The "Water Theory" methodology, created by Christina Elias, is fundamentally a Training-Process and choreographic creation programme that establishes continuous practice as the very essence of performance. Its purpose is to cultivate a fluid, technical, and creative body that dances from a synesthetic and non-dualistic perception of the world. This is achieved through a rigorous synthesis of Butoh, Aikido, and the Somatic Arts. At its core, the method systematizes research around the ideas of permeability, vulnerability, and passage, employing water as the central metaphor for adaptability and constant metamorphosis. The practical and continuous result of this work is the development of a personal choreographic authorship, where participants generate their own movement and improvisational tools directly from the trained patterns. Key concepts underpinning the entire methodology include the Cracked Body—a permeable, vulnerable body with "no fixed identity"—the principle of Creative Repetitions, where the daily rehearsal of movement patterns acts as the engine that continuously generates the new, allowing creation to emerge in the instant of action, and the Japanese concept of Ma—a space empty of action but full of potential happenings, which the method defines as a state of semi-equilibrium that maintains the internal agitation necessary for authentic and pulsating movement.

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The Training-Process is taught in three progressive modules of 150 hours each:

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Module 1: The Permeable Body, serves as the foundational phase of the Training-Process. The conceptual focus of this module is Deconstruction and Internal Architecture. Its primary aim is to dismantle rigid structures to cultivate a body that is open and receptive by accessing its fluid and internal systems. This is primarily executed through the practice of Classical Deconstruction, which involves using the clear structure of Classical Ballet technique—such as at the barre—and intentionally breaking it down through internal collapse and somatic expiration drawn from Butoh practice. A key exercise involves focusing on the fusion of the plié with a complete surrender to gravity and total expiration. Simultaneously, the module emphasizes Somatics and Internal Fluidity, integrating exercises like the "pelvic clock" from Feldenkrais to develop deep internal awareness. The training in this first module places great emphasis on the perception and experience of the body's fluid systems to promote a sense of liquidity and uninterrupted flow. Ultimately, Module 1 challenges the body's existing structure by introducing internal collapse and fluidity, thus initiating the journey toward the non-dualistic and adaptable state of the body as a conduit for creativity to emerge.

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Module 2: he Erodible Body, with a conceptual focus on Suspension and Collapse, drawing heavily from the principles of Butoh. This module involves a deepened training in the continuous negotiation between the inside and outside of the body, which is central to the method's understanding of permeability. It is here that the training specifically explores the Cracked Body aesthetic, opening the practitioner to vulnerability and non-dualism. Key technical work includes a series of Metamorphosis and Collapse exercises, which involve both internal and external collapse and the metamorphosis into non-human beings. The aim is to continue eroding fixed boundaries and patterns in the body.

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Module 3: The Choreographic Body, which shifts the conceptual focus to Authorship, Relationship, and Site Specificity. This module is dedicated to applying the trained principles toward creation and relationality. The technical work culminates in the use of TALMI Partnering (a fusion of Aikido and Feldenkrais principles), which is applied in the Choreography of Force. Participants practice the principles of to carry and to care, and learn to use trigger points to trace the lines of force, or vectors, in another body. At this stage, the participants are guided to design their personal language and choreography directly from the trained patterns, thereby consolidating their individual choreographic authorship.

Plan of Study and Training: Synthesis and Choreographic Authorship

 

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Technical Matrices and Key Deepenings

Module 1: The Permeable Body

150 hours

Internal / External Architecture

SOMATICS

Laban-Bartenieff Fundamentals, Feldenkrais, Klein Technique, BMC Body Mind Centring

Respiration with surrender to gravity. Laban Planes and qualities. Diagonal and centre of the body. Open-close and Reach and pull patterns. Circular repetition with an intention of transformation. Internal Silence. Ondulations of the spine and emphasis on the fluidity between body and space

 

Module 2: The Erodible Body

150 hours

Suspension and collapse.

BUTOH

Deepened training in the continuous negotiation between the inside and outside of the body. Exploration of the Cracked Body aesthetic, which opens to vulnerability and non-dualism. Metamorphosis and Collapse: Exercises of internal and external collapse and metamorphosis into non-human beings .

 

Module 3: The Choreographic Body

150 hours

Authorship, Relationship, and Site Specific

TALMI Partnering (Aikido/Feldenkrais Fusion)

Martin Gruber's method is applied in the Choreography of Force, based on Aikido and Feldenkrais principles. Exercises of to carry and to care and the use of trigger points to trace the lines of force (vectors). At this stage, participants designs their personal language and choreography from the trained patterns. 

 

Transdisciplinary Applications of the Methodology

The "Water Theory" methodology acts as a tool for creating corporal/mental/sensorial language, with direct relevance to several fields. 

In the realm of Performing Arts (Dance, Performance, and Theatre), the method provides the tools for the creation of a unique vocabulary, where artists can create their personal movement lexicon from the trained patterns, consolidating choreographic authorship. The emphasis on the awareness of the body as a conduit for creation to emerge and the non-dualistic body-environment relationship trains the performer to act as a filter and catalyst of the environment in Site Specific and immersion contexts. Additionally, it prepares the body for Media/Language Transit, transforming movement into a form of writing in space and a response to media and objects, facilitating the intersection with visual arts and literature.

 

Within Therapeutic Practices, the methodology is valuable for breaking rigid patterns and Habit Reset. It integrates the principles of Laban/Bartenieff Fundamentals (LBF) and Feldenkrais, alongside the Reset principles of TALMI, to promote deep body awareness, facilitating the relocation of non-functional tensions and postural habits. This is rooted in the use of LBF for physical and dance/movement therapy. By focusing on the Cracked Body concept, the method encourages the acceptance of vulnerability and internal agitation as a creative force, promoting a non-hierarchical perception of the self and facilitating the integration of mental and emotional states—in other words, body-mind non-dualism. Finally, the principles of Aikido, present in TALMI, teach the individual to manage the energy flow with themselves and with others, being effective in regulating relational flow, building interpersonal relationships, and managing stress.

 

Certification and Recognition

The teaching of the "Water Theory Training-Process” by Christina Elias allows for the issuance of international certification in contemporary dance and performance through the CID – International Dance Council (UNESCO, Paris).