Primal Dance Intensive

Tuning the Body-Mind Instrument

Unlike Anything Else Out There

The most common approach to getting better at dance is dancing (and more dancing, and more dancing). And while this is one of the fastest ways to get to a certain level, and super fun at times, it’s not sustainable, invites burn out/injury, and will never get you to the apex of your full human dance potential. To reach new heights, a deep, well rounded foundation is essential.

Or to be more specific, once you get to a certain level, you can jump higher with less back pain without working on jumps, or have better alignment without working on technique, or kick higher and with less effort without working on kicks. How could this be possible?

In this radically unconventional “dance” intensive, we’ll be exploring basic, universal movement principles that inform and support all forms of dance. “Dance” in quotes, because we will not be training any specific dance moves or techniques, yet no matter what kinds of dance you perform, and whatever metric you like to measure yourself by, you will improve significantly.

This principal based system was developed over 22 years of coaching movement and is deeply informed by developmental movements, martial arts, and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Five Elements, specifically customized for professional and pre-professional dancers. Over the course of 2,000 years, the Chinese martial artists uncovered many “movement secrets” and ways of training that can’t be found anywhere else, including the world of professional Olympic sports.

The Power of Primal

There’s a funny thing about movement skills that no one really talks about; some skills are so essential, so integral to our human structure, so brilliant, that they form the foundation for all other moves. No single person made these movements up, they’re the child of eons of evolutionary necessity, generations of exploration, curiosity, and refinement. Just as astounding, these skills are almost never taught at dance studios and schools!

Like a five stringed instrument, each element of the Primal Dance system represents a note on the pentatonic scale of human vibration. Tuning each note of the human instrument allows the dancer to merge with the dance, entering an a state of flow that transcends the canvas of space and time. Each element has a subset of skills that are developed through specific exercises and techniques that allow it’s principles to be discovered and embodied, and an elemental emotion that can provide insight and become a source of creativity and fuel.

• WOOD

  • The Way of the Eyes - your vision sets the spatial template for all movement. Refine your “movement map” by developing your sight.

  • Primal Postures- not just for strong floor work, the precursor and foundation for all verticality. Integrate all sensory information from all the muscles, joints, and senses to upgrade your “sensory GPS”.

  • Breath Activation- develop your innate ability to tap into new levels of energy, stamina, and strength, while also building your immune system.

  • Elemental Emotion: Anger.

• FIRE

  • Sequential Movement Dynamics - mastering the body’s ability to contract/relax through it’s designed sequence allows for powerful, precise, and relaxed movement, while also relieving habitual tension.

  • Primal Strength Skills - merging sensory input with motor output for integrated strength, whole body coordination, and increased anti-fragility.

  • Primal Flow- refine coordination, agility, spatial awareness (inside and out), and increase endurance while optimizing for efficient strength, all at once.

  • Elemental Emotion: Joy/Jealousy.

• EARTH

  • Absorption- ingesting the energy all around and within to nourish yourself, feed of others energy, and channel the audiences attention.

  • Awareness- your intention and attention shapes the movement from the inside out. Mastering the subtle energetic movement the precedes outer movement.

  • Environment- sensitivity to the subtle, set, and setting allows the dancer to become an instrument played by the dance.

  • Elemental Emotion: Anxiety.

• METAL

  • Reflect - mastering your mind set, attitude, and approach to movement, dance, and life. The body as a truth teller, incapable of lying.

  • Protect- creating an energetic seal to dispel negative emotions, unwanted attention, and harmful micro-aggression.

  • Defend- martial movement mechanics for practical self-defense, transferring energy, and working with confrontation/opposing forces.

  • Elemental Emotion: Grief/Sadness

• WATER

  • Moving Meditation- a gentle Tai Chi form, like movement medicine, that heals mind-body-spirit.

  • Sensual Empowerment- from energetic touch, soft touch, sensual (and always consensual) touch, holding/being held, acupressure and tapping, healing touch balances the endocrine/hormonal systems.

  • Stillness Practice- emptying your body-mind-spirit like a peaceful, glassy pond; nothing disturbs it and all is seen clearly in its reflection.

  • Elemental Emotion: Fear

Approach

Our approach is body positive, evidence based, comprehensive, interdisciplinary, intimate, and holistic, a unique integration of western science and eastern wisdom practice that creates an incredibly practical, pleasure based, and empowering experience. Guided by our twenty one years coaching movement as a personal trainer, the process is focused on helping dancers become fluent in and fully embody the language of dance.

You can read more about our approach and what other professional dancers have to say about it here.

Who’s This For?

• Exclusively for professional and pre-professional dancers based in NYC.

• Artists that want to reach their full human potential.

• Dancers interested in energy medicine, holistic movement, and optimal recovery.

• Performers that are ready to break the cycle of work hard, burn out, break down.

• Artists the feel called to teach, train, and lead other dancers.

(Un)Common Benefits

• Decrease joint pain, fatigue and increase energy naturally i.e. career longevity!

• Access new levels of power, strength, and endurance.

• Prevent injuries (while learning from/healing existing ones).

• Master your hormonal cycle and decrease symptoms of PMS and PMDD.

• Develop more awe/respect for your body.

*PLEASE NOTE NONE OF THE PROGRAMS OFFERED BY JONATHAN ARE MEDICAL TREATMENTS AND SHOULD NOT REPLACE MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS.

Shall we dance?

Applications are currently closed for the summer season. Please use the button below if you’d like to be notified of the next intensive or have any questions.

There is a 90m introductory workshop to the Primal Dance system, “Tuning the Body Instrument” on Tuesday, August 2nd @ 12pm. It is open to all professional and pre-professional dancers. More details here.