During the three-day mini-retreat in the heart of winter, we delve into altered states of consciousness, shape thinking through our bodies, and explore vibrant co-existence using various methods such as movement, meditation, writing, question incubation, and sound. We draw inspiration from rave culture, marginalised body knowledge, and the psychoanalytic stream of consciousness. The course is suitable for professionals in dance and performing arts and anyone intrigued by the theme.
‘There are many ways to communicate, language is not the only one.’
– Aérea Negrot (1980–2023)
raving / rave / raven / resver
‘delirious’, ‘showing signs of madness’, ‘to talk irrationally’, ‘to dream’, ‘to wander here and there’, ‘behave madly’, ‘be crazy’, ‘to utter in frenzy’
Merriam-Webster Dictionary & Online Etymology Dictionary
Simo Vassinen’s retreat-like workshop explores and combines various tasks involving movement, listening, breathwork, meditation, attention, writing, voice, and touch. Whether you arrive hopeful or frustrated, tired or bubbling with life, seeking rest or already at peace; together, we embark on a three-day journey in the heart of winter with no specific destination – and occasionally exploring a very particular question. We'll experiment with diverse methods to expand the boundaries of our thinking through bodily activations. The aim is to discover ways to surprise ourselves, inject vitality, and nurture a presence not reliant on productivity, refined thoughts, or well-crafted delivery.
Our main inspirations stem from ecstatic traditions and psychoanalysis, both sharing a common goal: to challenge the dominance of the rational mind. In psychoanalysis, this is achieved through free-flowing speech, while ecstatic traditions (such as rave culture and dynamic meditation) employ repetitive movement. We will engage in these exercises individually, in pairs, and as a group.
The course explores dreamlike states, purposeful unclarity, letting loose, unfiltered movement and speech, and raving – also in its etymological sense of delirium – as pathways to vitality. Across millennia and cultures, communities have embraced ecstasy: from drum circles and sports audiences to dance rituals and techno clubs. An individual repeating a movement or sound becomes part of something greater within a group. Throughout history, structures of power have acted as gatekeepers of enchantment, viewing its empowerment as a threat. The trance-preacher is ridiculed, witches are burned, lunatics are confined, raves are raided, indigenous cultures are erased, blackness is whitewashed, queerness is crushed. Yet, the cycle of repetition persists. Can we integrate nocturnal thinking into our waking hours? How do we approach intentional confusion? Can we journey somewhere and return with our feet firmly on the ground?
The course aims to accommodate different accessibility needs. Please get in touch!
Simo Vassinen (FI/DE) is a dancer, performer, translator, Pantarei bodyworker, and a former futures researcher. Currently based in Germany and Finland, Vassinen explores connections transcending our everyday lives, intertwining dance, performance, rave culture, psychoanalysis, dynamic meditation, mental health, bodywork, and societal issues. He draws inspiration and strength from underground queer culture to empower his work. Vassinen actively leads workshops and body-based exercises in Berlin (Social Pleasure Center/Fortuna, Stretch Festival), Helsinki (Kiasma, UrbanApa, Untitled, Sweet Spot), and around the Nordic region (The Borderland, Goethe-Institut Denmark). As a dancer and choreographer, he has worked at various dance institutions in Berlin (Sophiensæle, Uferstudios, Ballhaus Ost), and the intersections of queer, rave, and dance worlds. Vassinen’s body-based work focuses on combining different knowledges, multilingualism, improvisation, and ways to break through everyday life with communal vitality.
