The Circle Interviews
The Score got a chance to catch up with Monika Körschner who is the Operational Lead for the Open Floor International Embodied Sexuality Circle* about the new energy and what direction the circle is going.
The Score: What’s been happening in your circle?
Monika: This year the Libido Circle expanded to become the Embodied Sexuality Circle. We freshly formed a new circle of teachers who all bring their own expertise and qualities in the realm of sexuality. The current members Cynthia Kennedy, Elizabeth Barnum, Andrea Juhan, Cathy Ryan, and me welcomed Trudes Tango, Tamara Romaniuk, Tammy Vardi. It feels very exciting and energizing. I am curious about what we will co-create for the larger field of OFI trainees, teachers, dancers, and movers.
The Score: What feels juicy for you in the work your circle is doing, now and in the last year?
Monika: The new Embodied Sexuality circle will be co-creating guidelines and curriculum to be offered as part of OFI trainings. The new Embodied Sexuality Curriculum will be for every Open Floor Teacher who wants to include Embodied Sexuality in their teaching. It’s not just about Libido teachers and programs anymore. It will be a much larger offering that is for teachers to use with different kinds of settings, groups, and audiences. For example, a teacher can create classes for specific a population – like teens, or queer communities, etc. The work will be adaptable, but there will be basic key elements and guidelines as an anchor and foundation to the work.
That’s what I find really juicy about Open Floor in general and this circle: The different cultures and backgrounds. Coming together and finding the essence of what is always present when you teach Embodied Sexuality. Expanding the circle to build new curriculum, to include more kinds of teachers, from different backgrounds, and create new ways to teach Embodied Sexuality in the future.
The Score: Where do you see your volunteer time making a difference in the OFI?
Monika: I feel so much love, full-hearted passion for this work. I gives me the heat, joy and vector to guide this circle to find ways how to bring this work into the world.
I am grateful for Andrea’s intelligence, experience and compassion which created an exquisite foundation for this work, which now can be expanded to a differentiated inclusive mix in an ever-evolving world.
Sexuality is always present, so nearby. It stirs as soon as we start to move our bodies. Giving it visibility, naming it – giving students tools to be with it – can be so liberating. That is why I want to dedicate my time to this part of Open Floor.
Open Floor is distinguished from other dance and embodied movement practices in how we name and bring sexuality in to the curriculum – a beautiful holistic container for embodied sexuality work.
*OFI runs the organization on a system of governance called Sociocracy. In sociocracy, also called Dynamic Governance, the operations and leadership of the organization are executed by volunteers who work within “circles”. Each circle is like a “branch” or “department” within the organization. The Operational Lead acts as a liaison between various circles and a “project manager” of sorts for the work and development of their circle.
**Working Members are volunteers that work with OFI through our sociocracy model.
***Andrea Juhan created the Libido Fundamentals curriculum.
