Voice in Movement: Embodied Voice Retreat

Voice in Movement

From Soma to Ensemble with Anna Luna Louvari

A dive into the practices of

Releasing Voice & Circles of Polyphonic Improvisation

In this program we will explore embodied ways of freeing the Voice as sound, as means for expression, and as means for connection – to the self, the others, the ensemble, the surrounding nature.

• July 27 – August 3, 2026

arrival July 27 — departure August 3

• Lefkada, Greece

Paleohori eco-art space

• 6 days of workshop practice

30 hours of voice, movement & improvisation

• Embodied voice work

movement, breathing & vocal exploration

• Collective music creation

polyphonic improvisation & group-solo journeys

• Excursion to the sea

part of the shared process

• Small group experience

maximum 12 participants

• All levels welcome

no previous experience required

Our main companions in this journey are movement, improvisation, and the innate capacity to listen – to our breathing, our body, our instinct, to the voices and bodies of others, to our collective sound, to the music we give birth to as a group.

In each day the process moves gradually from an inward focus (body, breathing, inner sensations), to an outward focus (interaction, attunement, co-creation), in other words, from the personal to the collective, wanting to explore how these two planes of focus coexist, complement and nurture each other.

Somewhere in between these two planes of listening inwards and listening outwards, are born the two complementary practices: Releasing Voice and Circles of Polyphonic Improvisation.

Releasing Voice

• Beginning from movement-breathing-vocal warm-up practices, we allow the breathing to be grounded lower in the body and we awaken the resonant chambers, opening space in the body for the voice

• Combining voice with certain movement patterns, our diaphragms release further, we begin to channel more and more of our breathing’s potential into the voice, and as unnecessary tensions begin to soften, we explore sounding with ease throughout our range

• Bringing a text into life, we move through its consonants and vowels in order to breathe the words, allow them to sound, resonate, expand and reveal their meanings through sound itself

• Embarking on improvisation journeys, often with the support of a partner, we explore the expressive power of the voice. Beginning from the needs and instincts of our body for movement, we approach the needs and instincts of our voice for expression (sound – speech – singing), by allowing first the body and then the voice to guide the way

Circles of Polyphonic Improvisation

• Tuning into the group now, we begin to create musical soundscapes. We dive into the capacity of listening, with attention and sensitivity, and of attuning to the surrounding voices

• We spark our musicality and spontaneity through playful improvisation conditions, cultivating tuning and harmonizing, in an instinctive way

• We collectively brainstorm on themes of our choice for poetry, lyrics, images, sensations to arise, and then we co-create polyphony and songs around them in the moment, through flexible improvisation structures

• Connecting all the different elements touched, we lastly embark on «group-solo journeys»: where the whole group creates a musical base, or else, a sound-carpet, for the improvisation journey of a solo voice (sound – speech – singing), while it explores the freedom collective support gives

*The practice is accompanied by a musical instrument called Shruti Box.

*Opening and closing sharing circles are included in each day.

Who is it for

This program is for people who would like to explore their voice’s potential through an embodied and interactive approach.

It is for you if you want to:

• Learn to trust your voice

• Cultivate the ability to release tension and emotion safely through it

• Experience more ease and freedom in your voice

• Explore your voice’s power, rooted in the body

• Find rest and relaxation in sounding and moving

• Cultivate presence and awareness

• Deepen your abilities to listen, attune and harmonize

• Connect and relate deeper to yourself, others, and nature

• Enjoy your voice, and collective music creation

**It is also for you if you feel instinctively called by this invitation, even if you don’t really know why.

Previous experience in voice and/or movement work can be supportive but is not mandatory. All levels of experience can co-exist fruitfully in this approach, as we can all deepen and evolve our practice beginning from different starting points, and be inspired from one another in the process.

Participation Fee

The participation fee covers the full program, including 30 hours of workshops, guided practices and collective activities.

In addition, during the program, daily shared meals are offered and participants are hosted in shared living arrangements, at no additional cost.

Regular

€550

“Supporting” range

€550 – €700

“Supported” range

€400 – €550

For this program we operate with a sliding scale in participation fees. We invite you to choose the fee option that best reflects your current financial situation. Any contribution above the regular price helps make supported places possible for others.

Registration

To register please fill out the registration form, pay the deposit within 48 hours and send confirmation to: voiceinmovement@tutamail.com

We encourage early booking, as capacity is limited (12 spots) and places will be assigned in order of request.

“Supported” spots are also limited so early registration can ensure more chances of them being still available.

Bio

Anna Luna Louvari started her academic journey with contemporary dance studies (Greek State School of Dance, & Trinity Laban, 2013-15) and then, searching for studies that combined both movement and voice exploration, she moved towards physical theatre and started training with teachers such as Rosa Prodromou, Stamatis Efstathiou, Alexandra Kazazou, Juliana Bloodgood, Rafal Habel, among others, while then she completed ΒΑ studies in Acting in Dilos Theatre School (2020).

Continuing this work, the release of the voice through movement and vocal improvisation became her emphasis, so she started training with teachers of the Roy Hart Centre such as Ulrik Barfod, Edda Hegg, Walli Hoffinger, Saule Rhyan, among others, while then she completed the one-year deepening course “Voice in Artistic Expression” at the Centre Artistique International Roy Hart in France (2024).

When it comes to singing, she fell in love with it from when she was little as a member of choirs and later on trained individually in classical and contemporary singing with Dinah Stieringer, Evangelia Karakatsani and others. She has worked in theatre and in children education (play-based teaching and musical – movement play), and then in facilitating workshops on releasing the voice and polyphonic improvisation.

Voice in Movement is a combination of the different approaches she has trained in and discoveries from her own practice, brought together by the need to share the magic that happens when one allows to be guided by their voice and body, as well as the power of many different voices joining each other harmonically into the song of the moment.