Contemplative Dance Practice: A Movement & Meditation Workshop

Contemplative Dance Practice (CDP) blends movement, meditation and improvisation to cultivate awareness, connection and self-discovery. 

What to expect:

This two-hour introductory workshop will begin with 45 minutes of orientation to the practice, during which time we will:

• Discuss practice purpose, structure, and benefits.
• Develop tools for clear consent, non-consent and boundary-setting to create a safe and supportive space.
• Clearly and tangibly introduce key practice components: seated meditation, solo movement, and relational movement.

Then we will move into a 60-minute CDP session which will include:

• 20 minutes of seated meditation – arrive into stillness and present-moment awareness.
• 20 minutes of solo movement – move intuitively, following internal impulses without judgment.
• 20 minutes of relational movement – engage in shared, nonverbal improvisation with the group.

We will end with 15 minutes of reflection together — discussing insights, experiences and takeaways.

Who is this for?

This workshop is open to all bodies. No prior experience with dance or meditation is needed — just curiosity and a willingness to explore.

About Contemplative Dance Practice (CDP)

Developed by Barbara Dilley (dancer, meditation teacher and former President of Naropa University), Contemplative Dance Practice is an invitation to explore how awareness unfolds in and through the body.

Contemplative Dance Practice periods typically include three practice sections:


Seated Meditation Practice –  In which we arrive into stillness and present-moment awareness.

Solo Movement Practice –  In which we move intuitively, following internal impulses without judgment.

Relational Movement Practice – A shared, nonverbal improvisational space where we engage with movement while attuning to the group and environment.

CDP is not about performance but about deepening our relationship with movement, attention, and community. 

Join us for an afternoon of movement, stillness and discovery.

Nick (LaLa) Smith is a dancer, mover, meditator and silly goose who facilitates deep practices of listening, movement, attunement and relating. His offerings center on exploring play, healing, self definition and how we to relate to attention. Learn more at https://www.jaaa.am/

Host or Publisher The Berkeley Alembic Foundation