Diving Deep, Flying High

About this event

Diving Deep, Flying High is a week-long retreat for Solo Dance, Contact Improvisation, and Somatic Research led by Šuka Horn at Ponderosa in Stolzenhagen, Brandenburg (September 20–26, 2026). The retreat is dedicated to the study of dancing — alone and with others. The focus is on the intrinsic joy of movement that emerges when dancing is approached as an infinite game. With a somatic emphasis on listening to the body's signals and becoming adaptive movers, the approach is not concerned with how the dance looks from the outside. Participants carefully study the mechanics of the body and the use of attention, aiming to move better and savour the experience of dancing more fully. The retreat is grounded in the premise that solo dance and Contact Improvisation can mutually enhance one another. Šuka Horn (Germany/Greece) trained at Codarts University Rotterdam and spent five years touring internationally with Dimitris Papaioannou's productions (Transverse Orientation, INK). His work integrates somatic inquiry, movement research with Frey Faust, and an ongoing meditation practice. He has taught in universities, dance companies, festivals, and studios in more than 20 countries. Schedule: Arrival Sunday Sep 20 from 16:00 (welcome dinner 19:00), six hours of practice daily Monday–Friday, departure Saturday Sep 26 by 11:00. For movers with experience in both solo dance and Contact Improvisation. On-site accommodation and optional organic catering available at additional cost (kitchen access for self-catering also possible).