Facilitation
I have worked in higher education for over twenty years, delivering contemporary-dance-related subjects on BA/MA programmes in universities and conservatoires in the UK. My approach to delivering studio practice is based in movement research, encouraging a holistic approach to practice accompanied by contextual study and critical reflection. Since 2014, my facilitation practice has become focused around the delivery of experiential anatomy, the mover-witness framework (or ‘Authentic Movement’) and contemporary dance improvisation within professional development settings.
Current teaching engagements include workshop delivery on the MA/MFA in Creative Practice at Independent Dance/Trinity Laban (London) and on Janet Kaylo’s Laban/Barteneiff Somatic Studies International. I have delivered classes/workshops for London Contemporary Dance School, The Northern School of Contemporary Dance (Leeds), the Summer Dance Intensive (Vilnius), Mobius Dance (Leeds), Cheshire Dance, 24 Hope St (Liverpool), Barrowland Ballet (Glascow), Dance North (Findhorn), Exitmap (London) and the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.
I also work with artists as a creative mentor and postgraduate supervisor. To support these advisory practices, I participated in the Creative Articulations Process (CAP) catalyst training under the supervision of Jane Bacon and Vida Midgelow.
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Here’s a summary of forthcoming workshops and classes with more detail further below:
12 – 16 January 2026 IN-PERSON at Independent Dance (London)
morning class (10.00am-12.00pm each day)
BOOKINGS via Independent Dance
Feb – June 2026 ONLINE
reflect, re-align and reframe (cycle 4) (an online workshop series with Natalie Garrett Brown)
BOOKINGS contact Amy: doridheavybody@hotmail.com or info@amyvoris.com
Feb – Sept 2026 IN-PERSON at The River Room (Halton nr. Lancaster UK)
qualities of presence (cycle 3) (a workshop series with Penny Collinson)
BOOKINGS contact Penny: hello@pennycollinson.com
Mon 23 Feb – Mon 30 March 2026 ONLINE
transitions and transformations (cycle 2) (an online workshop series with Natalie Garrett Brown)
BOOKINGS contact Amy: doridheavybody@hotmail.com or info@amyvoris.com
Wed 25 Feb – Wed 1 April 2026 ONLINE (weekly)
experiential anatomy into movement – fluid presence: flow and containment
BOOKINGS contact Amy: doridheavybody@hotmail.com or info@amyvoris.com
26 – 29 March 2026 IN-PERSON at Bidston Observatory (near Liverpool)
let me hear your body talk! (a workshop with Mary Pearson)
BOOKINGS contact Mary or Amy: mary@mpersonator.com or info@amyvoris.com
Oct 2026 – June 2027 IN-PERSON at St. Clement’s Church in Chorlton/Manchester across six weekends
experiential anatomy into movement workshop series
BOOKINGS contact Amy: doridheavybody@hotmail.com or info@amyvoris.com
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12 – 16 January 2026 IN-PERSON at Independent Dance (London)
morning class (10.00am-12.00pm each day)
BOOKINGS via Independent Dance
These classes are informed by experiential anatomy and the improvisational values of the mover-witness framework (also referred to as ‘Authentic Movement’). The sessions begin with gentle prompts for moving which are gradually woven with experiential anatomy material. In the latter part of the session, we will explore the process of returning to (self-selected) movement content as an invitation to grow and deepen the relationship with it. The intention is to cultivate sensitivity to the emergence and quality of movement alongside an imaginative and atmospheric pleasure in solo-dancing. Time for reflection is embedded within the sessions and individualised responses are welcome throughout.
My approach to facilitating experiential anatomy has been influenced by the work of Linda Hartley, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Andrea Olsen, Caryn McHose, Satya Dunning, Miranda Tufnell, Natalie Garrett Brown and Fabiano Culora amongst many others.
*Please note that these sessions are designed for movers with prior experience of somatically-informed dance improvisation practices.
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Feb – June 2026 ONLINE
reflect, re-align and reframe (cycle 4) (an online workshop series with Natalie Garrett Brown)
BOOKINGS contact Amy: doridheavybody@hotmail.com or info@amyvoris.com
The fourth cycle of reflect, re-align, reframe will be offered from February 2026.
This programme brings together somatic movement and coaching practice to create space for artists, therapists, coaches and educators who are at a crossroads of their professional practice to reflect upon, re-align and reframe their work and/or career pathway from an embodied and creative perspective. Participants will be invited to move and reflect on their current work, drawing on somatic stimuli to do with orientation and transitions to generate reflections and insights. Sessions will involve some movement guided activities, as well as time for individual processing and sharing in small groups.
Sat 7 February 2026 (12.00-4.00pm UK time)
Sat 28 February 2026 (12.00-4.00pm)
Sat 21 March 2026 (12.00-4.00pm)
Sat 18 April 2026 (12.00-4.00pm)
Sat 16 May 2026 (12.00-4.00pm)
Sat 13 June 2026 (12.00-4.00pm)
Recordings of each session will be available for any sessions missed.
The cost of this programme will be £150 (waged) or £100 (unwaged). There are two places offered on a pay-what-you-can basis.
For ENQUIRIES or BOOKINGS, contact Amy on: info@amyvoris.com or doridheavybody@hotmail.com
One-to-one online coaching with Natalie and/or somatic movement sessions with Amy or Natalie are available at a reduced cost for those who take part in the programme (£25 per single session or a block of six sessions for £125).
*Please note that no prior experience of coaching practices is required to join this series, but some experience with your own in-depth processes as a mover is advantageous.
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Feb – Sept 2026 IN-PERSON at The River Room (Halton nr. Lancaster UK)
qualities of presence (cycle 3) (a workshop series with Penny Collinson)
BOOKINGS contact Penny: hello@pennycollinson.com
‘With an increasing capacity to concentrate, to listen to inner impulse, the mover learns to recognise the channel within which the creative or authentic energy flows’ (Janet Adler 1987).*
Penny Collinson and Amy Voris are offering a series of four 2-day professional development workshops for movement/dance practitioners to support the exploration of spontaneously emerging movement and inner-witnessing skills. We’re excited to make this a closed group to enable connection and in-depth inquiry. Therefore, participants must be able to attend all four weekends.
14-15 February 2026 (1.00-6.00pm Sat, 10.00-3.00pm Sun)
25-26 April 2026 (1.00-6.00pm Sat, 10.00-3.00pm Sun)
1-2 August 2026 (1.00-6.00pm Sat, 10.00-3.00pm Sun)
3-4 October 2026 (1.00-6.00pm Sat 10.00-3.00pm Sun)
The weekend explorations will draw on somatically informed methods from experiential anatomy and the mover-witness framework. Each workshop will emphasise a ‘channel’ or realm of perception which will be explored with some definition and guidance while supporting participants to source emergent movement. Themes may include:
Proprioception and orientation
Sensation – the sensory organ of the skin and the special senses
Interoception and emotion – the presence and movement of mood and feeling
The emergence of image – the presence (and movement) of metaphor
Within each 2-day workshop, we will shift between solo movement and reflection, touch work in pairs, and moving and witnessing explorations in pairs and groups. The series will offer movement and reflective frameworks for participants to listen into and work with their individual inquiries and needs, while acknowledging the companionship and interconnection with others.
*Who is it for?
This series is for movement practitioners who work within teaching, therapeutic as well as creative and performative contexts with some prior experience of in-depth somatic movement processes.
ENQUIRIES or BOOKINGS contact Penny: hello@pennycollinson.com
*Adler, J. (1987/1999) ‘Who is the Witness? A Description of Authentic Movement’. In Authentic Movement: Essays by Mary Starks Whitehouse, Janet Adler and Joan Chodorow. Edited by Pallaro, P. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 141-159.
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Mon 23 Feb – Mon 30 March 2026 ONLINE
transitions and transformations (cycle 2) (an online workshop series with Natalie Garrett Brown)
BOOKINGS contact Amy: doridheavybody@hotmail.com or info@amyvoris.com
This programme brings together somatic movement and coaching practice to create space for artists, coaches, educators and therapists to explore themes of transition and transformation in their professional lives. Participants will be invited to move and reflect upon processes of change from an embodied and creative perspective. Sessions will involve some guided movement activities, as well as time for individual processing and sharing in small groups. The somatic content will weave together material from different body systems to explore fluid presence: flow and containment.
The programme consists of six evening online sessions:
Mon 23 Feb (7.00-9.00pm UK time)
Mon 2 March (7.00-9.00pm)
Mon 9 March (7.00-9.00pm)
Mon 16 March (7.00-9.00pm)
Mon 23 March (7.00-9.00pm)
Mon 30 March (7.00-9.00pm)
Recordings of each session will be available for any sessions missed.
The cost of this programme will be £120 (waged) or £80 (unwaged). There are two places offered on a pay-what-you-can basis.
For ENQUIRIES or BOOKINGS, contact Amy on: info@amyvoris.com or doridheavybody@hotmail.com
One-to-one online coaching with Natalie and/or somatic movement sessions with Amy or Natalie are available at a reduced cost for those who take part in the programme (£25 per single session or a block of six sessions for £125).
*Please note that no prior experience of coaching practices is required to join this series, but some experience with your own in-depth processes as a mover is advantageous.
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Wed 25 Feb – Wed 1 April 2026 ONLINE (weekly)
experiential anatomy into movement – fluid presence: flow and containment
BOOKINGS contact Amy: doridheavybody@hotmail.com or info@amyvoris.com
These sessions are informed by experiential anatomy and contemporary dance improvisation practices which draw on the materiality of the body as a poetic resource. Each session will begin with a brief introduction to the day’s anatomical theme, followed by experiential explorations and gentle prompts for improvisation. The last section of the session will be accompanied by sound and offer space for integration. The overall intention is to cultivate sensitivity to initiation and quality of movement as well as an imaginative pleasure moving. Individualised responses are welcome throughout. The experiential anatomy content for this series will be focussed around fluid presence: flow and containment.
My approach to facilitating experiential anatomy has been profoundly influenced by Body-Mind Centering informed practitioners – such as Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Linda Hartley, Andrea Olsen, Caryn McHose and others such as Miranda Tufnell, Satya Dunning, Natalie Garrett Brown and Fabiano Culora – who work with the anatomical materiality of the body as a poetic and imaginative resource. The anatomical information or prompts offer ways of noticing and playing creatively with movement possibilities.
The same class will be offered (online) twice per week – fine to change time slots from week to week. The sessions are designed so that they can be attended as a series or on a drop-in basis. Audio recordings will be provided for sessions missed and it’s also possible to engage with the entire series asynchronously (i.e. just receive recordings rather than attending ‘live’).
*Please note that these sessions are suitable for those with some previous experience of experiential anatomy.
The cost is £6 pounds per session or £30 pounds for the series.
BOOKINGS contact Amy: doridheavybody@hotmail.com or info@amyvoris.com
WEEK 1
Wed 25 Feb, 9.00-10.15am UK time
Wed 25 Feb, 6.30-7.45pm UK time
WEEK 2
Wed 4 March, 9.00-10.15am UK time
Wed 4 March, 6.30-7.45pm UK time
WEEK 3
Wed 11 March, 9.00-10.15am UK time
Wed 11 March, 6.30-7.45pm UK time
WEEK 4
Wed 18 March, 9.00-10.15am UK time
Wed 18 March, 6.30-7.45pm UK time
WEEK 5
Wed 25 March, 9.00-10.15am UK time
Wed 25 March, 6.30-7.45pm UK time
WEEK 6
Wed 1 April, 9.00-10.15am UK time
Wed 1 April, 6.30-7.45pm UK time
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26 – 29 March 2026 IN-PERSON at Bidston Observatory (near Liverpool)
Let me hear your body talk! (a workshop with Mary Pearson)
BOOKINGS contact Mary or Amy: mary@mpersonator.com or info@amyvoris.com
A four-day intensive which blends somatics and performance-making.
Each day will begin with guided sensory explorations of different body systems and physiological phenomena through movement. We will work with touch, heart and fluid presence to awaken our sensitivity to materials, emotions and image-making.
In the second part of the day, we will connect with the organic and innate sense of storytelling within our bodies. Participants will be invited to incorporate different styles and practices of performance-making. These might be performance practices such as dance, clowning, physical theatre, drag and cabaret, as well as artists with ‘body-based’ visual art and writing practices.
Each evening, participants will have opportunities for sharing their own work / enquiries with the group – whether that means showing material in progress, project documentation, or reflections on something you’re making – as it feels right and relevant to the stage of each person in their making process.
*Please note this workshop is suitable for practitioners with some experience of in-depth somatic movement and / or performance practices. If you are interested, and aren’t sure if this is for you, please get in touch!
This is a residential workshop. The price includes delicious food catered for the group by a local artist and chef, plus accommodation at BOARC (Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre) in the Wirral (30 min from Liverpool city centre).
Arrival 2pm Thursday 26th, departure 3pm Sunday 29th.
Early bird price £275 until January 16th, 2026
Full price £325
In a small group of 12-15 people, participants may each have their own private rooms, however there may need to be some sharing (larger rooms have privacy partitions). Please let us know you are / are not willing to share to ensure smooth organising which meets everyone’s needs.
If you need to organise an alternative payment plan, or are experiencing financial difficulties, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
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Oct 2026 – June 2027 IN-PERSON at St. Clement’s Church in Chorlton/Manchester across six weekends
experiential anatomy into movement workshop series
BOOKINGS contact Amy: doridheavybody@hotmail.com or info@amyvoris.com
This workshop series which will take place across six weekends:
10-11 Oct 2026 (Sat 2.00-7.00pm, Sun 12.30-5.30pm): The presence of bone
14-15 Nov 2026 (Sat 2.00-7.00pm, Sun 12.30-5.30pm): The presence of bone
6-7 Feb 2027 (Sat 2.00-7.00pm, Sun 12.30-5.30pm): Organ presence
13-14 March 2027 (Sat 2.00-7.00pm, Sun 12.30-5.30pm): Organ presence
24-25 April 2027 (Sat 2.00-7.00pm, Sun 12.30-5.30pm): Fluid presence
5-6 June 2027 (Sat 2.00-7.00pm, Sun 12.30-5.30pm): Fluid presence
Each weekend will be dedicated to the exploration of specific anatomical themes pertaining to bone, organ and fluid presence. Activities will include the contemplation of anatomical information and imagery, guided experiential movement sessions and some hands-on activities. There will also be designated time for reflection and integration.
My approach to facilitating experiential anatomy has been profoundly influenced by Body-Mind Centering informed practitioners — such as Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Linda Hartley, Andrea Olsen as well as others such as Caryn McHose, Miranda Tufnell, Satya Dunning, Natalie Garrett Brown and Fabiano Culora – who work with the anatomical materiality of the body as a sensory, poetic and imaginal resource. In this way, the anatomical prompts offer ways of noticing our subjective experience and playing with movement possibilities.
*Who is it for?
Movement practitioners who work within teaching, therapeutic as well as creative and performative contexts and who have prior experience of in-depth somatic movement processes.
Please note that this series will not have an emphasis on ‘functional anatomy’ nor is it a training programme.
This series is suitable for those who are comfortable holding their own process in the company of others since there will not be an emphasis on ‘group process’ in the therapeutic understanding of this term.
The series will have a maximum capacity of 10-12 participants.
Cost
The total cost of this programme (all six weekends) will be £540 waged/£480 low income or £100 waged/£90 low income per weekend. Priority will be given to those who book the entire series. It is possible to pay in instalments.
Venue
Unfortunately the venue is currently not wheel-chair accessible. To discuss any access needs, please get in touch with Amy.