Generous Dance

I have been exploring “Generous Dance” as the new container for my artistic work as a dancer and choreographer. As living beings we are generative: It is essential for our survival on this live earth that we learn re-generative ways of taking care of ourselves, others, and the ecosystems within which we are sustained. I believe dance, movement, and embodied awareness are key ways that we can educate ourselves about how to consume less, produce genuine vitality, and be more resilient. We are nature, and dance can re-wild us.

In May I will be engaging in a vision quest where I will spend some time fasting in the wilderness; searching for my truest self. I created a film—a generous dance—in preparation. Find Vision Quest below. This is the second ‘generous dance’ film. You can find the first, Dance Surplus, at this link.

Scroll down past the video for the Generous Dance Manifesto!

The Generous Dance Manifesto:

Dance is our birthright.
We can all dance.
In dancing we can generate vitality.
To generate vitality we gather energy and organize it.
Organizing energy through dancing is a practice we all have access to.
In generous dancing we connect with ourselves, each other, and our stories.
In generous dancing space becomes place, and form comes to life.
In generous dancing there is abundance:
There is abundant love, health, vitality, connection, and beauty.
We can thrive by sharing what we generate with each other.

Matthew Nelson