Open Call – Pushing Boundaries
GILA Pedagogy Workshop
An Artistic Practice for Working with the Mature Body
Four-day intensive workshops at DanceEast
21st – 24th August – DanceEast, Jerwood DanceHouse, Foundry Lane, Ipswich IP4 1DW
Applications open 7th June: close when all places are filled.
For the first time in the UK, world renowned choreographer Galit Liss will run an intensive residency – Gila Pedagogy – Practice Laboratory at DanceEast.
A laboratory for practitioners, choreographers, and dance educators who wish to explore the principles and pedagogy of the Gila Methodology – a distinctive approach developed by Galit Liss for professional artistic work with the mature body
There are 25 places available for this exciting opportunity.
What to expect:
The GILA language is an artistic and choreographic language that explores the performative presence of the mature body through its physiological aesthetics. The language has developed over many years of choreographic and creative work with women in later life.
The workshop turns its attention to the body of the present – to the embodied knowledge accumulated over the years, and to the physiological aesthetics shaped by time. Through poetic-somatic research, improvisation and work with imagery, we will explore the presence of the mature body in space, expand its movement possibilities, and discover its unique physical, imagistic and performative qualities.
The exploration will be based on the Four-Layer Model of the GILA language as a pedagogical and choreographic tool:
Attention– The body as matter: listening to sensation, texture, weight, inner pathways and physical detail.
Direction– The body in relation to space: orientation, spatial intention, distance, proximity and the dialogue between body and environment.
Intention– The inner speech carried by the body: mood, image, memory, desire, thought and emotional tone.
Time– Duration, dynamics and musicality: rhythm, suspension, repetition, change, tempo and the personal timing of the mature body.
Throughout the workshop, we will explore pedagogical approaches that support the mature body and allow it to move within an open and attentive space — with awareness of limitations and capacities, and with encouragement towards personal artistic expression.
Participants will experience poetic-somatic tools, imagery work, improvisation, creating movement invitations and guided somatic explorations.
Through these practices, we will deepen the pedagogical nuances of the GILA language: how to illuminate dormant or forgotten areas of the body; how to invite movement without imposing form; how to recognise limitation as a point of departure for research; and how to create a space that supports personal rhythm, embodied memory and physical intelligence. Together, these elements become sources of presence, imagination, movement material and choreographic possibility.
Fee: Dancer’s contribution is £200 for 4-days intensive workshops with Galit Liss. Dancers need to cover their own travel, accommodation and expenses. There is an option to pay in three instalments.
Apply here: https://forms.gle/qqZt1gEd9oxNFnxQ8
About Galit Liss: Galit Liss is an independent choreographer and dance movement researcher, and the founder and artistic director of Gila School of Movement and Stage Art. Galit creates with mature women aged 60–88, many of whom are non-dancers. Her works have been presented at festivals in Israel and abroad. As part of her artistic and social agenda, Galit aspires to push the boundaries of contemporary dance beyond the acceptable perceptions and stereotypes in society and rethink the relevance of any – and every – body. She works to create an artistic space for ageing women and promote the idea of life in a society that enables self-realization and development in the older body. For the past 18 years, Galit has been developing the GILA methodology — a unique movement and choreographic practice that explores the performative presence of the mature body through its physiological aesthetics. Through this long-term practice, she is recognised as a pioneering voice in expanding the visibility and artistic presence of older women on stage. Galit leads GILA workshops internationally for diverse communities, professional dance artists, choreographers, and educators. She lectures at conferences worldwide, exploring the connections between art, society, and artistic and social agency.
Galit Liss is the recipient of the prestigious Rosenblum Prize for the Performing Arts by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality in the category of Artists with Promising Achievements for 2022 and was chosen as one of the ‘Heroes of the Year’ for 2022 by Keshet (Israeli Channel 12) and Mifal HaPais (The Israeli Lottery). She is a member of the Independent Choreographers’ Association, a graduate of the ‘Artists for Social Change’ program 2008 from Musrara School of Photography, Media and New Music, and holds a M.Mus from the Academy of Music and Dance, Jerusalem www.galitliss.com
About EncoreEast: EncoreEast is a performance company of older dancers. We are ambitious in promoting creative, artistic and performance innovation and excellence. We commission professional artists to teach class and workshops, make new work with us, and generate new understandings about dance and older people. Presenting positive images of age, we blur boundaries between professional and community practice.
EncoreEast co-curate HOST with DanceEast; a biennial conference celebrating Dance and Age. We began a national conversation interrogating themes that affect older dancers. The conversation was carried forward at both Ageless Festival, Yorkshire Dance and Elixir, Sadler’s Wells. It revealed a desire by participants to engage in projects that offer rigour, fostering environments that promote extended learning throughout our whole lives. We are curious about how high-quality creativity promotes well-being and through practice we are exploring how and why this happens. https://encoreeastdance.co.uk/ Contact info@encoreeastdance.co.uk
Photo credit Roswitha Chesher, Eli Passi, Stefano Azario
