YOGA:

THURSDAY
9:00am - 10:00am
Open Level

YOGEA - Yoga meets Dance

Yoga Class with a Creative Dance Emphasis:

Founded by Antonia Katrandjieva Ph.D.

Yogea is a newly developed contemporized yoga style tailoring the Balinese, Chinese and Indian ancient yoga traditions to the needs of the modern individual. This class based on the concept that “form follows energy” is intended for individuals who wish to gain further flexibility, establish a strong core, postural alignment, develop a general kinesthetic awareness and a sense of energetic flow in the body. The class opens with a brief alignment-visualization exercise intended to bring the focus inwards into the subtle sheaths of the body. A soothing “pranayama” (breath-extension) exercise follows, enabling students to purify nerve channels, open meridians and shift focus from the physical to the energetic self. The practice unfolds into a flow based sequence of postures teaches students to integrate rhythmic breathing with conscious movement, linking postures, moving with complete awareness as they increase strength and flexibility. The asana routine enhances glandular stimulation, promotes flexibility and reduces stress. The asanas (postures) are linked into an organic fabric of movement and breath reminiscing the spiral periodicity of the ascending and descending harmony of the Universe, letting the dancer coil and uncoil through space, reliving creation as a spiral dance of attunement with the underlying oneness of the Universe. A meditative Indian kinetic group prayer closes the session, allowing students to transition gracefully from moment to moment both on stage and in life.

NTONIA KATRANDJIEVA is a graduate of the Zurich Dance Theater School in Switzerland, and the National Academy for Theater and Film Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria where she holds a doctorate in Non-verbal Theater. Ms Katrandjieva is an internationally acclaimed actress, theater director, choreographer and yoga instructor, who has launched her avant-garde ground-breaking choreographies in Switzerland, Bali, Thailand, Germany, France, Bulgaria, and NYC. Antonia has researched in the field of esoteric theater & dance exploring traditional and non-literal choreography and has evolved her own contemporary dance style “Introdance” aimed at unleashing the unique creative identity of each dancer. Antonia has served as repertory assistant of “Almar Dance Company”, Sofia; “Aeon Dance Company”, Zurich, Switzerland and as choreographer of “Serapis New Age Performance Studio” and “Global Arts Synthesis Laboratory”, Switzerland. Antonia is the creator of the Rapid Creative Unfolding Method geared towards harnessing the intuitive intellect of dancers and artists and has compiled her 15-year somatic research and experiments into a book “Novantrop” – a new Human Design System, launching the concept of the new holistically- aware individual. She has lectured in Theater, Philosophy, Dance and Pantomime at the National Academy of Theater & Film Arts, at the American College in Sofia, at the International College of Arts in Denpasar, Bali and at Zurich Dance Theater School in Switzerland.

Antonia has directed and staged over 30 dance performances both home and abroad. She has authored the manual for contemporary actors & dancers “Intuitive Gesture” and numerous articles on Theater, Philosophy and Dance published in Bulgarian, Swiss and American Journals. Antonia is founder of “Overground Arts Alliance” – a theater dance company” & spiritual culture promoting not-for-profit organization based in NYC. She is author of “Qi-Yo” yoga style and “Yogeya” – embryonic breathing revitalizing complex.  Antonia has traveled extensively and researched into the spiritual and cultural heritage of Asia (Indonesia, China, Mongolia, Korea) and Europe. Currently, Antonia is engaged in authoring a new Yoga Series, entitled: “New Noah’s Ark- The Yoga of Sources”. Antonia conducts lectures in Theatre and Esotericism and currently lives in NYC, where she teaches contemporary dance, theatre dance and yoga.