Expressive Movement
Current Sessions:
Click the location below to book your place
All sessions are 7pm-8:30pm. £15 (£10 concession).
If price is the only thing preventing you, then please get in touch, as I have
bursaries available.
Archiestown & Nairn coming soon!
Tingling with a little curiosity?Please get in touch to enquire, or take a look at my social links below
What is Expressive Movement?
Expressive Movement is a conscious dance practice, created in 2009 by Sian Palmer. It is inspired by Movement Medicine, 5 Rhythms, Laban Movement and Jungian Theory. The dance carries the dancer through 5 phases of a “wave” with the help of a variety of music. Each of the 5 phases is linked to an element (earth, fire, water, air and ether), to help guide the body on a journey of self discovery, connection and release. The dance floor is a wonderful place to explore and be curious about life. I have some FAQs below, or you can Read more about Expressive Movement.
What happens in an Expressive Movement class?
When you arrive there will be gentle music playing. Arrive how you wish - sit down, lie down, walk, stretch. The session begins with a 25 minute warm up to music where we become more present in the body, noticing how it is and making sure each part is warm and awake. Usually there is a 10 minute focused exercise where we explore an element of movement and its metaphor in more detail. Then we dance the main “wave” which is about 45 minutes. The facilitator guides the movers with some vocal prompts and invitations, but each participant is in control of their own dance and moves as the body wishes and needs.
Do I need to have dance experience?
Absolutely not! Expressive Movement is for everyone. There’s no set moves, no right or wrong and movements can be small and internal. All that is needed is a sense of curiosity to explore what is.
What should I wear?
Wear anything that you feel comfortable moving in - layers are always good. We dance barefoot so that we can feel the sensitivity of the feet. However, if this is not comfortable with you then of course socks or safe shoes are fine. Please bring a water bottle.
What’s your experience?
I loved dancing freely as a child. I would put on my parents’ records, open the door wide into the garden and fling myself around with joy. I studied ballet, tap, Spanish, Irish, jazz, you name it! I loved learning routines and performing, but nothing came close to the freeing feeling of letting my body lead the way. I slowly drifted away from formal dance for various reasons, but whilst at University I discovered more conscious dance practices. 15 years later after my second child turned 1, I realised that I deeply needed to dance again. I found Sian and Expressive Movement and knew that this was the stream for me. I trained to be a facilitator in 2022-2023 and am loving bringing this wonderful practice to Moray and the Highlands. I have also have a 300 hour Personal Embodiment certificate in level 1 of The Tamalpa Life Art Process where I discovered anatomy and had a deeper dive into the wisdom of the body.
