A Path Crossing Between

Somatic Works

&

Expressive Arts

First Prize ‘Coreografie D’Autore’ - 1997


Born in Italy in 1968, I grew up in a small Italian village near Milano, and spent many summers either by the sea or surrounded by hills in the countryside.

Having always felt fascinated by Nature, the Human Body and Mind, the mystery of Life and of the Universe, I spent a lot of time observing/absorbing the movement of waves and fire, smoke rising, fire dancing, waves, branches intricately embracing each other, clouds interacting with the wind…and the perfect astonishing forms of animals, insect, minerals, shells, flowers…that I love!

I felt almost hypnotised by forms moving into space, wondering the origin of everything and living the experience of being, witnessing the present in stillness.

Learning through the body

On the other hand I always felt a lots of energy flowing into my body, which led me to many physical activities and movement disciplines experiences. Dancing, swimming, ice skating, acrobatic rock’n roll, softball and gymnastic were some of the ways I channeled my energy over the years. Although I was passionate about dancing and art, my fascination for the human anatomy, physiology and the mind/brain led me to University studies in Science of Movement - Physical Education in Milano, Italy, where I graduated in 1992 discussing a didactic essay on an analysis on Physical Expression and its applications called ‘Espressione Corporea per Adulti’.   

During my formative years I was studying the physiological/scientific aspect of the human body, and at the same time I was seeking my personal artistic expression through dance and theatre to channel my confused emotional inner world.

In 1992 while studying at the University I joined the first dance/theatre company ‘Quelli Di Grock’, as dancer/performer, where I collaborated for six years and during that period I had the opportunity to study drama and mime as well. 

In the same period I had experiences as a dancer in operas at La Scala Theatre in Milano and in a dance project with an independent choreographer Ariella Vidach and her company AIEP.

DANCE/Theatre Career and teachings

In 1997 I won a Choreography Prize, which enable me to deepened my dance studies at ‘The Merce Cunningham Dance Studio’ in New York.

In 1998, after an adventurous audition, I moved to Brussels to join a dance project with  dance company Ultima Vez. 

This has been a turning point in my life. Brussels became my base town and since then I joined other dance projects with different international dance companies such as EnKnap in Slovenia,  Les Ballets C de la B in Gent, Belgium, Aphasia Dance co. in the UK, Opera House La Monnaie in Brussels, Belgium.

I honour the dance path I followed and all people I met along the way. I learned about art, dance, the body and human nature thanks to these many encounters.

They also left some painful emotional scars and physical injuries, which I learned to honour as well because they led me to unveil my deepest self and start to follow an healing path.

I also taught contemporary dance for many years.  In Italy to adults at Quelli Di Grock, to teenagers at the Royal Ballet School in Antwerpen in Belgium for six years and to professional dancers in different dance companies in Belgium.

IYENGAR YOGA ®

Through dance I was introduced to Iyengar Yoga in 2000 and in 2004, I decided to follow the 3 years Teacher Training program at the ‘BKS Iyengar Yoga Institute’ in Amsterdam.

I started teaching Iyengar Yoga six months from the beginning of my formation. I have been teaching without interruption for 18 years.

I completed my studies and examinations and I hold an Intermediate Junior I Certificate and membership at BIYAB (Belgian Iyengar Yoga Association) 

My yoga studies gave me precious knowledge about the tradition of yoga and infused my body with awareness and opened my mind about human nature and the nature of the mind. 

It handed me precious practical tools to preserve my physical and mental health as well.

I am grateful to the many teachers I had the chance to meet on this path in Europe, India and USA and all the students I met and I am still meeting along the way.

SELF HELP & HEALING

Somatic work / Body & Soul

Apart the precious healing of Iyengar yoga practice, I also followed other somatic, psychological, emotional and spiritual healing paths such as Traditional Thai Massage, Ayurvedic Massage, Haptonomy, Psychotherapy, Family Constellations, Energy Healing, Osteopathy, Shamanic Healing, Watsu, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), Rosen Method

Meditation 

Apart the meditation involved in yoga practice, I also developed it through ten days Vipassana retreat at ‘Northern California Vipassana Center - Dhamma Manda’ and different Tibetan Meditation retreats at ‘Institut Tibetan Yeuten Ling’ - Huy - Belgium. 

Traditional Thai Massage

In 2003 in Thailand, I trained as a Traditional Thai Massage Practitioner at Wat Po - Bangkok, the main Thai centre for Traditional Thai Massage studies.

I deepened my practice in Brussels at Brussels Institute of Thai Yoga massage.

I practice Thai Massage Therapy for about six years working with different cases and in one specific case with a man affected by Parkinson disease.

I thanks my clients to have believed in my treatments over the years. I kept learning about human needs, trauma and healing.

ART

Apart from dance, which I had to stop professionally due to my knees injuries, I turned my attention and interest towards other forms of expressive art forms notably visual arts.

I completed seven years studies in sculpture and volume at ACA -  Academie des Beaux Arts in Brussels, with artist and teacher Lucia Bru and I own a diploma  in sculpture and volume.

Through these studying years I worked on different themes that touched identity, transformation, belonging through space installations, performances and videos. 

I unconsciously was following a path in search of answers and healing.

The installation ‘Labyrinth - Os’, a reflection about suffering, mortality and rebirth, passed the first selection at Laguna Art Prize in Italy in 2015.

DRAWING ART

Since early childhood I was doodling on paper while on the phone, at school on books….

In 2009 in Thailand I decided to explore my doodling activity and dive into drawing expanding the shapes on big sheets of paper.

I felt freedom and lightness in my drawing practice and kept observing the abstract shapes that were forming.

I found a technique posing line after line, which became a ritualistic and meditative practice that soothes my nervous system. 

I started to construct a world of multidimensional textures and overlapping matrix. 

I connected the meaning of these forms with algorithmic patterns, self organising chaos theory and the way nature build itself.

I went back to think to my initial mesmerising observation of nature:

…. the movement of waves and fire, smoke rising, fire dancing, waves, branches intricately embracing each other, clouds interacting with the wind…and the perfect astonishing forms of animals, insect, minerals, shells, flowers…. 

They are there in my abstract drawings now.

I call them PAREIDOLIA drawings. Pareidolia is the need and capacity of the body to find a recognisable shape in abstract forms.

‘Pareidolia 668’ - Ink on Paper - 70 cm x 45 cm

TEACHING DRAWIG IMPROVISATION

'DDD From Dance to Drawing is just one Dimension '

DDD Workshop at Amatista Retreat Center - Lanzarote

 

SENSORY MOTOR ART THERAPY

GUIDED DRAWING®

 

It always felt that teaching had to be on my path and with my drawings came also my wish to share with others the liberating feeling of drawing.

Reflecting on the way we used to compose choreographies in contemporary dance through improvisations, I thought that I could use the same composition work structure to help people to break through the fear of drawing using improvisations.

I called it ‘DDD From Dance to Drawing is just one Dimention’.

I applied this technique with groups and with single individual and I realised that from the improvisations the work goes deeper into the soul, letting emerge the subconscious mind and the need of expressing memories, emotions and sensations.

These experiences lead me to search a course with a therapeutical approach and I found the Initiatic Art Therapy course developed by Cornelia Elbrecht and Chris Storm at Institute of Sensory Motor Art Therapy - Apollo Bay - Australia.

 

Wishing to go deeper in understanding and supporting the life transformative process of the individual, I searched and found a course that is handing me the professional tools to therapeutically help the individual to move forward from traumatic events that stopped the life flow hindering a sense of freedom and accomplishment.

I certified at ISAT - Institute of Sensory Motor Art Therapy in Initiatic Art Therapy - sensorymotorarttherapy.com

The GUIDED DRAWING®, proposed as main part of the course, and developed by Cornelia Elbrecht based is a trauma informed approach and somatic work. Archetypal forms emerge in spontaneous way in binaural drawing activity to help the clients to break through obstacles and moving forward in their life

Now

If you had the patience to read till here I deeply THANK YOU!…. and maybe it means that we can work together !

I dedicate my life to teach Iyengar yoga® classes, in group and in private sessions.

I also work with the two forms of drawing in individual sessions:

*** The DDD technique is for who wish to unleash creativity and move towards an artistic practice.

*** Guided Drawing® is a trauma informed therapeutical approach to help clients to move forward in life unblocking emotions and enhancing a sense of purpose in life feeling present and empowered.