when ↓
November 27 - 29, 2024
Gyrokinesis 10:15am - 11:30am
Stripper Gollum 12:30pm - 3:30pm

where ↓
Winchester Street Theatre
80 Winchester St, Toronto, ON M4X 1B2

accessibility ↓
The Winchester Street Theatre is not currently wheelchair accessible. There are three steps outside of the front entrance, a small platform, and then three more steps to the lobby (a straight hallway that then leads you to the theatre). To access the private gender-neutral restrooms, there are five additional steps at the end of the lobby. The seats in the theatre space are on risers with stairs.

about the sessions ↓ 
A workshop for sluts and goblins who wanna get a little messy, in the name of making dances!

Stripper Gollum serves as a mutable figure grappling with their feelings of emptiness, longings and the longings others have of them – in order to develop a compassionate humour towards both inner and outer hauntings. 

Certified in Gyrokinesis, Be will oscillate between warm-ups in a “day on, day off” approach calling upon an upbeat work-out — drawing from physical therapy, callisthenics and qigong — before diving into state-based improvisations. We will turn this research into a personal choreography before collectively expanding upon it as a group phrase that will deepen throughout the week. Together we will explore socialized notions of sexiness in dialogue with the “hungry ghost.“ In eastern philosophy the hungry ghost represents the insatiable hunger alive in people often associated with craving and addiction. It is represented most popularly by the spirit character “no face” in the Hayao Miyazaki movie Spirited Away and is a focal point in Gabor Maté’s book In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. The hungry ghost can also be found in the Gollum/Sméagul character of J.R.R. Tolkein’s novel, The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings.  

This research asks: Is it possible that we may need to (be gentler with or) move away from fixing “broken” parts of ourselves and instead embrace the inherent complexity of our many selves? If being whole doesn’t mean being consistent or predictable, can we embrace the complexity and diversity of our inner worlds, and recognize that everything is in a state of flux!?

Stripping has roots in many dancing cultures including the ballet, as an exchange between dancer and patron. It is a form of sex work intertwined with complex power dynamics, stigma, secrecy, self-employment, unstable employment, underground economy, the purchasing of pleasure, charm industry and so much more. It’s important to note that this form of indoor sex work sits on a different part of the safety spectrum than outdoor and survival sex work – even if there may be overlap between the two.

Participants are encouraged to work at the “resilient edge of resistance” – a term named by Chester Mainard, which was formed in the context of erotic massage to describe a touch that isn’t too hard but also isn’t too soft. How can we apply this term as a way of exploring movement?

"I’m not sure about you, but I imagine it in a way that balances pushing one’s limits while taking care in the social context of a workshop. Take what you need and leave the rest." – Be Heintzman Hope

accessibility for participants ↓ 
- Be prepared to sweat, work with yourself and others
- Exercises can be adapted to different abilities, please arrive early and speak to Be before the workshop if you have access needs you want them to know about
- We will ride on momentum and keep moving, making space for conversations to expand the practice
- Participants are encouraged to work at the “resilient edge of resistance” – a term named by Chester Mainard, which was formed in the context of erotic massage to describe a touch that isn’t too hard but also isn’t too soft. How can we apply this term as a way of exploring movement?

what to bring ↓ 
- Wear comfy clothes
- Bring knee pads if you need them to crawl around
- Bring a notebook and pen

about the artist ↓ 
Moving between sound and performance, Be Heintzman Hope is a facilitator of music, dance and embodiment ritual based between Tio’tia:ke/Mooniyang, colonially known as Montréal and the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (musquem), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Wateuth) peoples.

Their practice bridges dance training with conflict resolution, healing and community arts. They hold workshops in transitional spaces, dance institutions, universities, DIY contexts and festivals that center queer, trans, racialized bodies and sex workers — offering meditation, singing and dance as medicines to those on the front lines of their healing journeys. 

Their recent triptych Switch (meditations on crying), Poetics to Activate the Technology of the Body and Nurse Tree draws from strip tease, meditation, intuitive martial arts, acupuncture, sound healing and massage to uplift both personal and collective alchemy.

sessions cost ↓
Love-In is currently offering a pwyc sliding scale by using the discount codes listed below at checkout. We ask that community members with a consistent income or salary pay at the regular price so that we can support community members with less access to income, wealth, or assets to attend barrier free. Thank you for locating yourself in the place that best matches your economic situation and paying accordingly so that we can make our programs available to more people for years to come!

discount codes & donation options
ABUNDANT — add donation, no discount code used at check out
SUPPORTER — add donation, no discount code used check out
REDUCED — 50% off
SOLIDARITY — 75% off
ACCESS — 100% off (contact info@tolovein.com for barrier free registration) 

how do I know how much to pay? ↓
abundant
This rate reflects a medium increase on the rate for the session. If you have access to a salary, savings, investments, assets, or generational wealth, paying this rate will subsidize the attendance of someone for whom cost is a barrier to attending. If you are moved to donate $10 or more, there is an option to do so.

supporter
This rate reflects a moderately increased rate for the session and will allow us to partially subsidize the attendance of folks for whom cost is a barrier. Please add a donation of $5 if you have access to a salary, savings, investments or assets. 

regular
This rate reflects the regular cost for the session. Please select this rate if you have access to a regular income and are able to meet your basic needs around food, housing and transportation.

reduced
This rate reflects the reduced cost for the session. Please select this rate if you are able to meet your basic needs around food, housing and transportation, but have gaps in your income and no access to savings or familial financial support.

solidarity
This rate reflects the solidarity cost for the session. Please select this rate if you are able to meet your basic needs around food, housing and transportation, but don't have access to regular income.

access
The option to access this session at no cost ensures that members of our community for whom price is a barrier to participation are able to join us. Please email us at info@tolovein.com to receive this option. 

covid-19 & illness protocols ↓
Masks are not mandatory, but welcomed. In an effort to prioritize community health, we ask that folks refrain from attending sessions if they have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing any symptoms. Thanks for continuing to work with us to keep our most at risk community members safe.

acknowledgements ↓
Love-In is thankful to gather on traditional Indigenous territory known as Tsi’Tkaronto, “Where the trees meet the water” “The Gathering Place.” This land belongs to the Wyandot, Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabeg and Mississaugas of New Credit. We recognize these nations and any other Nations (acknowledged and unacknowledged, recorded and unrecorded) as the past, present, and future caretakers of this land. We are grateful to the Elders, and story-keepers who make the first stories of this land known. We honour the history of this place. Agreeing to continually support our Indigenous community and members, and to center Indigenous practice where and when appropriate. With our action, heart, and word, we commit to providing spaces for inclusivity, respect, love, and working to uphold the treaties of these territories. 

Toronto Dance Community Love-In is supported by Canada Council for the Arts and Toronto Arts Council.