Back to All Events

Art of Being: Degrowth/Slowing Down in Bde Óta Othúŋwe ('Many Lakes Town’)/Minneapolis

Photo by Ricardo Adame

Art of Being: De-growth/Slowing Down

Dance/Movement Workshop with Ayako Kato

Saturday, October 14, 2023, 1-3 pm

The Arena

711 W. Lake Street, Studio 308, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408

In Person

Registration details below. Or register at Eventbrite.

There are so many unsaid and even unconscious “must” pressures in society. These also change based on our age, gender, and role in our own family--and even shift in different cultures.  This time, we'll focus on finding out how we are responding to these expectations (intertwined with capitalistic rhythms) and how we can release ourselves from such patterns. Looking at where the conventional and/or social “must” is coming from and what is the true ethical reason to Be (based on human/our own nature), we will explore dance/movement together as we are--with full awareness. 

This time, Mary Willmeng, who is based in Minneapolis and has been a dance colleague of Ayako since 2007, and Ayako are very excited to be able to realize an in-person workshop and share the Art of Being worldview in Minneapolis!!

Dance is the art of being. Ayako wants to offer this workshop as a daily practice of being,—as a human, mover, performer, artist, dancer, and choreographer. Through this practice, Ayako will share the way to find our centered, grounded, and balanced selves through imagery (and physical reality) based exercises. 

Through improvisational and simple compositional exercises, participants will raise a keen awareness of the expansiveness as well as the depth of being. Participants will explore ways to open up the body-mind as an empty conduit to welcome new wind flow through themselves and feel fullness.

Ayako will share how to expand and develop the tangible and intangible tensegrity (tension x integrity) through our bodies and minds to sense new relationships within and around us. Participants will be asked to create their own short dance.

Early Bird Special: $20 (please register by Oct 13); Drop-in: $23-25 (Sliding Scale)

Registration (including for drop-in) is recommended. Registration at Eventbrite.

To register directly, please contact Ayako at furyuayajp(at)gmail.com. Payment details and instructions are below. Registration is complete when you contact Ayako AND payment is sent. Thank you!

For Payment: Zelle (Ayako Tsuchiya, furyuayajp@gmail.com), Venmo (@Ayako-Tsuchiya) or PayPal: paypal.me/AyakoTsuchiya Thank you!

Please contact for any questions: furyuayajp(at)gmail.com (Ayako) or marywillmeng(at) gmail.com (Mary)

Photo by William Frederking