DEVELOPMENTAL MOVEMENT – from the cell to the community

 

WORKSHOP CYCLE

 

led by Zrinka Šimičić, dance artist and certified somatic practitioner and developmental movement educator (CMA-SP, RSME, IDME)

 

The workshops take place on January 18, February 8, and February 22, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the following schedule:

 

January 18: BASIC NEUROLOGICAL MOVEMENT PATTERNS AND BODY CONNECTIONS

In this workshop, we will explore the basic neurological movement patterns and body connections through the developmental path from the simplicity of the cell to the complexity of the organism. Developmental patterns are automated sequences of movement and body connectivity that emerge and are usually integrated during early childhood, influencing a person’s physical, perceptual, emotional, and cognitive development. They shape how we relate to gravity, ourselves, others, and the world. If a pattern becomes dominant, it may inhibit the manifestation of other patterns. Exploring developmental patterns in adulthood provides the opportunity to strengthen weaker patterns, modify dominant ones, and reintegrate to discover new possibilities, ease, and fluidity in movement.

 

February 8: REFLEXES – the alphabet of our movement

In this workshop, through play, dance, and interaction with the group and environment, we will focus on observing and stimulating reflexes, upright responses, and balance reactions — the foundation of all directed and effective movement. The aim is to open pathways for bodily connectivity, ease in movement, and an expanded movement vocabulary.

February 22: EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT – simplicity in complexity

In this workshop, we will return to the very beginnings of our existence and, by embodying some of the processes that shaped us, rediscover the remarkable intelligence, complexity, and clarity that guided our path from cell to community.

The workshops are held at MO Voćarska, Voćarska cesta 71, Zagreb.

The content of the workshops is based on the Body-Mind Centering® approach and learning, movement analysis, Bartenieff Fundamentals, and the instructor’s years of personal experience in researching and teaching developmental movement.

These workshops are intended for anyone who wishes to:

  • deepen their experience and knowledge of the body and movement for professional or personal reasons

  • become aware of their own movement patterns and work on increasing availability and ease in the body and movement

  • recognize some of the primary reflexes as a foundation for establishing more mature movement patterns

  • dive into the immense wealth of knowledge and experience stored in the body before birth, at the very beginnings of embryonic development

 

About the instructor:

Zrinka Šimičić (Zagreb, 1978) is a dance artist, certified movement analyst – somatic practitioner (CMA-SP), registered somatic movement educator (RSME), and developmental movement educator (IDME). She trains through Body-Mind Centering® programs as well as Laban/Bartenieff & Somatic Studies International. She holds degrees in Art History and French Language and Literature from the University of Zagreb. In Zagreb, she completed two years of psychotherapy training through movement and dance. She is co-founder of the artistic organization Multimedijalna koliba, founder and (2007–2021) co-artistic director of the international festival Improspekcije, and initiator of the platform SomaHut, which brings together artists and experts from various fields around somatic practices. She is author and co-author of several performances and in situ works created from 2007 to the present.

Her artistic work and research are characterized by somatic practice, improvisation, and collaboration with artists from other media, particularly visual artists. She is an Assistant Professor in the Dance Department at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb and a guest lecturer at the Postgraduate Specialist Study in Creative Therapy at the Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek.

Registration:

It is possible to participate in each workshop individually, as well as in the full cycle.

The recommended participation fee is 50 euros per workshop; if you are able, please pay the full amount; if not, pay what you can; and if at this moment you cannot pay anything but wish to participate, you are very welcome. Your contribution supports the maintenance and development of the SomaHut initiative and program. One of SomaHut’s goals is to make somatic work accessible to everyone who can be empowered, supported, and inspired by it.

Please REGISTER YOUR ATTENDANCE via email: somahut.mmk@gmail.com

This workshop cycle is co-financed by the European Union and realized in collaboration with MO Voćarska.