany, teaching, creating choreographic work, and performing. Lani has taught dance and pedagogy at Springfield College while guest teaching at Bard College, Marlboro College, Smith College, The Juilliard School, and Keene State College. Her collaborators have included Frey Faust, Dieter Heitkamp, Helge Musial, Ka Rustler, Eva Geueke, Catherine Musinsky, Olivier Besson, Jen Polins, Saliq Savage, Chris Aiken, and many others.
Lani is also trained and certified in Circulatory Massage, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Gyrokinesis, and Reiki.
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For any questions or inquiries email [email protected]
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJfnkFDo_B9DICh4bYzAG8TToq1ImnfvH8byrbB0DZeEkLRA/viewform
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations made one day in advance will incur a 50% cancellation fee.
Cancellations made on the day of the workshop will be charged the full registration fee.
