Express yourself: This online course guides participants to self-expression through movement therapy

An artistic expression by Tapkir; a group activity from a previous offline class

In a world where we are overstimulated by noise, views, information and tasks comes a workshop that helps us slow down and reflect on how we feel. Conducted by Pune and Bengaluru-based Siddhi Tapkir, an expressionist, Movement Medication is a bi-weekly online class of eight sessions that focuses on self-expression through multiple mediums.

In her 60-to-90-minute class, Tapkir leads participants into various forms of communication through art and movement including poetry, colour, dance, expressive arts activities, and improvised movement techniques, similar to contemporary dance. At its core, the class aims to focus on self-expression through self-exploration, storytelling, and the nine rasas or emotions that are the essence of all our experiences, according to Indian philosophy. She explains that the idea is to dive into the smaller movements with mindfulness as it helps participants pause, explore, reflect, and above all, express themselves.

Siddhi Tapkir

To achieve this, the expressionist breaks down the journey to express by first focusing on an emotion, sitting with it, and writing down words and experiences related to the emotion. Then Tapkir leads participants to form a poem from the array of penned-down connections. In other classes, starting with an emotion, she leads her students to create art and installations, or express through movements that are a play on touch, colour, and inspirations from daily life movements and observations. Art installation sessions make use of non-artistic items found around the house, and movement sessions lead students to respond to instrumental tracks and even surrounding sounds, be it chatter, traffic, birds or noises emanating from appliances running in the house. Of the many video testimonials from students on her Instagram platform, a noteworthy comment that catches our attention points to how different each session is in terms of the activities and its outcome.

"Movement and expression help release whatever is experienced by and built up in the body and mind. This release is important, and for it, you don't need to be artistic or a dancer. While dancers benefit from this exploration to develop their own movement and style, participants who are absolute beginners can also benefit from the aim of expression," Tapkir notes. Sessions don't follow a curriculum or pre-set schedule, and topics are chosen spontaneously. There is no start date for the course since it is an ongoing batch for regulars, where participants can begin their eight sessions at
any time.

ON Tuesdays and Thursdays; 5 pm or 9.30 pm
LOG ON TO noor.artpage
CALL 7066533090
COST Rs 4,400

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