Dance, Dance, Dance

‘Your body is a temple’. We have all heard the saying before but how many of us actually treat it like a one? Remember that fifth beer that you just ‘had to have’ at your friend’s bachelor party, or the slap chips you had for dinner last night, and the night before that, and the night before that?

Maybe you’ve been ignoring that pain that has started to develop in your shoulders ever since you took on the new project at the office. Whatever it is, we could all be a little kinder to our bodies. We certainly forget how important it is to take care of the only vessel we have.

We don’t put much thought into how our body functions. We walk, talk, run and play on mostly reflex due to the hectic and stressful lives that we live.

If you are looking for a new way to get in touch with your body, this might be your chance to try out a new activity with local dancer Nikhita Winkler and her Introduction to Movement for Therapy event which takes place Saturday and Sunday, 28 and 29 November, at Lifestyle Oasis near Auas Motors in Southern Industrial Area.

Movement for therapy is a form of expressive therapy that focuses on the connection between the mind and body and shows you how to experience and be aware of them both in a conscious and unconscious way.

Having started dance at the tender age of three, Nikhita has always used her body as a medium in which to express herself and upon study in dance on various scholarships in Norway and the US, she found herself fascinated by the field of neuroscience and then began to delve into understanding how the body and mind functions through dance.

A few credits away from achieving her degree, she returned to Namibia to give back to the community through dance and movement therapy, this being her first introductory course to the medium.

She will guide participants in the session according to their needs which can range from wanting to be in tune with their body, suffering from some form of physical pain due to stress or injury or those who simply want to try something new.

Dance therapy has been known to improve cognitive skills for those who suffer from Parkinson’s, who are generally suffering from loss of coordination and feel like they have no control over their body, and helps release a lot of pain for cancer patients, or even those who suffer from anxiety, she explains.

Nikhita explains that through her guidance of spacial awareness and teaching on how to take a more holistic approach when it comes to taking care of one’s body, by learning how the body and organs function, participants will be less likely to harm or injure themselves.

“Your body is like its own entity, how you treat your body is how it will treat you. If you think of the body as a cage which is filled with all our organs, if you are hands on and working with the cage, manipulating the cage – how to expand and contract the ribcage, you are working directly with their organs,” she said. “Part of movement therapy is also giving people a chance to experience their organs.”

Introduction to Movement for Therapy will take place over two two-hour long sessions. For adults only on Saturday, 28 November between 11h00 and 13h00 and on Sunday, 29 November from 10h00 to 12h00.

Each session costs N$80 per person, with a maximum of 30 people per session

Please book with Nikhita to avoid disappointment on 081 2651 838 and wear loose clothing.

For those at the coast, there is also an opportunity to attend classes in Swakopmund, which takes place over Dance Week from 4 to 11 December, as organised by the Dance Factory. Registration is required. Visit dancefactorynam.com for more information.

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