Kain Body - A Movement Workshop Inspired by The Dusun Tatana of Sabah

Kain Body invites participants to explore the profound relationship between the body and fabric through movement, sensation, and connection. In this workshop, fabric is treated as far more than mere material. Drawing inspiration from the Dusun Tatana tradition, where kain serves as a protective shield during life’s major transitions, a non-negotiable symbol of a partner's readiness to protect, a vessel for blessing and apology, and a social mechanism woven into community life where we view the fabric as a living meeting point between body, memory, and relationship. Using the kain as a literal and symbolic extension of the body, participants will discover how movement can be guided by touch, weight, rhythm, and awareness. Through individual and partner-based practices, the fabric becomes a shared space for exploring communication, trust, and connection. Together, we will reveal how movement, wrapped in the weight of tradition and texture, can carry stories, deep sensations, and ancestral relationships.What to expect:The workshop uses guided improvisation, sensory awareness, and movement explorations inspired by weight, spirals, gestures, flow, and natural imagery.
Participants will experience:

 * Body Awareness & Sensory Exploration

 * Partner Movement & Shared Rhythm

 * Fabric as an Extension of Movement

 * Improvisation through Connection & Listening
Things to bring: Kain (piece of cloth/scarf/sarong) of your own representation
About the instructor:Ethel Deidre is a choreographer, dancer, and movement educator from Sabah and based in Kuala Lumpur, whose practice centers on collaborative creation, embodied research, and exploring the body as an adaptive vessel. Her curiosity has led her to share her work both locally and internationally through collaborative platforms and residencies. Beyond performance, she views teaching and workshops as a vital space for collective exploration, improvisation, and learning.