Approach

The hungry ghost in eastern philosophy represents the insatiable hunger alive in people often associated with craving and addiction. It is represented most popularly by the spirit character “no face” in the Hayao Miyazaki movie Spirited Away and is a focal point in Gabor Maté’s book In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. The hungry ghost can also be found in the Gollum/Sméagul character of J.R.R. Tolkein’s novel, The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings.

Stripping has roots in many dancing cultures including the ballet, as an exchange between dancer and patron. It is a form of sex work intertwined with complex power dynamics, stigma, secrecy, self-employment, unstable employment, underground economy, the purchasing of pleasure, charm industry and so much more. It’s important to note that this form of indoor sex work sits on a different part of the safety spectrum than outdoor and survival sex work—although there may be overlap between the two.

This workshop will begin with a work-out that draws from qigong, physiotherapy and wxmb cxre—a practice in breath, voice and movement to warm the body from the inside out. Participants will experience a spine, breath, and voice tuning that extends towards the limbs with a high level of physicality before diving into state based improvisations.

The research aspect of this workshop plays with the myth of personality and contradiction. After warming up, we will dive into state based research. We will turn this research into a personal choreography before collectively expanding upon it as a group phrase and living document of our time shared together. Be prepared to sweat!…and travel through time on your somatic journey as we explore different aspects of the self.

"I invite people to be mindful when playing with these movements. I encourage working at the “resilient edge of resistance”—a term named by Chester Mainard. This term was formed in the context of erotic massage to describe a touch that isn’t too hard and isn’t too soft. How can we apply this term as a way of exploring movement? I’m not sure about you, but I imagine it in a way that balances pushing one's limits while taking care in the social context of a workshop setting."