OPEN FLOOR movement practice

Human beings are born to move. When we dance we thrive — physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This is our Common Ground. The foundation we return to as we explore the dance as pathway to awareness, resilience, responsibility, and generosity.  

As long as we choose to live in culture and fully embody all aspects of the lives we're living, it makes Common Sense to turn toward practices that merge contemplative practice with the wisdom and science of the human condition. We dance into our lives, including and transcending current structures of identification, rooting deeper and reaching higher as we stay present to anything and everything: loving, losing, colliding, learning, creating, connecting, feeling. We learn to come to our senses and stay with our experience whether it's good or bad, over time becoming fluid, flexible, and free to experience ALL of the wild and subtle moments of our lives; the ones that are heavenly and the ones that drop us to our knees.  

The Open Floor is a place for creative focus and loving attention - a lively moving meditation that offers every mover the opportunity to increase awareness, deepen Presence, and transcend limitations.  Our practice is one of embodying core movement principles dedicated to the Common Good and benefit of all beings.  

Common ground. Common sense.  Common good. These are the tenets we honor on the Open Floor.                                      

To learn more about the Open Floor or to find a dance floor across the globe, visit www.openfloor.org

The structure of AN OPEN FLOOR CLASS

In truth, whether you've been dancing for years or find yourself stepping onto the floor for the first time, each dance holds the potential for transformation and change when we enter with curiosity and stay connected to what's arising through our body and our movement. 

In a typical 2-hr class there are no steps to learn ~ no “right” ways to dance. Instead, through gently guided facilitation, self-exploration and integration, we open possibilities for experiencing the body in new ways. Stirred by music, clear guidance, solo time and connection with others, we shape landscapes that inspire wild dances and tender ones; traverse a variety of levels of embodiment - physical, emotional, mental, soulful; and engage the hungers of our humanity - solitude, connection, community, and Spirit.

The Movement Cycle is the structure that holds us, again and again. We can cycle once per class or multiple times, yet always follow this arc…this pulse…which supports and syncs the natural rhythms of our nervous system. 

Open Attention: Open our senses to the present moment, our own body breathing, and our environment.

Enter/Explore: Following the guidance of a facilitator, enter an embodied resource, first locally then globally, and explore what emerges from our body of the day.

Settle: Pause. Rest. Integrate. Allow the work to settle.

Stay.  As with any meditation practice, distractions happen – expect them.  Just gently bring your attention back to movement. 

• Pace yourself.  No matter what the rest of the room is doing, listen to your body. Relax in the beat to refuel. 

• Stretch yourself.  If you always keep to yourself, include someone else in your dance. If you prefer dancing with a partner, try going solo. Slow down. Speed up. Experiment. Break a habit. Imitate somebody and see how it feels.  

• It’s not about the music. Teachers use music to catalyze movement. Love it or hate it, how you respond is up to you. Use everything as fuel for your dance.  

• Don't give up.  We all hit patches of fatigue, boredom, shyness, frustration, or discomfort. Even if you can only wiggle a finger or nod your head to the beat, stay with it until something changes. Most often, it will. Trust me...stay and it will change. 

Enjoy yourself!  Excessive seriousness will slow you down!