COASTAL REVERIE

Pedro Penuela

Topic: “Somatic navigation: qualities of touch and presence”

My name is Pedro Penuela. I've been practicing and researching Contact Improvisation for twenty years, having had the opportunity to study with many teachers worldwide and to directly interview Steve Paxton, the choreographer who leaded its creation in the seventies, at his house in Vermont, USA. I am also a psychotherapist, with a master degree in clinical psychology by the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), working privately with patients for more than ten years.

In my classes for "Coastal Reverie", we'll focus on some elements and principles of Contact Improvisation that can provide very meaningful opportunities to know more about ourselves and our patterns of relationship and communication with others. In this sense, we'll be deepening our awareness of important aspects of the practice and of ourselves.

The first class will focus on the diversity of tissues and layers in the body, and the different qualities and flavours of movement when we are tunned to these different tissues. Moreover, we'll also work with perceveing and increasing awareness of layers and intentions of touch, in order to deepen our ability to listen and to enrich our communication with our partners.

The second class will focus on different aspects of the experience and the sense of support. To do that, we'll work with the perception of weight and gravity, then we'll have a journey starting from a place of being totally supported and guided by another person, through the process of finding and being aware of our own ways to fully support ourselves, noticing the different stages and possibilities that exist between these two points.

Bio of the facilitator:

Pedro Penuela is a dancer, psychologist and PhD in performing arts from Brazil. In his PhD he researched forms of presence in the works of Steve Paxton, Pina Bausch and Kazuo Ohno, having had the opportunity of interviewing Paxton twice. He has been dancing and practicing Contact Improvisation since 2006, having studied with many different teachers such as Nita Little, Ray Chung, Daniel Lepkoff, Otto Ramstad, Lisa Nelson, Karen Nelson and many others from different countries. Pedro has given workshops and classes in Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Italy, Israel/Palestine, Austria, France and Greece. He has also been part of the curating team of ECITE (European Contact Improvisation Teachers Exchange) in 2024, and is also author of papers and lectures about dance and CI.
He has also a degree in Psychology and a master's degree in clinical psychology by the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) and works privately with clients in psychotherapy online.

Website: pedropenuelaeng.wordpress.com

Tamara Maksymenko

Topic: “Poetry in dance”

Hi there,

I’m Tamara Maksymenko — a nomadic soul, dancer, choreographer, performer, and teacher of Contemporary Dance and Contact Improvisation for almost two decades.

My journey weaves through many lands and stories:
I studied body therapy at Dnipro Medical University and physical theatre in Switzerland, danced for MTV shows, and lived and created in Lebanon, Italy, and now Austria, my current home.

My art is born from movement, emotion, and memory — from moments both stunning and tragic.
I dance this life — and I invite you to dance it with me.

At the Coastal Reviere, I will guide two classes where we explore the dialogue between body and emotion, self and other — through solo and contact improvisation.
We’ll play with opposites: contraction and expansion, embrace and resistance, love and conflict.

Expect poetic moments, physical intensity, and space for imagination.
You’ll discover how your own inner images can move your body in new and unexpected ways.

No previous experience is needed — just curiosity, presence, and breath.
Everyone is welcome on this journey.

Bio of facilitator:

Tamara Maksymenko is a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher of contact improvisation and contemporary dance for 20 years already. She has been teaching many workshops all over the world (Poland, Spain, Israel, Austria, Italy, Greece, Finland, Egypt, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Morocco, Bulgary, Sweden, Portugal, France, and Turkey). She is the founder of Motion Mode Dance Theatre (MMDT), one of the founders of Motion Mode of Dialogue in Tirol - Association for visual and performative art in Austria, and the creator of many dance projects.

32 years of dance experience (since the early age of 4). She got medical education in body therapy and sociology at Dnipropetrovsk National University and trained at the Physical Theatre in Intragna (Switzerland) with Thomas Mattler.

Now Tamara is a member of the Ukrainian Contemporary Dance Platform Association and she is a member of OFFTANZ Tirol Association (Austria). The founder of "Solo & CI Tirol Festival" and "West meets East".

Website: www.mmdt.at
Instagram: www.instagram.com/tamara_maksymenko