Partnering- The common Body
Olivia and Yochai co-founded THE COMMON BODY, a dynamic approach to movement and creation centered around partnering work. Their methodology encourages exploration across a spectrum of physical actions and variations, emphasizing an articulated body and creative pathways in partner dancing. Their aim is to enhance communication skills through physicality and expand personal movement potential by engaging with another dancer's body in playful dance.
Drawing inspiration from contact improvisation, soft acrobatics, Feldenkrais, Ilan Lev Method, Vipassana meditation, Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and floor work techniques, Olivia and Yochai's toolkit reflects years of exploration, pattern-breaking, professional stage experience, creation processes, and studio hours. Their teaching methodology spans from deconstructing physical actions into details to offering an exploratory laboratory for varied perspectives on movement.
By focusing on refining movement authenticity and integrity, they cultivate the vibrant and tangible presence of dancers and performers. Their approach is particularly relevant for today's dancers and movers seeking real-time communication abilities alongside clarity in expressing ideas and concepts, all while maintaining a playful mindset and sharpening mental acuity.
Their ultimate goal is to foster joy in improvisation within structured choreographies, training both mind and body to embrace possibilities. Olivia and Yochai are passionate about sharing their insights with curious minds, adapting their teachings to meet the needs of their students and fellow dancers.
Based in Israel, Olivia and Yochai lead professional careers as dancers and educators. Partners in life as well as in art, they embody the integration of family, life, dance, and art in an inspiring and harmonious manner.
Teaching
Floorwork
Olivia's classes focus on exploring the potential of our bodies from diverse perspectives and propositions. She emphasizes cultivating awareness of how to harness energy more efficiently, such as learning to disengage muscle tension in various body parts and delving into essential aspects of our breathing system, all while respecting and continually reinterpreting our anatomy in its fluid state.
Key principles integral to her teaching include using the floor as a primary tool to foster fluidity and diverse movement sources, maintaining a continuous flow of movement, employing the pelvis as a motor for enhanced mobility, navigating between balance and imbalance, distinguishing between rest and action, and incorporating principles of arching and spiraling to promote resilience amidst challenges.
Her classes aim to heighten physical awareness, enabling participants to work within their individual limits while ensuring the safety of their bodies. By fostering trust in one's body, encouraging expressive freedom, and exploring new impulses and qualities, Olivia creates an environment where dancers can discover and expand their potential.
Classes typically commence with exercises focused on unlocking, strengthening, and elongating the body. Participants then engage in exercises alone or with partners to explore specific movement intentions and their relationship with their dancing body. The session culminates in floor work and movement across space, celebrating the vitality and aliveness of each participant.
