The Silvestre Technique Experience
Symbols in Motion
“Why are all the people so comfortable inside of my work? Because there is space for everything there. I don’t care where you came from… When you are inside - inside the Silvestre Technique, there is no space for judgment”
— Rosangela Silvestre
Silvestre Technique is…
a continuously evolving contemporary dance technique with the objective of conditioning the dancer through physical and expressive training. All levels are welcomed and encouraged to train in this technique.
In 1982, Rosangela Silvestre began the early stages of developing the Silvestre Technique, which over time has progressed into a series of exercises - "conversations with the body" - working to prepare body, mind, and spirit for dance.
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If students are interested in The 4 Day Silvestre Technique Experience please email us at info@cumbedance.org for registration.
The Silvestre Technique brings to dance training a connection with the physical body and its connection to the Universe, which Silvestre calls, "the Body Universe." The Body Universe is symbolized by three triangles formed on the body.
Triangles
Triangle of intuition, visualization and perception: located from the top of the head to the shoulders. Triangle of expression: located from the shoulders down to the belly button. Triangle of balance: located from the hips down to the feet. In the Silvestre Technique, these triangles are connected with the four elements of Nature: Earth, Water, Air, Fire.
Earth
connects with the triangle of balance, that gives a sense of grounding and stabilization (grand plié can be connected with the Earth).
Water
connects with the triangle of expression, which allows one to experience fluidity and grace (contractions and undulations can be connected with Water).
Air
connects with the triangle of expression for the sense of the freedom to move (pirouettes and jumps can be connected with Air).
Fire
connects with the triangle of intuition, visualization and perception, conceptually giving a sense of what the Technique defines as determination, will-power and attack (grand battement can be connected with Fire).
In addition, the Silvestre Technique brings the foundation of the Chakras, the central forces of the body, to enhance the internal connection with the dancers' "verticality" and alignment.
Symbology of Orixa Dances:
A study of the connections between the rhythms and the traditional movement, archetype and story, of the Orixa dances interpreted as an art form. Discover how sacred symbolism inspires the body to dance. Orixa is the Essence of the Universe.
Symbology
A utilization of the gestures of the Orixa dances in combination with the Silvestre Technique. This class is a study of the traditional symbols as inspiration to create dance choreography, and how to work with the Silvestre Technique creatively.
Composition
Individual dance expression, theme, and improvisation to develop sequences of movements for collaborative choreography composition.
Theory
“For me, dance and music, [are] sound and movement that provide universal
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“The beauty of the Silvestre Technique is in its universality.
For those intensely physical learners it is a challenging technique that emphasizes placement and moving efficiently within one’s own body while continuously working to expand one’s body’s capabilities. Silverstre requires hyper-awareness of the body in order to visualize, understand, and ultimately express to the universe one’s unique physical truth.
For the more spiritual learners, the technique is rooted in the chakras, the four elements, and the powers of the Orixás, which are essentially all pathways to connect the body to the cosmos and the divine.
The technique teaches that through properly moving the body and focused consciousness, you open the channels of energy within oneself and as a means to connect to that which is outside of the self.”