The BodyCartography Project's
Golden Bay Retreat
February 1-10th 2004
with Otto Ramstad and Olive Bieringa

This workshop will focus on deepening our dance practice and our dance making in direct response to the environment. With the environment becoming our contact partner we will explore improvisational choreography alongside outdoor adventure, body-mind centering, videography and meditative practices.The BodyCartography Project's
Golden Bay Retreat
February 1-10th 2004
with Otto Ramstad and Olive Bieringa

This workshop will focus on deepening our dance practice and our dance making in direct response to the environment. With the environment becoming our contact partner we will explore improvisational choreography alongside outdoor adventure, body-mind centering, videography and meditative practices.With the environment Each day we will travel to different locations situated in Able Tasman National Park, Kahurangi National Park and around Golden Bay to dance on stunning beaches, in limestone caves, fish filled rivers, native forest and rugged mountains.

The BodyCartography Project performs in public spaces, creating a physical dialogue between ourselves and the environments in which we work. Through focused research and playful exploration we utilize movement to explore the relationship between public life and artistic expression across landscapes, communities and countries. The project is co-directed by Olive Bieringa and Otto Ramstad.

Since 1997 we have created over one hundred and thirty performance events internationally with more than four hundred participants and reaching an audience of tens of thousands. Performance highlights include events in the ruins of Sutro Baths in San Francisco, in a dump truck in Minneapolis, Wellington Harbour in New Zealand, the Burning Man Festival in the desert of Nevada among others. BodyCartography are the winners of the 2003 NZ Fringe Festival Pelorus Trust Creativity Award for Lagoon. Our dance video works Wharepapa and Room have been screened in festivals internationally. We are currently developing a new dance video work for Minnesota with support from the Jerome Foundation and Forecast Public Art Works.

Otto Ramstad's performance springs from a desire to share the experience of being human as a way to entertain share and educate. His dance is informed by a pervasive interest in movement that has led him to bring performances infused by the physical practices of Butoh, Capoeira Angola, Contemporary Dance, and Tai Chi. In turn his video work is an in depth study of the moving picture, at once visual and kinesthetic. He is a Certified Practitioner of Body-Mind Centering ®' and uses dance and video to create communication between performers and audiences. In teaching Ramstad creates an environment that supports individuals to draw from their own creativity and innate intelligence. Individuals can then interact with the material presented from a centered and grounded place that fosters embodiment. His has taught in public workshops and institutions throughout the US, Canada and New Zealand in dance, performance and video for children and adults.

Olive Bieringa is the founder of the BodyCartography Project and the curator of the Kinesthetic Eye, a dance for camera event that tours internationally. She has taught numerous improvisational, mixed ability and site-specific dance workshops and masterclasses internationally at retreat centers, universities, schools, dance festivals and companies. Her training includes intensive work with dance innovators Lisa Nelson, Eva Karczag and Joan Skinner. Her dancing has been seen in solo work in addition to the work of Katsura Kan, Deborah Hay, Eva Karczag, Jennifer Monson, Sara Shelton Mann, Emilyn Claid, Karen Nelson, amongst others. She holds a degree in Dance:

Performance & Improvisation from the European Dance Development Center, is a certified DanceAbility teacher and Shiatsu bodyworker and is currently a student at the School for Body-Mind Centering ®.

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The cost of the workshop for people New Zealanders and Australians is $850 NZ and covers tuition, room, board & local transport within the workshop period. For people living in Golden Bay the drop in rate is $40 a day ( not including room, board & local transport). Workstudy is available. Please let us know when you regsiter.

Accomodation will be a combination of single rooms, shared rooms and camping. We will walk and drive to different sites around the area. Food will be prepared daily for us from fresh local produce.

All participants must be fit and able to hike for several hours each day, carrying camping equipment and food if neccesary. Participants will provide their own camping gear.

Transportation to New Zealand and to Golden Bay is to be booked individually and is not included in the workshop fee. Airlines that fly to NZ; Air NZ, United, Qantas. Flying into Christchurch or Wellington would be the most direct route. Public transportation runs from these cities to Golden Bay.

More specific information is available on request and will be sent to participants as deposits are received including a list of what to bring.

More information about the location of the workshop can be discovered on these website:

http://Golden Bay
Kahurangi-National-Park
http://www.abeltasman.co.nz/

People interested in participating should send
a short bio including any info about your dance & art-making experience, a short statement as to your interest in participating in the workshop
a non-refundable deposit of $150 by October 31st.

In case of the workshops cancellation all deposits will be refunded in full. People registering after October 31st please add a $35 late fee. Full registration must be received by December 15th, 2003.

Checks and money orders should be made out to
The BodyCartography Project and mailed to
3528 10th Ave South,
Apt 1
Minneapolis
MN 55407
USA

Find out more about what we do at
www.bodycartography.org