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Welcome to the 11th season of Movement Artisans
DANCE AS A RESEARCH PRACTICE
axis syllabus/contact improvisation/somatics
Introductory Module + 5 Modules including 3 week Summer Residency
November 2025 - October 2026
Our program “Dance as a Research Practice” is inspired by two foundational approaches: Contact Improvisation and the Axis Syllabus.These form the core of the training. Both initiatives inspire dancers to engage with questions of perception, agency, and embodiment, encouraging them to approach movement as a form of inquiry and knowledge-making as well as expression. This modular training is aimed at dancers, movement artists, athletes, therapists, and scholars who wish to deepen their practice, connect theory and movement, and shape dance as a medium for transformation. Each module is enriched by contributions from somatic practitioners, scholars, and artists who open up diverse perspectives on embodied knowledge. At the heart of the program is self-directed learning: it offers impulses, guidance, and tools to actively shape your own learning path. Movement Artisans are long-standing members and supporters of the Lake Studio community. They create creative and dynamic learning spaces where individual research can flourish – and the joy of movement remains alive.
The « Introductory Module » gives an opportunity: to engage with our core curriculum (before the start of the 11th season of Movement Artisans). Whether you are new to our program or looking to dive deeper, this module provides a comprehensive introduction and a chance to begin your journey with us.
Introductory Module: November 3 - 9 (1 week)
with Kira Kirsch, Antoine Ragot and Peter Pleyer
Becoming Tender - neuromuscular repatterning
The evolutionary echo of hips and shoulders
Body as Witness - a somatic history lab
Module #1 December 29 - January 11 (14 days )
with Kira Kirsch, Antoine Ragot, Jörg Hassmann, Johannes Anzenhofer & Nica Portavia
Heels & Hips - articulate masses
Lightness & Yielding - scales of sharing weight
Channeling Forces - embodying physics
Rhythm & Pulse - music and musicality
Module #2: February 23 - March 1 (7 days)
with Kira Kirsch, Antoine Ragot and Nina Wehnert
Gravity, Midlines & Presence
From Crawl to Flight: leg–arm coordination in motion
Nervous System & Fluids BMC®
Module #3: April 27 - May 3 (7days)
with Kira Kirsch, Antoine Ragot and Filippo Serra
Bones Whispering - Paleoanthropolgy & Comparative Anatomy
Functional Flow - strength building for dancers
Excitable Tissues - Tone, Tension, Tissue Response
JUNE RESIDENCY Module #4: June 8 - 28 (21 days)
WEEK I June 8 - 13
Live music: Barnaby Tree
States of Readyness - tension, timing and space awareness / Antoine
The Quiet Alchemy of Steps - walking analysis continued / Kira
Embodied Somatic History - anatomical release, developmental patterns & viewpoint theory / Peter Pleyer
Special: Open Ateliers - Performance & Open Jam
WEEK II June 15 - 20
Live music: Barnaby Tree
Scoring As Method - collective research strategies / Kira
Micro movements - expanding with fine motor explorations of neck and sacrum / Antoine
Always More Than One - Contact Improvisation / Katja Mustonen
Special: Unfinished Fridays
WEEK III June 22 - 27
The Body Orchestra - the body as a polyphonic system / Kira
Cellular Presence - Body Mind Centering / Nina Wehnert
Tides and Drift - dynamic principles in contact / Antoine Ragot
Module #5: September 21 - 30, 2026 (10 days)
program coming soon..
Research Days: October 1 - 3, 2026
FAQ
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Modules are open for individual booking, yet we give priority to those joining multiple modules — nurturing a steady, balanced core group that can grow together over time.
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We invite you to share a short introduction to your background, so we can sense how our shared space might best support your learning and exploration.
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Over the course of the season, the material is composed like a mosaic — non-linear in form, returning to and revisiting topics from slightly different angles, allowing ideas to refract, deepen, and connect in unexpected ways.
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Beginnings are Mondays with registration opening at 9am and Sessions starting at 10am. Ending times vary. Details are indicated in the application form.
"We promote a working environment where students can follow their individual learning curve, attend to their specific limitations, have time to work on necessary adaptations as well guiding them towards and through challenges. We intend to create modes of learning that integrate personal objectives as well as heighten awareness towards the practice in and as a group. We aim for creating an atmosphere that is inclusive and non-judgemental, helping students feel confident to explore and experiment, leading them towards a deepening of experiencing with themselves and others. It is important to us to offer tangible knowledge and clear motives for chosen principles or material. We truly enjoy being hosts and guides, facilitating an inspiring, joyous and rigorous program as furthering education" Kira and Antoine