background:
While immersed in the field of post-modern dance for performance in the mid-1990's, keren and her colleagues were pioneers in Live Art with spontaneous choreography, ritual sensibilities and the awareness of Spirit moving the body. Together, they practiced and performed in innovative and cutting-edge ways as "rujeko performance collaboration", based in San Francisco. keren understood then that these forms - where ritual and live art (music and dance) meet - are not new at all. They are primal and ageless, at the very essence of human expression...

praise for MMA
"keren's offerings in MMA are cutting edge and very important in these times, wherein our religious codes and dogmas have failed to inspire us or to reveal to us the truth of our Selves within the broader spiritual reality. the encouragement of direct experience and knowing is vital right now...truly movement!"

some current workshops...

authentic movement

• deepening embodied consciousness
• opening to the Mystery
• strengthening the witness as sacred container

authentic movement can be a practice of meditation in motion. it is a discipline of witnessing the experience of being embodied through attending intimately to the body's shape, movements, sensations, imaginations, feelings and thoughts, as they arise and shift with eyes closed, in a meditative state. the form offers us to be in the roles of "witness" and "mover" alternately. in either role, each is attending to deepening their awareness of their own experience. in the practice, we also investigate accurate and artful enunciation of our own embodied experience as both a communication and integration tool.

the sacred space jam - devotional improvisation

this workshop teaches a unique devotional practice which engages the expressions of music, movement and voice and the natural blending of them all. we practice to enter the collective-mind after attuning to higher vibrations through the individual mind. we become attuned to receive the dance/music creation of the moment in spontaneity, and we reflect on this experience as a blueprint for receiving guidance in the life-walk. this workshop is for all levels of experience in music and dance, and offers itself to deep and spontaneous healing, collective ritual and wild play!

alexander technique in motion

"dancing more free ..." embodied consciousness techniques for free-dance: resourcing the alexander technique principles and keren's unique guidance in release technique, our free dance practice finds new and expanded possibilities. previously held old postural habits are freed and bounded energetics are released, giving birth to new pathways of movement that are more easeful, efficient, integrated, and thus, surprising and more ecstatic. the practices and information given in this workshop greatly support participants' work also in other movement/dance, voice, and bodywork.

movement medicine arts

MMA practices facilitate honing attention while clarifying intention, and experiencing connection through the expressions of dance, music, song and ritual.

Movement Medicine Arts is on the frontier of contemporary formats for evolving consciousness. These unique courses, ceremonies and practices revitalize our connection to primal and direct experience of spiritual realities. MMA offerings are based in embodied consciousness practices and universal spiritual principles which underlie diverse lineages, cultures and religions. MMA facilitates integration of all levels of being, the knowing and expression of the authentic-self, and connection to Spiritual levels. Be it by ritual, workshop, or guided individual practice, the "medicine" is cultivated by working with Universal Spiritual Principles, honed attention, empowered intention and the embodiment of movement (gesture, dance, sound, music, song...)

Throughout history, peoples have engaged music, dance, song and ritual to know the Spiritual Realities, to experience themselves as much more than flesh, bones, characters and personalities. In the MMA body-of-work, we tap the same primal knowings and connections, while employing no specific doctrine, codes or cultural reference. These experiences of our True Nature, both as individuals and as a collective, is the way of healing.

about movement as medicine:
Movement is the nature of all things and a common quality of subtle energies that underlie all forms. Our bodies, minds and spirit are most healthy and vibrant in their balanced and surrendered movement, connected freely to the spiritual current at the source of them. We engage simply structured modalities which profoundly deepen attention and free-up movement, both with intuitive wisdom and information about energetic anatomy. In this way, our primal and direct connection to that that is moving All is the medicine.

about extemporaneous creation:
improvisation is part of universal laws of chaos and order in rhythm, and an expression of our primal human nature. Spontaneity fulfills our urge to remember ourselves as continually created beings in a continually created and creative reality. MMA provides formats for our impulse to move, dance and make music - thus, to make sacred - with spontaneity, and without the mediation of codes or preconceived structures.

The content of MMA Keren created herself*, or has taught for many years with her unique synthesis** integrating the various embodied consciousness and healing techniques she has explored for decades and practices regularly.

• TheOne Dance*
• movement medicine ritual*
• sacred space jam*
• authentic movement**
• contact improvisation**
• moving more free *- techniques of embodied consciousness

Movement Medicine Arts Principles:

~ attuning & aligning the multi-levels of being
~ integrating and expanding consciousness
~ direct experience giving form to movement
~ engaging the living laboratory of learning
~ developing awareness of energetic and physical bodies' anatomy
~ applying universal spiritual principles

more workshops...

post-modern dance

this dance-technique training is based in awareness of experiential anatomy, including wisdoms from yoga, bmc and the alexander techniques. we learn the easeful and natural functioning of the body's anatomy and physiology in the highly athletic dance. through releasing extraneous effort and holding in the tissues, power exudes and we find a great freedom in movement, sublime moving experiences and fierce-full-out dancing. included in the class/workshop are practice exercises, improvisation and choreographic processes.

yoga and integrative movement

a fluid practice of asanas with attention to alignment, easefulness in stability, free breath and energetic connectivity. we also use moments of integrative movement, between asana segments based in the wisdoms of alexander technique and authentic movement. chant concludes each class.

movement medicine ritual

the creation of movement-based shamanic rituals that are powerful medicine in marking transitional or transformational occasions in our lives. we become conscious conduits of spiritual expression through movement and music in order to alchemize in line with our chosen intent. organic materials/objects, dances, movement and music, silence and stillness are all forms and symbols that may be used in the creation of our collective ritual.

contact improvisation - mind states and mechanics

keren guides participants into a sublime state of trust and surrender, attuning us to our core impulse and intuitive desires for movement. we study baseline mechanics - for falling, lifting, climbing - engaging wise architecture of the skeleton and the core muscles near the bone. learning both mind-states and mechanics provides for easeful and fluid dancing, with dynamic weight sharing and exchanges, safety and joy in the dance.