OPIS

Gabrielle Roth, American dancer, theater director, music producer, and spiritual teacher, began developing her method based on free movement, the 5Rhythms, in the 1970s. Her book summarizing the theoretical background, entitled Maps to Ecstasy, was published in 1989. Since then, practical experience has continued to accumulate and multiply. Today, hundreds of teachers regularly teach 5Rhythms, which is always an interactive process. The teacher also learns and becomes richer, not just the participants.

I encountered this dance in 2008. After completing Gabrielle Roth's teacher training I started teaching and I have been doing it since 2011. During this time, I have learned much more than even the teacher training program taught me. I have thousands of hours of teaching under my belt, all of which have been learning experiences for me as well.

In this workshop, we will draw from this rich repository to show what makes the 5Rhythms wonderful, liberating, and supportive. This practice has thoroughly transformed my life, and not primarily because I became a teacher. Even if I hadn't become a teacher, I would still be living a completely different life than before. My relationships with people have changed, the quality of my physical being has changed, and my expectations of life have changed. I have become more balanced and satisfied in every aspect. I would like to be able to pass on to others some of the many benefits that 5Rhythms has brought me.

The 5Rhythms is a simple and practical way to get in touch with our bodies. By following the map of the 5Rhythms, we become more comfortable with our own movements, and the connection between our heart, mind, and body becomes more complete. We find our own rhythm, our own pulse, that is, we get into our flow. From this flow, we can reach states of ecstasy again and again, and then return to the flow.

(The photos used for the cover were taken by Gábor Rózsa during a 5Rhythms session in 2021.)