Team

“I believe to dance it to let every little piece of our body, soul and heart express itself in an ever-present state of “nowness”. It is a way to connect to our inner animal, to our pleasure and to nourish play. It is a way to live life open to the unknown; to be surprised over and over again” Amina

André Stephan
André is dancing Contact Improvisation (CI) since more than 20 years, and has worked with more than 30 teachers. While for many years it was his conscious decision to not teach CI, but keep the precious experiences to mature in himself, he has started recently to teach more often and in the context of the Dancers’ Village. His main fascination is for ‘deep experiencing’, and reaching states of mindlessness in the dance, by playing with release, multi-tasking, inviting meditative states, and inviting deep trustfulness by body experience.
André offers workshops about CI and Dance with Nature and is responsible for main coordination and registration.

Alexa Papa
Alexa Papa is a passionate dancer and artist. Discovering her love for dance first via the photo camera, she dived into Contact Improvisation around 2014, which opened for her a whole new space and understanding of the body and movement. Alexa since explored Creative Movement, Contemporary Dance, Ideokinesis , Axis Syllabus , Butoh, Authentic Movement and other free movement practices. Her drive is to share dances, to explore and discover together with other bodies how to move, to be and to do what she loves. She took part in dance performances and organized events in Romania and Portugal, where she lives right now. Alexa facilitated CI and more.

Amina Abdeljawad
Amina is a life-long nomad and lover of adventure, and now lives in Portugal near Aljezur. She has danced Salsa in forbidden clubs in Jordan and in refugee camps in Algeria, tango in the streets of South Africa and in metro stations in Berlin, Contact Improvisation in the mountains of Thailand and Peru, danced in the Brazilian jungle and amidst the Atlantic. She was always inspired by the magical connection happening through dance and movement beyond words and language. Amina dived since 10 years into CI and free form dance in nature. Amina has trained in body work and loves to express herself through painting and to spread the joy of colors. Amina facilitates CI and Dance with Nature.

Lika Claudia Gasser
Lika is the initiator of a wonderful project in Vale Bacias, and is sharing strong experience and inspiration to the Dancers’ Village project. She also is Initiator for the ‘Studio of Healing Arts’. Lika likes to offer spaces in which the true nature of people can unfold, and her favorite approaches are: meditation, painting, singing, drumming, polarity and holistic energy work, dancing, and designing with clay. In Vale Bacias, she realized many qualities the Dancers’ Village wishes to achieve, and she helps in the tree nursery and in the forest with the afforestation.
Lika offers workshops with her ‘Studio of Healing Arts’ and helped coordinate locally the Alentejo part of this Dancers’ Village Journey.

Lizzie Rosenthal
Lizzie is a dance artist living in Alentejo. She studies the Axis Syllabus and has an on-going research in Contact Improvisation and water-dance. Her material is a search for anatomical integrity to support the release of histories that manifest in the body inhibiting intelligent movement pathways and creative, joyful expression. She understands dancing as an expression of the heart and a form in which to open to our Self. Lizzie has been co-creating arts projects in various landscapes and teaching CI in the UK. She has a formal background in Anthropology, Humanitarianism and African history.
Lizzie offers movement inspirations and helped coordinate the Alentejo part of this Journey.

Maurizio Russo
Maurizio is a landscape architect and artist and graduated in Milan, Italy. He studied for many years the art of gardens and calligraphy in Japan and he realized public parks and private gardens in several countries. Through his work of Land-Artist he wishes to manifest and share the healing power of consciously built sacred spaces in a process of integration of Art and Nature. Maurizio currently tries to initiate community building around Aljezur to acquire land with a strong focus on nature conservation, which is the origin of his connection to the Dancers’ Village.
Maurizio offers workshops e.g. in land art, in September 2020 Maurizio could unfortunately not be present.

Noëlia Marreiros
Noëlia is an amazing cook of Sattvic Food and has run a vegan restaurant for many years. She also has been initiating several “Into the wild” seminars, where groups lived completely in nature for some time. Noëlia is also an experienced yoga teacher. Mother of two daughters and active in many initiatives around Aljezur, Noelia radiates joy of life around her.
Noëlia offers yoga, led our cooking and helped coordinate the Aljezur part of this Dancers’ Village Journey.

Linda Tinsobin
Linda performs, teaches and researches since more than 15 years in various forms of dance, movement and arts. Her love for curious non-judging encounters is evident in her numerous projects with people of all ages. Her activities include group facilitations and individual work in Contact Improvisation, WaterDance, classic Ballett, Modern Dance, Acrobatics, Facial Harmony, and many many more…
Linda offers various workshops, in September 2020 Linda could unfortunately not be present.