From Stillness to Movement:
The Art of Dancing the Present Moment
A 4-Day Workshop Exploring the Intimate Connection
between Self and World through Dance
with Estelle Vincent
July 12–16, 2023
Presented in English in Longeval, France
Exploring the intimate connection between self and world through dance.
Find harmony with the world that surrounds us to reveal the present moment.
Un tournoiement, caresser l’air avec sa peau. Entrer en résonance avec le paysage qui nous entoure pour révéler le moment présent.
La danse est un art de l’instant, de l’éphémère. Sa pratique peut nous guider dans une présence qui va au-delà de la danse. Pendant ce voyage de quatre jours, nous dansons à partir de nos perceptions, sensations, émotions, mais aussi du silence que nous sommes.
Dancing is an art of the present, of the ephemeral. Its practice can guide us into presence, leading us beyond the movement itself. During this four-day journey, we will dance out our perceptions, sensations, and emotions and through their expression, uncover the silence that rests in us all.
Embracing the complexities we contain, we’ll dance from the very aliveness of our physical and subtle bodies. The testimonial of our interior lives that these movements provide will bring us to rest in a deeper sense of belonging to ourselves, a fundamental sense of “I am.” Once anchored in this presence of being, we will gradually open to dancing into the world that surrounds us.
Meeting with nature, birdsong, the undulations of the grass in the wind, and the gentle swaying of trees, will provide us partners for our dance and pointers to the silence beyond all things. The essence of what surrounds us invites us to dance, to write, and to create.
Beauty is revealed through this dance, in its own time, and through the simplicity of each of its steps. The sense of open wonder and joy that we find in meeting our surroundings nourishes our movement outwards, beyond a sense of separation.

This journey is an invitation to dance from the heart, to become intimate with one’s self, and with the world and the multitudes it contains.
The practices that will be shared stem from the meeting of dance, spiritual practice, and meditation. We will explore methods inspired by different currents in modern dance, such as Authentic Movement as detailed by Janet Adler, the seismograph body of Nadia Vadori-Gauthier, and the Life/Art Process of Anna Halprin. These practices will be accompanied by topics for contemplation inspired by the Hridaya teachings.
This workshop is open to all, with no previous experience in dance required. Outside of class hours, a full day of the workshop will be held in silence.
Embrassant la multiplicité de ce qui nous traverse, nous initions nos danses à partir de ce qui se joue dans le corps physique et dans les autres corps subtiles. Stable dans le témoin intérieur, nous observons ces perceptions transitoires, pour nous ouvrir à cette intimité avec nous-même, ce « Je Suis ». Ancré dans cette présence à Soi, nous nous ouvrons progressivement à danser le monde qui nous entoure.
Dans la rencontre avec la nature, le chant des oiseaux, l’ondulation de l’herbe, le mouvement des arbres, deviennent autant de partenaires de danse et de pointeurs vers le silence au-delà de toutes choses. L’essence de ce qui nous entoure devient l’occasion de danser, d’écrire, de créer.
Toutes ces danses révèlent à leur manière la beauté par la simplicité. L’émerveillement et la joie de la rencontre avec le paysage et les danseurs qui nous entourent viennent nourrir notre ouverture vers l’extérieur. Ce voyage est une invitation à danser depuis le Coeur, à devenir intime avec soi-même, avec le monde qui nous entoure et avec les autres.
Les pratiques proposées sont issues de la rencontre entre danse, pratiques spirituelles et méditation. Nous explorerons des outils inspirés de différents courants de la danse tels que le Mouvement authentique de Janet Adler, le Corps sismographique de Nadia Vadori-Gauthier ou le Life/Art Process de Anna Halprin.
Les différentes explorations autour du mouvement et de la danse seront ponctuées de moments d’écritures et d’explorations plastiques. Les pratiques seront accompagnées de contemplations et de réflexions développées à partir des enseignements Hridaya.
Cet atelier est ouvert à tous, aucune pratique préalable de la danse n’est nécessaire. Pendant une journée complète de l’atelier, les moments de transitions et de pauses se feront en mauna, silence noble.
The workshop will include:
- A daily guided practice to explore movement through dance
- Hridaya Meditation
- Meditation in movement
- Dancing in nature
- An exploration of the inner-witness through dance
- Improvisation and spontaneous composition
- Study of solo, duo, and group dance
- Flexible explorations and creative writing
Workshop Leader
Estelle Vincent
Estelle studied dance at university, during which time she trained in a number of forms of somatic and dance practices. After setting dance aside for several years, she rediscovered dance and movement through the lens of spirituality, namely through the practice of Sufi dancing.
In parallel to her spiritual trajectory within Hridaya, she has continued to explore dance as a gateway to embodied presence. She is currently following a 3-year training led by Marie Motais in Anna Halprin’s lineage of contemporary dance.

“Dance is the movement of the universe concentrated into one individual.” –Isadora Duncan
Daily Schedule
Day 1: Wednesday
17:00-17:30 | Château Tour |
17:30-18:30 | Dinner |
18:30-20:30 | Introduction and Evening Session |
Days 2-4: Thursday - Saturday
7:00-8:00 | Meditation (optional) |
8:00-8:45 | Breakfast |
9:00-12:00 | Morning Session |
13:00-15:30 | Lunch and Free Time |
15:30-17:30 | Afternoon Session |
17:30-18:30 | Dinner |
18:30-20:30 | Evening Session |
20:30-22:00 | Rest or Optional Activities |
22:00 | Mauna (noble silence) |
Day 5: Sunday
7:00-8:00 | Meditation (optional) |
8:00-9:45 | Breakfast |
10:00-13:00 | Morning Session |
13:00-14:00 | Lunch |
14:00 | Departure |
Pricing and Reservations
Click on Pricing and Reservations for more information and to reserve your spot.
DATES | WORKSHOP | TEACHER | PRICING AND RESERVATIONS |
---|---|---|---|
July 12 – 16, 2023 | From Stillness to Movement: The Art of Dancing the Present Moment | Estelle Vincent | Pricing and Reservations |
Please Note:
- This workshop is presented in English at our center in Longeval, France.
- A minimum of 8 participants are required for this workshop to take place. Please do not make travel arrangements until we have confirmed that the course will run as planned. We will contact you at least two weeks in advance to confirm.
- For more information about our center, including how to get to Longeval, please visit this page.