Ground Floor Lab with Majero Bouman and Kaia Hawkins

We are so excited to welcome you into the collective wisdom that is Open Floor Movement Practice.

This Ground Floor Lab is the first time this work will be presented as an ongoing group. Kaia and Majero both believe that embodiment is a political act and when danced in community, is a space for radical change.

As we expand movement vocabulary in braver and safer space, we grow our capacity to connect to both self and other; we meet our edges and build compassion for all parts of ourselves; we learn to risk, and find strength in seeing and being seen for who and how we are, moment to moment.

Kia ora, Majero and Kaia.
                    

ABOUT

This Ground Floor Lab is a 5-week online course, held on zoom over 5 Saturday sessions from October 5th to November 2 for those in the Americas; and 5 Sunday sessions from October 6th – November 3rd for those in Oceania. (NZT).  

The course is open to participants from Oceania and the Americas, including Australia, Aotearoa, and Pacific Nations, North, Central and South America. Content will be offered in English.

Ground Floor Lab provides an intensive introduction to the Open Floor curriculum and includes access to online community and resources throughout the 5 week period. It is beneficial for anyone who wants to learn how to teach Open Floor, and other movement practices.
                   

TEACHERS

Kaia Hawkins is a dynamic embodiment teacher and advocate known for her fearless approach to transformative growth. Rooted in a deep connection to Māori culture and a fierce commitment to decolonisation, Kaia intertwines Art in Motion practices with a focus on personal awareness and healing. As the founder of Manahau Embodied Movement, Kaia cultivates bold, inclusive spaces that challenge norms and empower individuals to reclaim their narratives. With a background steeped in movement and cultural exploration, Kaia invites participants to explore embodied practices that honor their identities and provoke meaningful change. He uri nō Ngāti Kahunugnu ki Wairoa me te Ngā Ruahine.

Majero Bouman is a cultural theorist, artist, and life-long dancer. As an Open Floor Teacher she merges the intellectual and inspirational. Rooted in service to cultural transformation, community responsibility, and self-awareness Majero holds that movement practice is a political act that connects us deeply to ourselves and others  - in service to communion - making the intangible visible. Her students appreciate the grit, substance, and curiosity she brings to teaching. She is committed to making dance accessible to people from all walks of life: the ordinary and the unconventional, those who dance and those who never knew they could.

WHY ONLINE?

We want to offer this course to as many people as possible. Often to attend a week-long course requires taking time off work, organising childcare, or other logistics that are not affordable or accessible for everyone. So, we have created an online course, over 5 weeks, to try and bring this Ground Floor Lab to a diverse range of people in Oceania and the Americas. Majero and Kaia are skilled online teachers, ready to create a connected community online.

Majero became curious about practicing embodiment over zoom after she started creating online classes at the start of Covid. This culminated in research and an upcoming book chapter, “BeLonging in the Digital Divide: A Mimetic Play for Somanic Intimacy” in Mimetic Posthumanism (Brill, 2024). Her Writing in Motion ongoing groups called ReMix have been running consistently since 2020, and she has added online workshops and free classes as well.

Kaia offers a diversity of classes and workshops online that engage Art in Motion, Movement, and Politics. Their work around DeRacinating White Supremacy culture and radical creativity sets their online offerings apart as brave spaces for mattering movement.
                   
PRICING

The pricing structure of the Ground Floor Lab aligns with Open Floor values of inclusivity. There are differences across our participants, geographically and in social status and privilege, which we welcome. We offer more flexible and inclusive price options to embody economic justice. “One price for all” plays into restrictive and exclusive systems. Those who don’t have a lot of money either can’t join, or the price is set so low that the programme is not financially sustainable. 

Based on this information, find a contribution that works for you, in line with your values and recognising what the Ground Floor Lab will offer you. Details for each rate are available in the ticket options.

Prices are in Canadian dollars, but you can pay in your currency through Humanitix. If you prefer to pay via Bank Transfer in Canadian or New Zealand dollars, please contact our producer, Lil - lily.dellaporta@gmail.com. 

SCHOLARSHIPS
We have some scholarship places available at a reduced rate. These scholarships are for anyone who is feeling a strong call to join us, but is unable to meet the cost. 

Please contact our producer if you need a scholarship: lily.dellaporta@gmail.com
                   

PREREQUISITES

You will have completed at least 50 combined hours of facilitated practice in embodied movement modalities. Facilitated practice means live classes working with a teacher. This could be online or in-person.

Embodied movement modalities* could include (and are not limited to): Open Floor, Soul Motion, Movement Medicine, 5Rhythms, freedomDance, ZeroOne, 360 Emergence, Azul, BISO, Tamalpa, Authentic Movement, Continuum, Laban, Martial Arts, Yoga, Tai Chi, Alexander Technique and Somatic Experiencing. 

To support your understanding of this in-depth exploration of our curriculum, it is recommended that some of these hours be in open floor movement practice.

You will need access to a computer, a stable internet connection and a quiet space to take part.

We welcome people of all physical abilities. 

*We welcome practitioners of all movement modalities. If you have practiced a movement modality that is not listed here, let us know so we can update our list. 
                   
SCHEDULE

Our course will take place online, via Zoom, in 5 live sessions over 5 weeks. In between sessions, we’ll be providing an online community space, via Mighty Networks, to connect and share resources. 

We want to offer this Ground Floor Lab to as many people as possible in multiple countries across Oceania and the Americas. This means we’re working across multiple time zones: Saturdays in the Americas; Sundays in Oceania.

Please find your time zone below:

Session 1: 
PDT Saturday 5th October 12 PM – 3 PM, 4 PM – 7 PM
CDT Saturday 5th October 2 PM – 5 PM, 6 PM – 9 PM
EDT Saturday 5th October, 3 PM – 6 PM, 7 PM – 10 PM
AEST Sunday 6th October, 6 AM – 9 AM,  10 AM – 1 PM
NZT Sunday 6th October, 8 AM – 11 AM, 12 PM –  3 PM

Session 2:
PDT Saturday 12th October 12 PM – 3 PM, 4 PM – 7 PM
CDT Saturday 12th October 2 PM – 5 PM, 6 PM – 9 PM
EDT Saturday 12th October, 3 PM – 6 PM, 7 PM – 10 PM
AEST Sunday 13th October, 6 AM – 9 AM,  10 AM – 1 PM
NZT Sunday 13th October, 8 AM – 11 AM, 12 PM –  3 PM

Session 3: 
PDT Saturday 19th October 12 PM – 3 PM, 4 PM – 7 PM
CDT Saturday 19th October 2 PM – 5 PM, 6 PM – 9 PM
EDT Saturday 19th October, 3 PM – 6 PM, 7 PM – 10 PM
AEST Sunday 20th October, 6 AM – 9 AM,  10 AM – 1 PM
NZT Sunday 20th October, 8 AM – 11 AM, 12 PM –  3 PM

Session 4: 
PDT Saturday 26th October 12 PM – 3 PM, 4 PM – 7 PM
CDT Saturday 26th October 2 PM – 5 PM, 6 PM – 9 PM
EDT Saturday 26th October, 3 PM – 6 PM, 7 PM – 10 PM
AEST Sunday 27th October, 6 AM – 9 AM,  10 AM – 1 PM
NZT Sunday 27th October, 8 AM – 11 AM, 12 PM –  3 PM

Session 5: 
PDT Saturday 2nd November 12 PM – 3 PM, 4 PM – 7 PM
CDT Saturday 2nd November 2 PM – 5 PM, 6 PM – 9 PM
EDT Saturday 2nd November, 3 PM – 6 PM, 7 PM – 10 PM
AEST Sunday 3rd November, 6 AM – 9 AM,  10 AM – 1 PM
NZT Sunday 3rd November, 8 AM – 11 AM, 12 PM –  3 PM

GET IN TOUCH
If you have any questions our producer, Lil, will be happy to hear from you. To get in touch, send an email to lily.dellaporta@gmail.com and they will get back to you.