← Vale da Grila
Penela, Portugal
Registration Now Open

Improvisation & Performance Lab

30 September – 4 October

A 4-day laboratory dedicated to improvisation as an art of performance — exploring how composition, communication, and performance unfold simultaneously, and how presence, attention, and relationship become the material of performance.

The Programme

What the days hold

Designed for professional dancers, the laboratory invites participants to deepen improvisation as an independent artistic practice while expanding their movement language, compositional awareness, and performance skills.

Working through solo and collective practices, we will explore how choreography can emerge in the present moment through listening, attention, and decision-making. Throughout the week, our shared research will unfold around the theme of Belonging — exploring the relationship between self, group, and environment. The laboratory will gradually develop into a collective creative process, culminating in a public improvisation performance: not a predetermined outcome, but a natural extension of the artistic research developed together.

General Schedule

Between sessions there is time to rest, walk in the forest, swim in the natural pool, read, or reflect. Evenings are shared around the campfire with fresh, nourishing meals.

Limited places — open to professional dancers and experienced movers interested in improvisation as a performance practice.

Facilitation

Led by

OM

Or Marin

Choreographer, dancer, designer, and teacher — founder of Or Marin Dance Theater Company (est. 2005) and RE-SEARCH, a three-year professional programme for creative dancers running since 2015 in Israel. Her work is known for its visual aesthetics and use of vocal and textual material within contemporary dance and performance, shown at festivals and venues across Israel and abroad. Or recently moved her residence to Portugal, where she is establishing this dance center for workshops and an artist residency programme.

NC

Noam Carmeli

Teacher, dancer, researcher, and director (an architect until 2010), exploring the intersection of art, physical practice, and personal-social awareness for over two decades. Noam specializes in Contact Improvisation and group improvisation, drawing on Aikido, the Ilan Lev Method, Body-Mind Centering, and Gaga. He was CEO of the Contact Improvisation Association in Israel for 16 years, co-directs Studio Tena, and holds a Master's degree focused on group improvisation as a performance art and practice of belonging.

Accommodation & Fees

What's included

€450

Bring Your Own Tent

Includes the full laboratory programme, all meals, and a camping spot for your own tent.

€550

Private Caravan

Includes the full programme, all meals, and a private caravan. Single/double, limited, first-come first-served.

€450

Nearby Hotel

Programme + meals included. Hotel arranged & paid separately at Duecitânia Design Hotel, ~20 min walk.

On Site

Shared facilities

Hot showers
Ecological toilets
Shared kitchen
Fresh, nourishing meals
Open-air studio
Forest trails & natural pool
General Information

Vale da Grila Dance Village

Rua do Vale da Grila 1, Penela, Portugal

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Registration Form

Reserve your place

If you're interested in this laboratory, please submit the form below with all requested details. After submitting, you'll be sent payment details for the registration fee of €100. Without transferring the registration fee, your reservation will not be saved.
Submitting sends your registration straight to us — no email app needed.