Next Biodanza RI Collective Weekend: December 12-14.
Calendar of Biodanza events in New England
What is Biodanza?
The word Biodanza literally means the “dance of life.” Chilean anthropologist and psychologist Rolando Toro created Biodanza in the 1960s as a form of self-development through music, movement, expression & invitational encounters. In his words it is “a system of affective integration, organic renovation and relearning of the original life functions” with the aim to:
- stimulate the joy of being,
- promote internal integration and
- reconnect us as human beings.
Biodanza can be found in more than 50 countries around the world. The essence and arc of Biodanza–whether you are in Santiago, Lisbon, Cape Town or Providence– is always the same: a trained Biodanza facilitator skillfully weaves together music (ranging from rhythmic to restful) and dance invitations (accessible to anyone, always “at choice”) with group encounters that stimulate connection. Following an arc that respects our human physiology, these three essential ingredients create conditions for the arising of vivencias, or “an experience lived with great intensity in the “here-now” that produces emotional, kinaesthetic and visceral effects.” It is through these intense experiences of both individual and collective presence that we reconnect to life.
Biodanza explores 5 primary lines of vivencia (from the Spanish word “vivir”, meaning “to live”):
- vitality (to have more energy & vitality in one’s life),
- creativity (to be creative in all aspects of life),
- affectivity (to love and be loved),
- sensuality/sexuality (to feel pleasure in all that we do); and
- transcendence (to feel connected to something greater).
As a practice, Biodanza is about falling in LOVE WITH LIFE.
“What we have to learn in our lives isn’t information or knowledge– we have to learn TO LIVE.” ~Rolando Toro
NO DANCE EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.
Upcoming classes & workshops: Biodanza in New England.
*A note on Clothing / Shoes / Fragrances / Sniffles: Biodanza requires nothing but a willingness to explore yourself in movement-- so please wear whatever you feel comfortable moving in. Feel free to wear your favorite sweats or your favorite flashy shirt / swishy skirt. Dress in layers to keep yourself comfortable. Most people dance barefoot. If you prefer to wear shoes, please choose non-street shoes or shoes that won't scuff the floor. Also, please refrain from wearing additional fragrances as some dancers may be sensitive to scents. Lastly, if you aren't feeling well, please stay home and rest-- we look forward to dancing with you when you recover.
Biodanza Video Links:
- Biodanza RI Communinty: “Masterclass in Love” (Rhode Island)
- Explanation of Biodanza: The Dance of Life (San Francisco)
- “My Life Changed While I Danced” (in Portuguese w/ English subtitles)
- WONDERFUL Interview with Biodanza founder Rolando Toro (in Spanish w/ English subtitles)
- Biodanza with Children & Seniors: “Poetry of the Encounter” (Holland)
- Biodanza and Art: “Skin & Paper” (Portugal)
- Biodanza with Children (Belgium, in French)
- Biodanza with Construction workers (Chile, in Spanish)
- World Biodanza Day 2015 (Argentina)
“Our first obligation as creators is to give birth to ourselves.” ~Rolando Toro
Photos by Valu Ribeiro (Biodanza African Encounters)
“My Biodanza Story”
“I (Rebecca) first met Biodanza at DNE Dance Camp in 2016 and immediately recognized two things: 1) the practice was deeply aligned with my personal calling to cultivate and share embodied freedom & joy and 2) that Biodanza offered a certain secret sauce (read: connection) that I was looking for to deepen my home conscious dance community in Rhode Island.
It took me two years to find the Biodanza conduit I was looking for! She –Carolina Churba Doyle (see below)– turned up on a Blueberry Farm in rural Maryland by way of South Africa, England and Argentina. (A special thanks to Michelle Dubreuil of Biodanza-MD/DC for hosting and co-facilitating that literally life changing event.)
A few months later, 70+ dancers were congregated in the auditorium at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Providence. Six years later, in 2025, we launched a brand new cohort of Biodanza Facilitators (based from Philly to Maine) into the world. Along the way, my appreciation for the depth and nuance of this practice has expanded many times over, both for it’s capacity to nourish us as individuals but even more so, to build a strong, tender & resilient net of community. The “why” of Biodanza for me is community and for this I am profoundly grateful. Thank you Rolando, thank you Carolina and thank you to each and every Biodancero who has danced, wept, celebrated and held me in the Dance of Life.”
(For a more indepth reflection on my journey with Biodanza, read my Biodanza Monography, 2025.)
Lineage & Gratitude
A Master Teacher of Biodanza, Carolina Churba Doyle met Rolando Toro in Argentina when she was just 18. She trained with him for many years and was his official English language translator. More than 40 years later, she has travelled monthly from London to offer us a direct line to the source of Biodanza.
Carolina is a woman of the world (with the majority of her life spent in South America, Europe and Africa), she is tenacious (some might say relentless!) and deeply loving. Our gratitude for her wisdom & dedication to our little Rhode Island crew of Biodanceros is as deep as the oceans (which she crosses so often) and as wide as the world she inhabits!
Please join us in the Dance of Life!
Calendar of Biodanza events in New England
More Reflections on Biodanza:
“My sensation of life is different. I can feel who, what and where I am, rather than endlessly analyzing and anguishing. Yes, the head does still come up with its agendas and strategies. But this heart connected embodied way of being has grown so much stronger. I trust it more and more.”
“For the first time I was able to conceive of myself as belonging. Not just being on the periphery … but fitting in as a human being and connecting deeply with others and through others.”
“Fortunately, I found Biodanza … it was something of a life saver. … I felt renewed, alive and joyful. It felt liberating to be able to dance and loosen my inhibitions without any chemical stimulant. I could have time to myself, to connect with myself, to dance, laugh, cry, discover, connect, express!”
“I see Biodanza as one of the most effective tools I have used on my life’s journey. It has assisted me in identifying and living my life’s purpose, and to journey as close as possible to the path my soul is destined to travel.”
“The ecological and social crisis is clear for all to see. There is one solution that is seldom seen – the restoring of the link of love between individual and individual, individual and humanity, individual and the world…”
“My suit of armour has been transformed into a suit of amour. The more love that is applied, the more sweetness, gentleness, tenderness I have felt and the more everything has been put together.”
“We intend to change this (anti-life culture), not with the help of ideology, but by re-establishing, in each instant of our lives, the conditions which nourish life.” ~Rolando Toro
Email embodyfreedom16@gmail.com for more info.
Calendar of Biodanza events in New England.
Embody Freedom 