How do you know you are dancing?

@cezary.szproch

This gathering invites you to explore the body in movement, through morning practices that blend principles of contemporary dance with active and somatic movement, focusing on mobility, strength, flexibility, and body awareness.

In the afternoon, we dive into the fundamentals of contact improvisation — touch, gravity, falling, and connection — deepening our listening and the relationship between bodies, while developing intercorporal perception and the quality of movement with others.

At night, we let loose in a jam, in a space for sharing, expression, and celebration of movement.

Open to everyone, with or without experience, this is an invitation to curiosity, to the pleasure of moving, and to discovery in a safe and inclusive environment, free from judgment.

What happens when we say YES to movement?

Join us for the third edition of our journey.

Let’s keep being the driving force behind this vibrant and ever-evolving community, united by our love of dance, authentic expression, and human connection. We’re excited to share this experience with you make this gathering even more memorable!
Register Here!

Teachers

Foto da Carolina

Carolina Batalha (PT)

She has a degree in Dance from the FMH – University of Lisbon and is currently studying for a Master’s Degree in Dance Teaching at the Escola Superior de Dança – IPL. 

Throughout her training she has worked with various artists and choreographers who have contributed to her growth both professionally and personally. She volunteered at the Portuguese Red Cross facilitating Creative Dance, which led to her first article published in the scientific research journal Scientific Research (co-authored with Professor Dora Carolo). Her experience includes various projects as a performer, choreographer/creator and teacher, in festivals, competitions, groups and events, working with various age groups.

Very recently she was accepted into an artistic residency at Estúdios Victor Córdon, in Lisbon, with the solo piece “A rapariga que usava saias nos dias de vento” (The girl who wore skirts on windy days), conciliating her collaboration with Escola Movement Lisboa (with whom she did a 14-week internship that contributed to her training), where she is currently teaching.

Passionate about expression through writing, drawing and dramatic performance, Carolina embraces the therapeutic power of creativity to find meaning and a deeper, more conscious connection to her mother tongue: movement.

Foto do Jesus Alonso

Jesus Alonso (ES)

Jesús Alonso is a Contact Improvisation (CI) researcher and dancer. During his training, he worked with teachers from around the world, including Cristiane Bullousa, Diana Bonilla, Linda Bufali, Katja Mustonen, Mirva Mäkinen, Charlie Morrissey, Rai Chung, among others.

In the field of contemporary dance and movement research, he highlights Poliana Lima, Lucas Condró, and Mónica Valenciano. Jesús has collaborated as a CI facilitator at several festivals, such as the Warsaw CI Flow Festival, Dive into the Dance, and Sicily Contact Retreat. He also organizes La Reunión, a CI teachers’ meeting in Madrid. In addition, he regularly teaches CI classes and workshops, also in Madrid. Currently, he is a member of the contemporary dance company “La Buenisima,” working with Sofia Calvo.

His work focuses on understanding dance as an exploration of bodily sensations and the poetics of movement.

Natalia Vik (NOR/PT)

Natalia Vik received her dance education at Copenhagen Contemporary Dance School, Denmark. She is a certified teacher of Gaga after completing the Gaga Teachers Training Program in Tel Aviv in 2012 and she continued to live in Israel until 2016 working as a dancer and teacher. Natalia lives since 5 years in Palmela, Portugal where she is sharing her work as a teacher, dancer and creator. She is also traveling around Europe to bring movement classes to dance educations, dance companies, festivals and Gaga people classes open for the public.

Besides dance practices Natalia is a practitioner of Taijiwuxigong and holds Nature as a great inspiration for her work.


Move through Dance session

In her classes you will find a combination of Gaga movement language, contemporary dance and a hint of Qigong. The aim is to open up the layers of our body, get the flow going and connect with the group and the awareness of space. It also uses contact/partnering in order to bring our own centers in the meeting with others. All embraced by care (for ourselves and the other) and the pleasure of exploring this vocabulary in a joyful and playfullness environment. 

 

Foto da Sofia Brito

Sofia Brito (PT)

Mother of Rita and Rodrigo, co-artistic director of AORCA and Festival Primavera Dança. She holds a Master’s in Performing Arts from the Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema (PT) and trained in classical and modern dance at the school of the National Ballet Company (PT).

She graduated in contemporary dance and choreography as part of the first class of P.A.R.T.S. (Performing Arts Training and Research Studios, BE), under the artistic direction of Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. Her journey as a performer began in childhood with classical dance, theatre, and singing in Portugal. She discovered contemporary dance in Belgium. Notable collaborations include work with ATK, Salva Sanches, Gisèle Vienne, Nadine Ganase, Jan Ritsema, Graciella Boggiano, Robert Wilson, J. Garcia Miguel, Nilsen and Thora Jorge, among others. As a researcher and performer of live improvisation trained by Randy Warshaw and David Zambrano, she collaborated with Steve Paxton on the DVD Material for the Spine (2006) and practiced ‘Underscore’ with Nancy Stark Smith. Her choreographic debut was with ACORDA! for young audiences, and she directed the Senior Theatre Group of Portimão.

She has been exploring short creations in search of a choreographic identity: ‘Taking Shape’, ‘Changing Skin’, ‘Wild Breath’, ‘Untitled’, ‘Ver o mundo pela Janela’, and ‘What’s now!’. Sofia brings extensive experience as a teacher in contemporary dance, Contact Improvisation, and yoga. She is currently creating works for teenage audiences: ‘Ser Animal Humano’ (2023) and ‘Vamos Falar Sobre’ (2024).

Workshop Origens:

Each culture has its own physical and cultural body—a way of inhabiting the body that shapes mythological and philosophical thought. Contact Improvisation arises from postmodern philosophy, showing us the importance of freeing ourselves from narratives. CI emerges from questions and becomes a revolutionary, activist practice for change—change we want to embody and witness. Sofia frames the exercises in the original CI research, approaching them as training for our innate animal being. For Sofia, CI is a physiological practice that subtly dismantles the myths of progress and human exceptionalism.

In these sessions, we’ll practice CI as a dance rooted in sustainability, consent, and active listening, returning to its origins—a vision of regeneration and belonging to nature, which is our essence. During the sessions, we’ll practice and explore the fundamental principles of this score that supports the ongoing research started by Steve Paxton in 1972, giving rise to CI:

Efficient locomotion and embodiment of Basic Neurocellular Patterns; Forces of physics applied to dance: gravity, inertia, momentum, centrifugal force; Spherical space, disorientation, and sensory expansion; Release, reflexes, and sustainability; Small Dance and mutuality (the 3rd element); Being in choice, invitation, and consent; Spirit of inquiry and traveling through a JAM.

Sofia invites us to approach CI as a score, with the goal of deconstructing patterns and experiencing something deeper—something that exists in us even before “culture.”

Info

QUINTA DAS CASAS ALTAS NATURE – SANTARÉM – PORTUGAL

This wonderful quinta features a 120m² studio with wooden floors, a green camping area, four cozy cottages for those who prefer accommodation, a swimming pool, and open spaces to relax and socialize. In the surrounding area, you’ll also find caves, springs, nature reserves, and even dinosaurs!

Located in Santarém, right in the heart of Portugal.

There are several public transport options:

  • Mato de Miranda station/stop is at most 10km away. A bit further, you’ll find Entroncamento, Riachos, and Santarém.
  • Rodoviária/Rede Expresso bus services run from Santarém and Torres Novas. Torres Novas is 15km from the Quinta; Santarém is 27km; Alcanena is 10km away.

Check the bus schedules here: rede-expressos.pt

Check train schedules here: www.cp.pt

Closer to the festival dates, we’ll create a WhatsApp group for participants so we can arrange possible carpooling.

You can bring your tent and/or your van to rest during our event. We’ll have space for campervans, with the possibility to empty your tanks, and several natural areas with ancient cork oaks and pines where you can camp.

Quinta Casas Altas Nature also has houses available, with shared rooms, for participants who prefer to stay in a comfortable, climate-controlled space.

  • Casa do Lume: 1 room with 2 beds — suitable for 2 people
  • Casa da Montanha: 2 rooms (each with a bunk bed) — suitable for 4 people
  • Casa do Tejo: 2 rooms, one with 2 beds and the other with 3 beds — suitable for 5 people
  • Tertúlia: 2 rooms, each with a double bed + 1 extra bed — 5 people (2 couples + 1)

All houses have a bathroom and air conditioning.

In this edition of INNERCORE, Paula will be taking care of our meals with all her dedication, love, and kitchen artistry. All meals will be vegetarian and delicious, made exclusively for our participants. If you have any dietary restrictions, let us know—together with Paula, we’ll find the best solution for you.

We have 4 round tables that comfortably seat 30 people. In front of the large kitchen doors, there is a porch that we can also use—and even add more tables—so everyone can stay connected.

As always, our jams will feature live music. Soon, you’ll be able to find all the information here about who will be creating our soundscapes.

Program

Programa do Innercore 2025

Price

This year, we’ve lowered the full pass price to €280, which includes all practices and meals (accommodation not included).

With the choice of the new venue with better conditions than last year, we decided to remove the morning practice before breakfast to provide more opportunity to connect and socialize without rushing in the morning. This way we have more time to rest and recharge for all practices.

Regular Full Pass
280€*
*accommodation not included.

Accommodation

  • Tent or van: €8 per night per person
  • If you prefer a shared room, the cost is €25 per night (you’ll have access to a bathroom shared by up to 4 people in the room).

Join us for the third edition of our journey.

Let’s keep being the driving force behind this vibrant and ever-evolving community, united by our love of dance, authentic expression, and human connection. We’re excited to share this experience with you make this gathering even more memorable!
Register here!

Organization

  • Diana Pinto

    Curious about the body, art, and expression through movement from a young age, she has a strong background in ballet and contemporary dance, graduating in Dance from the Escola Superior de Dança (Lisbon, Portugal). She sees herself as an eternal learner and explorer, always eager to experiment and broaden her practice and training across different approaches to movement. Alongside her work as a dancer, creator, and teacher, she is the co-founder of INNERCORE – Festival of Movement and Contact Improvisation, together with Pedro Magalhães.
  • Pedro Magalhães

    His connection to the body and movement made dance a constant presence in his life, leading him to discover Contact Improvisation — “an art form where one, two, or more bodies flow into a different dimension of movement and connection. Where being a child and being an adult is the same thing.” Inspired by the work of many CI teachers and facilitators he met around the world, he remains focused on the research of movement, exploring new possibilities through tools such as Contact Improvisation. Together with Diana Pinto, he created the INNERCORE festival, which aims to promote the tool of CI in the center of the country.

Get in touch

We’re here to help and make your experience with us even closer.

Innercore Media

2024 Edition