“Find a discipline and improve your body skills with technique, but don't forget to dance. Don't forget to listen to the Universe and let your body be the instrument of the Universe Dance; your dance, your life. Be Alive!” R.S.
The Training Process
The Silvestre Technique training process has been going on for 27 years, giving an opportunity to dancers, and anyone who is interested in body technique in general, to study and investigate the unification of symbols that express aspects of the Universe - cosmologically and physically. For the process of discovery, possibilities of movement connect with intuition, expression, and balance.
Even with the considerable number of students (up to 265 in 2011), the foundation of the program accommodates and integrates the diverse cultural identity that positively enriches the understanding of art as a symbol of universal connection.
The training program also helps local students in Brazil who need support in forming an artistic, educational, and professional qualification, as well as giving opportunity for children to gain the vision of a prospect of a better quality of life; to become sociocultural facilitators for their community; and to consider education as a key for growing as a person and as a human being.
With this vision, the program increasingly seeks to enhance and to sustain its structure to assist all participants who are also ambassadors for the growth and expansion of its related projects. Through this collaboration, the program continues to invest in its artistic training, its educational and professional outreach, and seeks to inspire a new generation of artists.
The Silvestre Training
The Silvestre Training offers a range of study opportunities. Dancers can take part in all classes offered or design their schedule according to individual needs; paying a drop-in fee per class; or registering for the entire program. This allows people to join us for four weeks each January, and/or two weeks each August - even in less time, if needed.
Certifications in the Silvestre Technique
To receive a certification of participation and/or graduation in our January training program, participants must put in no fewer than three weeks of study in full. Required attendance involves: all Silvestre Technique, Symbology, Orixa Dance Movement and Theory classes for the January season. Certification of graduation can be achieved in three different levels that indicates the student has completed sections of the training which give them the ability to receive the first, second, or third graduation in one to three years, or more - depending on the individual's progression.
Graduation doesn't mean one is done with your process of training. The training program always encourages you to continue developing! For the two weeks in August, students will receive a certificate of participation - with the same requirements of the January program.
The Silvestre Technique is a continuously evolving contemporary dance technique with the objective of conditioning the dancer through physical and expressive training - regardless of level or previous experience.
In 1982, Rosangela Silvestre began the early stages of developing the Silvestre Technique, which over time has progressed into a series of exercises - "conversations with the body" - working to prepare body, mind, and spirit for dance.
Classes are accompanied by live music. A series of musical compositions are created based on the conversation between the body and the orchestration of diverse musical instruments, such as: drums, saxophone, flute, piano, voice, electronics, guitar, etc., the music of the body, and most importantly the "silence" that connects us all. With the inspiration that guides us, we can discover how to create dance and music constantly. All levels are welcomed and encouraged to train in this technique.
The Silvestre Technique brings to dance training a connection with the physical body and its connection to the Universe, which Silvestre calls, "the Body Universe." The Body Universe is symbolized by three triangles formed on the body.
Triangles:
Triangle of intuition, visualization and perception: located from the top of the head to the shoulders.
Triangle of expression: located from the shoulders down to the belly button.
Triangle of balance: located from the hips down to the feet.
In the Silvestre Technique, these triangles are connected with the four elements of Nature: Earth, Water, Air, Fire.
Earth: connects with the triangle of balance, that gives a sense of grounding and stabilization (grand plié can be connected with the Earth).
Water: connects with the triangle of expression, which allows one to experience fluidity and grace (contractions and undulations can be connected with Water).
Air: connects with the triangle of expression for the sense of the freedom to move (pirouettes and jumps can be connected with Air).
Fire: connects with the triangle of intuition, visualization and perception, conceptually giving a sense of what the Technique defines as determination, will-power and attack (grand battement can be connected with Fire).
In addition, the Silvestre Technique brings the foundation of the Chakras, the central forces of the body, to enhance the internal connection with the dancers' "verticality" and alignment.
Symbology of Orixa Dances:
A study of the connections between the rhythms and the traditional movement, archetype and story, of the Orixa dances interpreted as an art form. Discover how sacred symbolism inspires the body to dance. Orixa is the Essence of the Universe.
Symbology:
A utilization of the gestures of the Orixa dances in combination with the Silvestre Technique. This class is a study of the traditional symbols as inspiration to create dance choreography, and how to work with the Silvestre Technique creatively.
Composition:
Individual dance expression, theme, and improvisation to develop sequences of movements for collaborative choreography composition.
Theory:
An analysis and in-depth study of the Silvestre Technique.
Dance Capoeira:
The study of the Brazilian martial art - as a dance form - that offers the development of attack, response, balance and presence that dancers also will find in the Silvestre Technique.
Informal Performance:
To end the program, participants can take part in an informal performance, which will involve practice.
This performance is not mandatory, but is a wonderful way to end the program, to experience dancing together, and to further explore the foundation of all the Silvestre Intensive provides. (see schedule page)
In 1982, Rosangela Silvestre began the early stages of developing the Silvestre Technique, which over time has progressed into a series of exercises - "conversations with the body" - working to prepare body, mind, and spirit for dance.
Classes are accompanied by live music. A series of musical compositions are created based on the conversation between the body and the orchestration of diverse musical instruments, such as: drums, saxophone, flute, piano, voice, electronics, guitar, etc., the music of the body, and most importantly the "silence" that connects us all. With the inspiration that guides us, we can discover how to create dance and music constantly. All levels are welcomed and encouraged to train in this technique.
The Silvestre Technique brings to dance training a connection with the physical body and its connection to the Universe, which Silvestre calls, "the Body Universe." The Body Universe is symbolized by three triangles formed on the body.
Triangles:
Triangle of intuition, visualization and perception: located from the top of the head to the shoulders.
Triangle of expression: located from the shoulders down to the belly button.
Triangle of balance: located from the hips down to the feet.
In the Silvestre Technique, these triangles are connected with the four elements of Nature: Earth, Water, Air, Fire.
Earth: connects with the triangle of balance, that gives a sense of grounding and stabilization (grand plié can be connected with the Earth).
Water: connects with the triangle of expression, which allows one to experience fluidity and grace (contractions and undulations can be connected with Water).
Air: connects with the triangle of expression for the sense of the freedom to move (pirouettes and jumps can be connected with Air).
Fire: connects with the triangle of intuition, visualization and perception, conceptually giving a sense of what the Technique defines as determination, will-power and attack (grand battement can be connected with Fire).
In addition, the Silvestre Technique brings the foundation of the Chakras, the central forces of the body, to enhance the internal connection with the dancers' "verticality" and alignment.
Symbology of Orixa Dances:
A study of the connections between the rhythms and the traditional movement, archetype and story, of the Orixa dances interpreted as an art form. Discover how sacred symbolism inspires the body to dance. Orixa is the Essence of the Universe.
Symbology:
A utilization of the gestures of the Orixa dances in combination with the Silvestre Technique. This class is a study of the traditional symbols as inspiration to create dance choreography, and how to work with the Silvestre Technique creatively.
Composition:
Individual dance expression, theme, and improvisation to develop sequences of movements for collaborative choreography composition.
Theory:
An analysis and in-depth study of the Silvestre Technique.
Dance Capoeira:
The study of the Brazilian martial art - as a dance form - that offers the development of attack, response, balance and presence that dancers also will find in the Silvestre Technique.
Informal Performance:
To end the program, participants can take part in an informal performance, which will involve practice.
This performance is not mandatory, but is a wonderful way to end the program, to experience dancing together, and to further explore the foundation of all the Silvestre Intensive provides. (see schedule page)
