This class invites participants into a relational movement practice informed by somatic approaches, particularly the methodology of Angel Vianna, where attention, listening, internal sensation and playfulness become starting points for movement. Drawing from Flora Baltz’s research on ‘archipelagic thinking’, in this session she will offer dynamics to explore how bodies exist in relation to space, to others, and to shifting internal landscapes, while also shaping the environments around them.
Mark-making dynamics may be introduced as an extension of movement, allowing traces on paper to move between surfaces, bodies and space and at times, tactile materials such as clay may also be used to explore support, weight, texture, and the possibilities of transformation through touch and letting go. Through guided improvisations and movement scores, participants will explore their bodies in relation to space and others. Moving between individual perception and collective experience, this class will offer a space for movement, curiosity, attentive listening, and the gentle practice of letting go.
Flora Baltz (she/her) is a Brazilian interdisciplinary movement artist, facilitator and dance educator based in London, working across dance, visual art and art installations, with projects between London and Brazil. Her practice is informed by Angel Vianna somatic methodology and her research draws on Édouard Glissant’s concept of ‘archipelagic thinking’ and relational approaches to knowledge, exploring multiplicity and shifting identities. Through the use of materials, she investigates through tactile engagement how those can support processes of change. She also uses movement and facilitation to create collective spaces for listening and embodied dialogue between inner processes, spaces and others, exploring how bodies relate through sensory perception. Some projects include the participatory installations Islands of the South (the Albany & Deptford Lounge, 2025) and Relational Poetics from Archipelagic Encounters (Laurie Grove, 2023), as well as performances in Movements for Staying Alive at Modern Art Oxford (2025) and TEKOHA at The Place (2025). She also founded and co-curated Em Movimento (Brazil, 2023), a publicly funded dance festival offering free classes to the community.
If you have any questions about the accessibility of our programme and would like to discuss any specific access requirements, please feel free to reach out to us via email info@independentdance.co.uk or by phone on 0207 091 9650, to speak to a member of the Independent Dance team.
During class, all participants are welcome to take breaks, observe, exit and enter the space as they wish. Lounge areas are available on the first and ground floors of the building. Yoga mats, blocks, cushions and ear defenders are available for use. We also welcome you being in contact if you would like to discuss the option of bringing your access support worker. Please speak to a member of the ID team if you require any assistance.
Prices for classes are kept very low and are subsidised by ID in order to support artists to attend. To keep admin manageable for our small team, we don’t offer refunds if you cancel or can’t attend a class, and we can’t transfer your booking to a different class/event. We hope this is understandable.
If a class is cancelled or changed by ID however, we do offer refunds/transfers to everyone who has booked.