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  • HOME
  • ABOUT . SOBRE
  • DANCE . DANÇA
    • Flamenco & Romani Dances
    • Gipsy Duende
    • Danza Duende
  • VIDEODANCE
  • AGENDA
  • TEACHING . ENSINO
    • Regular Classes
    • Workshops & Residencies
    • Student Shows
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Solo Work
    • Present Collaborations
    • Past Collaborations
  • CONTACT . O
GIPSY DUENDE

Gipsy Duende is one of the most important branches of the Danza Duende International Network, founded by Franco-Hungarian ​​Yumma Mudra.  It is inspired by traditional Romani dances as the art of transforming suffering by surrendering to the present moment.
It is about discovering the spontaneous joy of our authentic movement
and about recovering the freshness and sincerity of our gesture within a group synergy. 

Yumma, Myriam Szabo by birth, daughter of Romani-Hungarian sculptor Lászlo Szabó and a former soloist dancer of the Ballets Russes Irina Grjebina, researched on how to best convey an art that required a total surrender, not only of the body and the mind, but also and especially of the heart, while trying to preserve in its teaching its spontaneous and free nature. Out of this reflection was born Gipsy Duende: a vision of art and dance as instruments to return to the freshness and sincerity of the gesture, cultivating simplicity, improvisation and a sense of humor.

Inspired by the universal soul of Romani ​dances, focus is given to foot work, rhythmic games, the swiftness of changes and the speed of execution, while using accessories such as the shawl and wide skirts. These elements are put at the service of a deeper work on expression and interpretation, though, allowing the student to appropriate her or himself of the technique in such a a way that she or he may  create a dance that is born of our their own history and experience, and is transformed it into one of joy and celebration, both individual and communal, of the present as it is.​


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ph. credits: Jérôme Latteur
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​In the Gipsy Duende teaching, as in all other specific forms or branches of our network, key resources are used in regular classes, workshops and residencies. These include exercises for the development of perceptions, intelligence and braveness, develop the ability to improvise and create new movement forms; develop a quick adaptation to changes; deepening our communication skills; being flexible and empathetic towards others… All in all, cultivating basic goodness in our daily lives, courage, and nourishing a spirit of joy and generosity. 
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GIPSY DUENDE TEACHING
The Gipsy Duende training is mainly focused on transforming suffering and pain through music and dance. It is really about understanding the true meaning of celebration. You may also be fond of this proposal if you are a lover of Romani culture, music and dance art expression.

There is no previous dance experience required to follow the classes. If you cannot resist the romanticism of Hungarian violins, the raspy voices of the Romanian gypsy tarafs, the fiery and passionate rhythms of the Russian gypsy choirs or the intriguing cadence of oriental influence of the southern Balkan dances, why not hop on? It may help you let go, loosen up, forget your daily setbacks for a moment or turn them into art, With romanticism or fierceness, intensifying or dissolving... let us dance our lives. 
 
Danza Duende is a network of people who share a vision of art and a method of teaching dance, which stands out for proposing students different tools that allow them to investigate their own form of expression. In the case of Gipsy Duende, we do it inspired by the universal language of Romani dances, following Yumma Mudra's - the school founder - background. In this sense, the "form", the vocabulary, the “step” become a means rather than an end.
 
From a more technical point of view, we study Romani dances from several regions of Europe, with a particular emphasis on the Russian and Central European ones, but not only. We investigate the source of their expression, as well as their musical and sound variety, within a cultural framework.
 
We develop and refine our rhythmic sensitivity and our motor skills. We work on becoming aware of our physical and mental posture, and our external and internal bodies, gradually entering into contact with our intrinsic natural harmony. While doing footwork, accompanied by palm clapping, finger clicking or our own voices, our whole being becomes a single rhythmic instrument.
 
But underlying the execution of our steps and sequences, our turns, jumps and movements in space, we deeply work on grounding and breathing as our most present and paramount reference. In a carousel of energy, rhythm, shawls and skirts, we dance stories, our stories, the others’ stories, the community stories, the world’s conscious or subconscious stories.  We dance them, we sing them, we honor them, creating a playful and community environment in which everyone is an active participant, creator and discoverer of their own authentic movement.

(check out timetables and the workshop agenda HERE)




​Dance and Life in conscious interdependence

Danza Duende promotes a work on our own selves that is based on an ethical and joyful approach in the transmission of art.

The training proposed by the Danza Duende international network is recommended to all artists and teachers or just about anyone who feels the need to explore their creative inspiration and intensify their ability to being present, here and now. It is a long-term training that allows us to visit the very sources of form in our own minds and to discover our intrinsic talent so that we can work in all spheres of our lives as if we actually danced our lives!

(more about DANZA DUENDE)

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