ABOUT
Javier Cura (full curriculum in PDF) is an argentine american multidisciplinary artist. He completed his Master in Modern Literature at Buenos Aires University (Argentina). He has dedicated himself to the Fine Arts having created several art exhibitions of objects, sculptures and installations in Bs.As, Arg.
He has performed, directed and created dance theatre shows in Argentina, Colombia, USA, Italy, Germany and Indonesia. He presently teaches contact-tango, physical theatre and contact-improv internationally and regularly visits England, Italy, France, Czeck Rep, Germany and Argentina. He has been invited to teach at ZIP Contact Impro festival at Orvieto, Italy, at the Freiburg Contact Festival in Germany, at Alchemie Tango Festival in Prague, at the West Coast Contact Impro Festival, San Francisco (USA) and at Phantastango Tango Festival in Germany.
His last piece that merges tango and contact in a physical-theatre context was presented in Prague’s Dance Theatre “Farma Festival”, in Italy’s Terni Festival and in Mar del Plata, Argentina. In 2009, he was invited by Fabrik Potsdam Dance Theatre Festival to create a Physical Theatre and Tango show with participants of his workshops. He is currently living in Berlin where he is conducting a research on Contact Improvisation expression at the Berlin Free University.
THE ECOLOGICAL BODY
We are animals that evolved through movement. Science now confirms how subtly intertwined is movement with body-mind development. Movement positively affects our own health, emotional moods, focused attention, memory and learning process to name just some.
On the contrary, all our “developed” societies have become primarily sedentary. We spend the majority of our time sitting, and consequently we have developed what has initially been called “diseases of captivity” because of the close similarities with the diseases suffered by animals in captivity. Actually, they are called “diseases of affluence” because they are generally suffered by the part of societies who have become wealthier and who can afford to “outsource” its vital movements, (e.g. movements related to food, transport, shelter, etc.), on someone else or something else.
The list of diseases of affluence related to our lifestyle go from obesity, heart diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, cerebrovascular disease, some types of cancer, as well as attention deficit disorder, depression, anxiety, etc., etc.
THE ECOLOGICAL BODY practice wants to bring awareness over all of these with the purpose of empowering ourselves through the joy of movement.
First of all, a change of perspective will allow us to bring movement into our everyday life, and not just as exercise at the end of a working day. Life offers plenty of opportunities to opt for movement: we can positively affect the design of our living environment (our homes, offices, clothes, transport, etc) as well as our everyday life choices.
It becomes empowering because it brings awareness precisely of the choices we have. More importantly, what we choose regarding movement will affect our life and also the life of other human and non human beings.
As a corpus of practices we will use a variety of elements going from Tai Chi, to Contact Improvisation, Tango and Physical theatre. Tai chi provides dynamic grounding and softness. Contact and Tango: the possibility to relate with others via music, touch and play. And Physical theatre proposals will provide possibilities of affirmative expression and creativity.
To read and analyse our practice, we will bring together elements from Biomecanics, Ecology and Bionergetics. From these perspectives we will ask ourselves how our movements affect our biology? What could be e.g the consequences in short and long term of a specific movement?
We want to become movement gatherers so as to track the consequences of what we physically do in our muscles, bones, tendons, emotions, brains, society and Nature. We want to trace the continuum between a physical movement and its progressive echoes going through our body-mind into the rest of the world
AGENDA
…………………..2024…
January 13-14, Berlin. “Directing actors for filmakers” Info: Daniel Dietz daniel@catalyst-berlin.com +49 171 4211234
January 20-21 Prague, Czech Rep: “From Spirals into animal flow into Contact tango”. Info: druna@druna.cz +420 725 449 409
February 16-17, Buenos Aires, Argentina. “Contact tango in studio, water & forest”. Info: Gudalupe Santiago tangoimpro@gmail.com +54 9 223 557-3055
February 23 – 25 Brno, Czech Rep. “From Spirals into animal flow into Contact tango”. Info: jitka.mozorova@protyboty.cz & lotte.nouwkens@telenet.be +420 777 197 022
March 2-3 Prague “A Dragon Dance: towards a creative contact tango mix” Info: druna@druna.cz +420 725 449 409
March 9-10 Berlin. “A Dragon Dance: grounded movement & multiplicity of spaces, towards a creative contact tango mix” Info: druna@druna.cz +420 725 449 409
March 23 Berlin. UHU Contact tango lesson, Jam Party, DJ, Potlatch dinner & Sauna. Info: zeit-los@gmx.de
March 29- April 2 Schloss Bettenburg, Germany. “Contact tango Holy Easter”. Info: AlexandraSchwarz@gmx.net +49 171 1781490
April 5 -7 La Spezia, Italy. “Flow dance in water, studio & Nature”. Info: patriziabelardipb@gmail.com +39 340 393 8045
April 13 Berlin. UHU: Contact tango lesson, Jam Party, DJ, Potlatch dinner & Sauna. Info: zeit-los@gmx.de
April 24 – 28 Monterossi, Italy “Contact tango in Nature and Studio”. Info: rainerneumann111@gmail.com & javier@theecologicalbody.de
May 4-5 Berlin. Workshop & Jam Info: javier@theecologicalbody.de+4917621452059
May 8-12 Viska, Czech Republic. “Spiraling from Nature to Dance studio through Ecological body”. Info: natalie.Sedlicka@seznam.cz (+420) 608 862 706
May 25-26 Prague. “Contact Tango in Prague”. Info: druna@druna.cz +420 725 449 409
June 1st Berlin UHU Contact tango lesson, Jam Party, DJ, Potlatch dinner & Sauna. Info: zeit-los@gmx.de
June 7-9 Brno, Czech Rep. “Contact tango”. Info: jitka.mozorova@protyboty.cz & lotte.nouwkens@telenet.be +420 777 197 022
June 15-16 Berlin. Workshop & Jam Info: javier@theecologicalbody.de +4917621452059
July 19th till 28th Poland Summer Residency
ANOTHER WALK ON THE WILD SIDE:
The Human Animal: Evolutionarymovement developed in Nature, principles of Bio Mechanics, Tai Chi, Somatics, Play Fight, voice movement, Body percussion applied to dances as Contact Impro, tango, Free Creative expression. Info: javier@theecologicalbody.de+4917621452059 http://www.piotrowicenyskie.
August 23 – 31. Italy Summer Residency in Gaia, Le Marche http://www.gaiabb.it/index.
MOVEMENT HUNTER:
FLOWING INTO THE DEPTHS OF WATER and NATURE. Info:javier@theecologicalbody.de +4917621452059
September 13-15, La Spezia, Italy. “Physical Theatre Improvisation workshop for professionals & amatuers”. Info Associazione Mirpo: https://www.mirpo.it/ Guglielmo Perez info@mirpo.it +39 328 918 9082
September 21st Berlin. UHU: Contact tango lesson, Jam Party, DJ, Potlatch dinner & Sauna. Info: zeit-los@gmx.de +491603234290
September 27-29, Brno, Czech Rep. “Contact tango”. Info: https://www.facebook.com/
September 27-29, Brno, Czech Rep. “Contact tango”. Info: jitka.mozorova@protyboty.cz & lotte.nouwkens@telenet.be +420 777 197 022
October 1st Berlin Contact tango lesson & Jam. at Hauslebenskunst. 19.30 to 22hrs. Info: Oscar Walter zeit-los@gmx.de +491603234290
October 12-13. Berlin. Workshop & Jam Info: javier@theecologicalbody.de +4917621452059
October 18-20, near Sienna, Toscana, Italy. “Dance in Nature & Studio”. At https://www.montauto.it/en/
October 25-27, Geneva, Switzerland. “Contact Tango & Elogical Body movement workshop” Info: Louisa Saratsiotis +41 79 955 22 57 saratsiotis.louisa@gmail.com (tbc)
November 1-3, Leipzig; ‘Contact tango workshop & Jam mix” Info: Sophia aloumi@riseup.net +49 178 3035980
November 9-10, Prague; ‘The Ecological Body: towards a creative dance mix” Info: druna@druna.cz +420 725 449 409
November 23, Berlin. UHU: Contact tango lesson, Jam Party, DJ, Potlatch dinner & Sauna. Info: zeit-los@gmx.de +491603234290
November 29 – 1 December, Freiburg, Germany. “Contact Tango”. Info: circu_lo@yahoo.de+49 176 76291667 Lo Katharina Richter
December 14-15. Berlin. Workshop & Jam Info: javier@theecologicalbody.de +4917621452059
…………….2025……….
January 4-5, Prague; “Contact tango mix” Info: druna@druna.cz+420 725 449 409
January 8-12, South of Munich, ESSENCE Ecstatic Dance & Somatic Arts Winter Retreat in the Bavarian Alps. Info: nanadakini@gmx.de
https://www.nanadakini.de/
February 1-2, Berlin. “Directing actors for filmakers” Info: Daniel Dietz daniel@catalyst-berlin.com +49 171 4211234
April 17-21, Schloss Bettenburg, Germany. “Contact tango Holy Easter”. Info: AlexandraSchwarz@gmx.net +49 171 1781490
May 8-11 Viska, Czech Republic. “Spiraling from Nature to Dance studio through Ecological body”. Info: natalie.Sedlicka@seznam.cz (+420) 608 862 706
July 25 – August 3rd. Poland Summer Residency
ANOTHER WALK ON THE WILD SIDE:
The Human Animal: Evolutionary movement developed in Nature, principles of Bio Mechanics, Tai Chi, Somatics, Play Fight, voice movement, Body percussion applied to dances as Contact Impro, tango, Free Creative expression. Info: javier@theecologicalbody.de +4917621452059 http://www.piotrowicenyskie.
August 23 – 31. Italy Summer Residency in Gaia, Le Marche http://www.gaiabb.it/index.
MOVEMENT HUNTER:
FLOWING INTO THE DEPTHS OF WATER and NATURE. Info: javier@theecologicalbody.de +4917621452059