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Dancer creates honest, cathartic experiences for non-dancers

Barbara Dametto – An interdisciplinary artist with a passion for expressive arts
Barbara Dametto, image courtesy of the artist

The following is a condensed inverview. For the full original click here.

Barbara Dametto is a visual artist, dancer, actor/playwright, expressive arts practitioner and educator. She received her formal education at the University of Waterloo (B.A. Dance, Kinesiology, Theatre), York University (B. Ed. Fine Arts Education), and Fleming College (Expressive Arts). Over the years she has worked in Toronto, Port Hope, Peterborough, Bancroft, and Guelph as a dancer, choreographer, painter, actor, clown, school teacher, and yoga/meditation/sacred sound instructor.
 
In an interview, Barbara speaks with Petra Nyendick, who serves on Guelph Arts Council’s Board of Directors.
 
GAC: Thanks for taking the time to share with us some of your many creative endeavours! I've noticed that you're very active in the local arts scene. You dance, paint and practice sacred sounding. Have I missed anything? Do you consider one of these disciplines your favourite art form as a means of expression?

BD: That's a good question. Yes, I practice many different forms of art and am quite involved in the Guelph community. There's the journey dance, my yoga classes, my paintings, and my sound healing practice. Many times artists have several different disciplines that they use to convey their messages.

If dance is your true love, let's talk about that first. What kind of workshops and classes do you offer and are they for beginners, or more advanced students?

In the past I used to teach modern dance and contact improvisation classes. But recently I’ve become increasingly interested in providing dance “experiences” for people as opposed to technique-based movement. It’s probably because I myself have become less interested in that type of dance.

Journey Dance is something that I am a big fan of. It’s a form of freestyle dance that follows 12 unique rhythms. In a nutshell, I carefully prepare a 1.5 hour long playlist of music that follows the journey dance flow. Participants gather in a large, open space and I lead them through the 12 different sections.

People are encouraged to go deep into their own bodies and drop into the moment. They listen to the music and use the associated themes presented for each rhythm to express themselves. The process is fun, cathartic and often intense. At the end of a session, people often say that they feel a deep sense of peace and awareness.

What advice would you give to people that are inhibited dancing in a group setting? How can one just "let go"?

Most people have reservations about dancing with others. It usually takes a wedding or a club (and lots of alcohol) to get people warmed up and over their inhibitions. To be able to let go and trust the Journey Dance experience takes courage and commitment.

When I lead a conscious dance event, I spend time, in the beginning, sitting in a circle and checking in with participants. I ask for one word. This gives people an opportunity to express how they are feeling. I usually hear words like: "excited, scared and curious". I think that all these words are totally appropriate.

Once the workshop comes to the end, people often feel totally transformed and at peace. We gather again in a circle and sit in silence because there often are no words to express what just happened. However, I often ask the group for one feeling word to close and hear words like, "peaceful, complete, open, grateful and blessed."

Thanks for the interview, Barbara! Would you like to tell us about your upcoming classes and workshops around town and how people can register if they are interested?

My Journey Dance events are basically once a month (except for July and August) on the last Sunday from 2-3:30 p.m. http://www.movement42.com/about/

My co-facilitated events with Gary Diggins called, "Moving the Body, Sounding the Soul" generally take place the last Tuesday of each month at Silence (46 Essex St.) from 7:30-9 p.m. http://www.garydiggins.com/cutenews/calendar.php

I also teach an eight-week long Chakra Yoga course at Silence on Monday evenings from 5-6:30 p.m. https://www.breathetrue.com/workshops-and-events.

I also hold private sound healing and yoga classes out of my house in Guelph. Simply email me to set up an appointment: [email protected].

- by Petra Nyendick

 

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