Registration for Dec 13-15 Retreat in Bay Area

What to Expect

This three-day retreat is designed as an affinity space for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color community in the Bay Area. This retreat aims to support survivors of sexual assault within our communities through the (re)discovering of intimacy. In collective, we will co-create a safe and nurturing space for healing, empowerment, and collective resilience. You do not have to be a survivor to participate and disclosure is not required. Participants will be introduced to the Moving Rasa framework through guided exercises and reflections, both outdoors and indoors. We will explore the philosophy and basic tools of Moving Rasa as a means of expression, witnessing, and communication. In particular this retreat will focus on creating a playful and trusting community that is able to openly address and move through our relationships to sex, sexualities and sexual violence in a healing and empowering way.

Expect story sharing and natural cross-pollination among participants, fostering a collective learning experience.

No Prior Experience Needed

No prior experience in movement or the arts is necessary. The cohort size will be limited to approximately 15 people. Priority will be given to participants who can commit to the entire duration of the retreat. That said, all people who are interested in the Moving Rasa framework are encouraged to rgister. 

Moving Rasa: Grounding Knowledge and Social Justice

Unveil the transformative power of Moving Rasa, a unique approach that intertwines knowledge and social justice with the wisdom of our bodies through movement improvisation. Participants will learn to trust their interconnectedness with others and the world around them, navigating obstacles to self-expression and expanding their capacity to improvise in changing and challenging environments. The term "Rasa" means taste or essence in Indonesian, and Moving Rasa connects participants to their Rasa, embracing their cultures, histories, and spirituality as vital for authentic relationship-building and creating unity through diversity. 

Location: at The Place (1121 64th St, Oakland, CA 94608, USA), and various Parks like Dimond Park in Oakland, CA 

Basic Itinerary (Subject to shift as needed by the group via consensus) 

Shared meals are not required, but highly recommended. They are a time for us to share culturally specific food and deepen our connection through casual conversation.  

Friday December 13th

6-9p  Introduction to each other and the Moving Rasa framework; Orienting to the theme of Intimacy

Saturday, December 14th

10-1p Consent and Community Agreements       

1-3p  Break and meal sharing

3-6p  Creative perception and agency with the Moving Rasa Lenses 

Sunday December 15th

9:30-12:30p Improvising with Others and the Topics    

12:30-2:30p Break and meal sharing   

2:30-5:30p  Collective Design and Synthesis

Bio of Facilitators:

Nhu Nguyen (lead facilitator): Nhu Nguyen is an artist and maker with interests in dance, photography, and wearable art. They worked with Ho Chi Minh City's Ballet Symphony and Orchestra (Vietnam) while pursuing their education at Vietnam’s National School of Dance and Choreography. Since their immigration to the United States in 2012, Nguyen has been working as a performer, costume designer, youth mentor, choreographer, curator, production manager, and teaching artist; partnering with multiple creative youth development organizations in the San Diego region. Currently, their work explores art-making for social impact in collaboration with youth and young adults. 

Karin Moriarty (facilitator) is the Artistic Director of Dance-Is-It, a contact improvisation group based in Palo Alto. She is currently a Harbin Jam organizer/teacher and a regular teacher for the Berkeley Jam. She also teaches both modern dance and contact improvisation at DanceVisions in Palo Alto, Dance Odyssey in Santa Cruz, Ecstatic Dance in Palo Alto, and Stanford University. Karin is a long time practitioner of the Moving Rasa framework and is excited to be co-facilitating and hosting this weekend retreat.