5Rhythms is a creative movement practice, and there is no 'one best way' to do this. What is most important is that you breath, keeping finding your feet and listen to your own body. Our energy levels differ, and you are asked to follow your own energy, finding how your body can move at this time, to this music, in this rhythm, and be open to the possibility of change.

It's fine to work at your own pace or work on the floor. If you do need to rest, I may come and give you some ideas about how to stay connected to the work while resting. 

The first part of the class is a warm up, where we are warming up the sound equipment, warming up the floor, and most important, warming up our bodies. Please arrive in plenty of time to dance the warm up. I will then take us through a Body Parts meditation where we bring our mind down into our body, with awareness and attention. We then move through a Wave of the 5Rhythms of Flow, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness.

• In Flow we are following our feet, finding our fluidity, connecting to the ground of our own body in movement
• In Staccato we are expressing ourselves in shapes that connect with the world around us, finding our beat.
• In Chaos we are releasing tension, letting go and releasing into movement energy that is stuck
• In Lyrical we are experimenting with new moves and new dances, playing with the space around us
• In Stillness we are are dancing with the breath, opening to what connects us all, seeking moments to pause in movement.

Generally we work bare footed, but soft shoes are fine - please no heels or socks without shoes!

Some nice things said about me and my classes

'I like the way you turn 'mistakes,' ruptures and interruptions into wisdoms…the way you think on and with your feet.
 I love the music you put together, with twists and turns, unexpected warm familiarity with fresh intriguing tunes,  almost like you know how best to heal or salve the happenings of the last song and open up new and different spaces in the gaps…..
I like the respect you show for everyone's  movement….I like the boring dance,  the difficult dance,  the awkward,  the wild,  the gentle,  the weird, the fast, the slow….I can feel a sense of acceptance growing in me,  for all of my dances. Thank you for creating the space that makes this seem like a possibility. (Dancer, Bradford workshops and class)'

'The Movement as Spiritual Practice workshops were fantastic.  We were a diverse bunch of people - not well known to each other, and with varying levels of experience - but each time you would weave us all together, gradually, with great delicacy and subtlety, so that something very magical happened.  I never felt forced or pushed into anything; on the contrary, I felt a great sense of freedom to move however my body felt like moving, and the special connections that arose in the group seemed to happen almost unexpectedly.  The workshops were helped by your supply of great music' (Chris, Bradford workshops).

'...a beautifully choreographed, elegantly held, magical space where I had a glorious, cathartic dance. Thank you from the soles of my feet and the depths of my heart to the tips of my sweaty hair' (Kay, Bradford class)

It was intense, deep, raw, beautiful, cleansing and connecting, just what I needed. Thank you for your vitality, energy and passion. Magic happened'. (Jayne, Bradford class)