What to Expect

New to Open Floor? Everything you need to know.

The Open Floor Movement Cycle

Teachers and Therapy in Motion practitioners guide students through the various phases of the Movement Cycle. This may include a combination of structured exercises, verbal guidance, open periods of dance and movement along with supportive music.

We start with  Open Attention. Take time to arrive. Warm up and prepare the body for movement.

Enter your body, enter a theme and the present moment. 

Begin to Explore. This is where we broaden, deepen, expand and move with the Movement Resources.
Settle…digest, integrate.  This helps re-map the nervous system and allows new embodied pathways to be encoded.

FAQs

Yes, we are. Open Floor is a mindfulness practice – doing it with others, to great music and with the guidance of a teacher can be very helpful. Students everywhere join online classes, workshops and groups to learn how to navigate the current state of our world. As we begin to open up in some parts of the world, Open Floor teachers are also offering more and more in-person events.

Visit our Teacher Calendar for more information on our current online offerings.

Classes will vary between 1.25h and 2hrs. Workshops usually take place over several days. 

Class sizes vary greatly, you may find yourself in a small, intimate group with a handful of people or with 100 other dancers – and anything in between.

A water bottle and a journal/notebook if you wish to record your experiences.

Many people like to dance barefoot. Soft shoes are also good. Avoid socks and outdoor shoes. Socks make it easier to slip and get injured. We recommend wearing layers so you can adjust temperature.

Wearing layers and comfortable clothing recommended.

Open Floor uses dance, movement and some talking as a means of meditation and personal development. It is not a performance. All you have to do to be the perfect Open Floor dancer is show up.

Taking part in Open Floor movement classes online means that you can choose if you dance on or off camera…or do a bit of both, or keep your camera turned off entirely if that’s what works for you. 

A dance can look like anything, from a wild boogie to a gently tapping finger. We don’t learn to dance, we dance to learn.

Teachers offer a combination of structured exercises, verbal guidance, open periods of dance, and supportive music to encourage students through the various phases of the movement cycle.

These exercises can be solo, with a partner or in a small group. Pairs and group exercises are optional and don’t involve touch unless you consent to it.

Dancers sometimes do make physical contact but it is neither compulsory nor an essential part of the practice. Everyone is expected to be mindful of consent. We also recognize that the act of initiating, and the accepting or not accepting of physical contact is a vulnerable place for both people.

Your teacher has been trained to facilitate this conversation and keeps a constant eye on the group.

No. Open Floor welcomes people of all religions, spiritual practices and none. We use the term “Spirit” very broadly. It is about having a sense of connection to something larger than ourselves. We sometimes have a visual focal point in the dance space. Some people like to think of it as an altar, others like to think of it as an art installation.

Some Open Floors welcome all children, some have age limits and some are adult only. Check with your teacher beforehand.

HAVE A QUESTION?

Tips for a Great Experience

Words from Students

"I felt elation and freedom. I felt welcome, and like I’d come home. ”
Sasha Renfit
U.S.A.
“It felt fun and nourishing. I slept like a log aftewards, which I don’t often do."
Beatrice Karmann
Italy
"It feels like I'm doing something grown up and meaningful"
Nilay Seyranoglu
U.K.
"There is a sense of inclusion, grace and openness to all. I have landed home ... ”
Jos Carenau
Germany
"I love how I connect with my body, trusting that it will guide me on how it needs and wants to move. ”
Wendy Frazer
U.K.
“I felt very nourished, and my cells in my body are happy. Thank you for a very inspiring way to live life."
Jean claud loredano
France
"I had an amazing experience. I knew conscious dance was something I loved and now I know it even deeper."
Samantha Briatico
Australia

Watch A Class

Open Floor Class in Tel Aviv, Israel with Tammy Vardi

Filmed and edited by Maya Ofer

Open Floor Class in Buenos Aires, Argentina with Laure Noterman

Video made by Jorge (jojo) Paraskevaidis, Music by Kiasmo, Swept

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