About

Dates

An inclusive dance class for everyone, all genders, all adult ages, all physicalities. LIVE or on Zoom.

A new dance style from Popular culture around the globe is explored through movement, voice and rhythm. It is then embodied into a new dance routine each week.

The first Thursday of the month is always Orisa Pan-African dance (Guardians of the elements of nature and place).

The last Thursday of the month is always traditional Indian Garba dance of the Sacred Feminine (The Cosmic dance of the Womb and the Light bridge).

Rooted to the Earth and connected to the Universe, sense and feel your Wild Moves together as One!

Location

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Torquay Senior Citizens Hall
16 Price St, Torquay Victoria 3228

Jacqueline 'Esi Tweba' Dreessens is an Ethnochoreologist, Choreographer, Dancer, Drummer, Teaching Artist and Shamanic practitioner.

B.Ed (Dance, Drama, Psychology) Deakin University, Rusden campus, 1985.

M.Arts (Ethnochoreology and Embodied methodologies) - First Class Honours - Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of LImerick, Ireland, 2017.

Irish School of Shamanic Studies, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Ireland, 2018.

Sonni School of Garba dance, Mumbai, India, 2016, 2018.

Agoro Theatre Company, Pedu, Cape Coast, Ghana, West Africa, 2001- 2007. 

Asanti Dance Theatre, Ghana 2004 - 2014. 

Jacqui has been running Wild Moves on the Surf Coast since 2004 and Wild Moves International since 1991. Born and raised on the Surf Coast and Geelong, Jacqui brings over 30 years of performance experience and professional teaching in schools, Early Learning centres, Holiday programs, Universities, Health & Wellbeing, Seniors: Drumentia, Dancing with Parkinson's, corporate team building, Women or Men Circles, Retreats, weddings, community ritual celebrations, Solstices and music festivals both local and international.

Jacqui's teaching and choreography also draws upon her formal training in Contemporary and Western Classical Ballet techniques supported with Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, Feldenkrais, Somatics, Skinner Release technique and Laban Movement Analysis. She has extensively studied traditional dance styles of Africa, Europe, India and Latin America. Africa - West, Central, East and South African as well as African Diaspora including Jazz, Funk, Hip-Hop, Dancehall, Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian, Brakka, Soukous, Highlife, Hip-Life, Sabar and Latin American dance. As well as Irish Sean Nos dance and various European folkloric styles such as Baroque, Renaissance, Classical Ballet and Contemporary dance styles - Isadora Duncan, Doris Humphrey, Martha Graham, Lester Horton, Merce Cunningham and various Post Modern Contemporary dance techniques.

Jacqui is inspired by Indigenous World Dance cultures and their expression of deep ecology, connection to Ancestral spirit and the Land. On the Australian festival circuit, over the past 30 years, Jacqui has performed with many African dance bands notably, Warako Musica (Congo), Thula Sana (Sth Africa) and Adzohu (Ghana).

As a multidisciplinary artist, born and raised on Wadawurrung lands, Surf Coast, Geelong, Australia, Jacqui's research interest is in Performance Ritual and how people express their identity and connection to their sense of place through music, dance and across the Arts. Her inspiration draws from nature and the environment, researching the Ecology of Place and Embodied Experience. In 2007, 'Children of the Blue Light' was her first major ethnochoreographic film documentary in performance ritual at the Cape Coast Slave Dungeons of Ghana, West Africa with Asanti Dance Theatre, Agoro Fie Productions, Cape Coast, Ghana, West Africa and Wild Moves International, Australia; 2017, 'Out of the Blue: Embodied Experience of the River Shannon', Ireland; 2020, 'Dancing in the Échelons: Finding cultural heritage in a Mangrove Ecosystem', Lake Connewarre, Barwon Heads, Australia.

Since 2001, Jacqui has facilitated cultural dance and drumming tours to Ethiopia, Ghana, Portugal, Senegal and continues to do so. She has extensively studied dance styles and drumming techniques of the African Diaspora which has led to many exciting artist in residency programs in schools, festivals and communities across Australia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, Portugal and Senegal including, 'Where journeys Meet' Gasworks Community Arts Park, to celebrate Australian Federation 2001; the Opening Ceremony for the Deaf Olympic Games at Olympic Park, Melbourne 2005; 'The Mountain to Mouth Extreme Arts Walk' You Yangs, Geelong city, Barwon Heads, 2016, 2018 and many new works for the Torquay High Tide Festival like 'SwellBeing'; 'Hidden Depths'; 'Natural Balance'; 'Moonahs: Sentinels of the Surf Coast'; 'Circles on Waves', 'Hoofprints in the Sand'; 'Sacred Kingfisher dance'; 'Hoodie Boogie'.... more on the way.

You name it, Jacqui can create it!!!

Rooted to the Earth and Connected to the Universe - Wild Moves

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