Advertisement
Menorca Winter Dance Festival - 23-28 February 2026 - CiutadellaMenorca Winter Dance Festival – Contact Improvisation & Contemporary Soft Acrobatics in Menorca, held in the amazingly beautiful town of Ciutadella, a unique location in the Mediterranean Sea, rich in magic and tradition. A unique opportunity for a 5-day immersive experience with 22 participants, offering an in-depth exploration of dance and movement through high-quality workshops, jams and many other proposals to share together.
Contact Improvisation, Contemporary Soft Acrobatics Dance, Improvisation, Workshops, Jams, Underscore, Nature.
THE PROGRAM => https://www.emotionbodies.com/events/83-menorca-winter-dance-festival-2026-ciutadella.html
The event is open to all those who wish to share, learn or get a deeper experience in Contact Improvisation & Contemporary Dance. Space open to all levels, beginners, advanced and professional dancers.
• Days and hours: From Monday 23 of February afternoon to Saturday 28 of February after breakfast.
• Places available: Limited to 22 and will be accepted in order of registration.
• Location for sleeping and eating: ALBERG SA VINYETA - Camí Vell de Sa Farola, s/n, Ciutadella, Menorca
• Location of the Dance space: Espai Sant Josep, amazing church adapted to dance with a professional linolium floor and heating system. Carrer de Santa Clara, 9, Ciutadella, Menorca.
• Food: 🍃 Vegetarian food prepared by Sandra and Vanessa.
Festival philosophy
This festival was born from an initiative between a brother and a sister and their passion for dance. Mercè Nebot, who has lived in French Provence for 20 years, and Pep Nebot, who lives in Barcelona, have joined forces to create this space for sharing dance, creation and beauty. After many years of organizing the Festival En Provence in summer, spring and autumn, our roots in the Mediterranian Sea bring us to create this event in Menorca for winter time.
At each edition, people of many different nationalities have gathered for the Festival, which is very enriching and allows the establishment of a cultural bridge around art, dance and creativity.
In this festival we want to prioritize some approaches:
• Quality pedagogy in Contact Improvisation dance to promote better body awareness;
• Welcoming a small group that will live together for a week an intimate and profound human adventure. We want to generate a sense of belonging to the group and a sense of community, by creating an inclusive, generous and supportive environment;
• Contact with nature, surround yourself with aesthetic beauty and charismatic villages;
• The cultural exchange between participants, locals and international visitors; We have already experienced on many occasions that, when people with different cultures and life experiences get together, we all grow in a spiral of creativity and self-knowledge;
• Live Contact Improvisation and other dance forms in its essence, with its living principles present at all times: self-respect and respect for the other, sense of group, security and creativity, movement in gravity, contact, attention and self-knowledge, among others.
OUR DANCE VENUE - SANT JOSEP SPACE
Our dance space will be this magnificent 17th-century church, itself built over an earlier 14th-century temple. The church has a rectangular floor plan, without side chapels, and features a ceiling of three spectacular ribbed vaults that impress with their height. It is a true privilege to be able to dance in a space with so much history, full of inspiring corners.
The floor will be adapted for our dance practice, covered with a cushioned linoleum layer over the entire 70 m² surface.
The hall is equipped with heating, so the Menorcan winter will not be an obstacle to giving our all. The festival organization will provide tea and coffee at all times, as well as energy snacks, ensuring no one goes hungry and allowing everyone to fully dedicate themselves to the learning and exploration of dance and our moving bodies.
The facilitators
Laura Doehler (Germany-UK)
Laura Doehler, London based dance artist, recipient of the Trinity Laban scholarship program, studied dance and performance making in London, UK at Trinity Laban (2004) and Goldsmiths University (2012). Her practice of CI began in 2004 with Kirstie Simson and soon connected to the wider world community, learning with pioneers Steve Paxton, Nancy Stark-Smith, Karen Nelson and ensuing generations of teachers that drove the form into poetic, political, countercultural and the deeper layers of somatic inquiries (Keith Hennessey, Jess Curtis, Charlie Morrissey, Simonetta Alessandro, Rick Nodine, Eszter Gal, Peter Pleyer, Annie Lok, Andrew Wass, Defne Erdur and many more). She is an independent dance artist whose work is firmly rooted in an improvisation practice and rests in a variety of spaces that affirm collective agency, research in co-existence and agentic capacities driven by a movement research that inspires relational practices to advance a socio- environmental sense making. In London she established the Shared Practice in 2012 alongside Anne-Gaelle Thiriot and Tania Soubry which offers an ongoing improvisation research and nudges the form into an inquiry of co-existence. Her work is published under her name and her company Exit Map www.exitmap.org. It is often cross-disciplinary and participatory (i.e. audio visual site mappings, community engagements, environmental outdoor movement scores ) as well as somewhat purist when it comes to improvisation where the here and now are the main collaborators. Since 2019 EM embarked on residencies with Ponderosa e.V. in Germany (Radical Inclusion 2021 and Architectures of Togetherness 2022) and commissions (ie. Catalysing Collective Action 2024 at the Place) to explore process-based encounters towards cross-disciplinary collective sense making. Laura teaches in HE across a variety of universities in London and offers independent CI workshops across Europe. Her work has been shown, amongst others in London at The Place, The Southbank Centre, Trinity Laban and the project Moving On has spread across the world with audio scores being made and made accessible with a world community of dancers.
Victòria Janer Barber (Menorca)
Menorca Winter Dance Festival Victòoria Janer 1
Victòria Janer Barber (Ciutadella de Menorca, 1983) is a dancer, choreographer, and contemporary dance teacher with a solid trajectory in stage creation, performance, and movement pedagogy. She earned a diploma in Body Expression at Alfa Institut in Barcelona (2011–2013), under the guidance of Mercedes Ridocci, and further expanded her training with a course in Dance Therapy at the Institut Integratiu de Barcelona with Diana Machado. Ongoing education is a central axis of her artistic path: she has taken part in numerous workshops and laboratories in Barcelona, Madrid, London, and Menorca, training with renowned international choreographers and pedagogues such as David Zambrano, Sharon Fridman, Francisco Córdova, Lali Ayguadé, Judith Sánchez, Pau Aran, Marion Sparber, Tom Weksler, Mickael Marso, Chey Jurado, Diego Sinniger, Roberto Olivan, Janet Novás, Maximiliano Sanford, Akira Yoshida, Kenan Dinkelmann, Lucio Baglivo, Claire Lamothe, among many others. She is currently continuing her research with Yasser Doquendo (Barcelona, 2025) and is scheduled to participate in the Revés Festival in Costa Rica (2026).
On a professional level, she was a member for nearly a decade (2009–2018) of the company Vuelta y Vuelta danza-teatro, directed by choreographer Doryan Suárez (Cia Retazos, Cuba), performing in numerous productions presented in theaters, venues, and urban spaces across Menorca, Mallorca, Madrid, and Valencia. In parallel, she has taken part as a dancer in various productions and projects, including the musical Xoroi at Orfeó Maonès, as well as in prominent festivals and events such as Sea Arts, Miradas al Cuerpo, Pedra Viva Líthica, Ultrasons d’Alcora, EIMA – Maria Antònia Oliver, Plaffestival, and the Menorca en Dansa Festival, among many others.
In recent years, she has been especially engaged in contemporary creation and performance projects, collaborating with different artists and companies and participating in works such as Retre (a co-creation by NÏU and Paraula en Clau), as well as performances and cultural cycles in Menorca, Tarragona, and other regions. Of particular note is her continued involvement in the project Mar de Fons, presented in festivals, theaters, and non-conventional spaces between 2023 and 2025. She is currently a contemporary dance teacher at the Municipal School of Es Mercadal and works as a dancer and choreographer with the company NUARdansa, founded in 2024 together with dancer Laura Sánchez, where she continues to develop an artistic research rooted in the body, movement, and contemporary creation.
Pep Nebot (Barcelona - Catalunya):
Menorca Winter Dance Festival contact 10
I began my dance journey in 2010 with Contact Improvisation, which has since become the foundation of my practice as both dancer and teacher. Over the years, I have also trained in contemporary dance, acrobatics, and handstand practice, disciplines that continue to shape my movement vocabulary and sense of presence. I have studied with internationally recognized CI teachers such as Nancy Stark Smith, Martin Keogh, Itay Yatuv, and many others. Still, my most profound learning comes from continuous exploration and the countless dancers I have met along the way.
Since 2020, I have been teaching Contact Improvisation workshops and intensives in Spain and France. My approach seeks a balance between technique and personal exploration, between the acrobatic and the subtle. Since 2015, I have also been deeply involved in organizing dance events, including CI festivals, jams, and contemporary acrobatic dance intensives. I am co-founder of the Festival International de Contact Improvisation EN PROVENCE in France (active since 2017) and the CI Camp in Catalonia (since 2020).
What draws me most to CI is its capacity to immerse us fully in the present moment, in a flowing dialogue between body, space, gravity, and touch. I see dance as both a practice and an art form—an ongoing investigation into weight, momentum, and balance, as well as an opening into poetry. Each gesture, fall, or encounter becomes a silent narrative, revealing truths that words cannot express.
For me, dance is not only physical—it is a language of presence and connection, a way to meet others, to meet myself, and to celebrate the simple fact of being alive.
Mercè Nebot – (Barcelona-Provence-Avignon) :
Passionate about dance and movement for more than 15 years, I am particularly drawn to free and spontaneous dance, centered on the art of improvisation. I discovered Contact Improvisation about ten years ago, an encounter that deeply shaped my journey. Since 2024, I have been teaching Contact Improvisation and co-organizing the Contact Impro Festival in Provence, which has already celebrated thirteen editions.
Trained in Wutao (a contemporary body practice with Taoist influences) and in Danser Être Dansé with Véronique Pioch, I now lead workshops in free dance and Wutao, and I love creating spaces for bodily expression and exploration.
What is most important to me is sharing my love for dance and the joy of free movement — freed from the limits and conditionings we often impose on ourselves — in order to fully inhabit the present moment.
Structure of the intensives
Laura Doehler Contact Improvisation Intensive
Depth of Yielding
Menorca Winter Dance Festival Laura Doehler 2What do we need to let go of to fall?
What do we need to enter to leave?
How do you track the shifting ground?
With this intensive we will break down and into the components of falling. We will work with breath and developmental patterns to prepare the body on a daily basis, working ourselves from the ground into standing and motion to scale falls gradually and playfully. We will zoom in on the deeper sensations of touch such as enveloping, compressing and inviting touches to sensitise the body as to where a fall begins and track the minute shifts of weight to encourage the bigger shifts to naturally open up. Together by engaging in exercises, scores and shared explorations we will increase our awareness that both, body and mind, undergo a state of transformation which is a life practice and supports the way we hold and unhold ourselves in life overall. Imagery will allow us to integrate a spaciousness within our own body and the surrounding space to feel and then know how falls are received and consequently recovered as we collaborate with the space around us.
This Intensive is suitable for those who want to deepen an existing practice and want to explore how falls - from the original conception of CI to now - speak of co-dependence, independence, risk and the freedom to surrender into motion.
Victòria Janer Barber – Contemporary Soft Acrobatics Dance Intensive
ORGANIC MOVEMENT – PRIMARY ECHOES
Menorca Winter Dance Festival Victòoria Janer 3This workshop is a body practice that begins from the floor, focusing on releasing accumulated tension, reclaiming lost space, and lengthening the body, thereby facilitating the learning of new movement patterns. Moving efficiently becomes a fundamental factor, reconnecting us with the organicity of the infant body and the most primal aspects of our being.
In this intensive, we will dedicate significant time to floorwork with fluid and acrobatic movements (soft acrobatics). All exercises are adapted for all levels, from advanced to beginner, as more complex movements can always be simplified, ensuring accessibility and safety for everyone.
Participants will explore small choreographic phrases as well as specific movements, allowing a deep understanding of how the body moves, transitions, and flows. Moments of improvisation will also be included as a window for self-expression and for discovering each participant’s own natural movement pathways.
This workshop arises from the need to share experiences gained through the exploration of bodily organicity, intuition, and efficiency in movement. We work with the physical body and movement techniques to enable the body to act freely and effectively in diverse situations. Emphasizing organicity, awareness, and playful experimentation, the workshop offers participants the opportunity to reconnect with their natural movement impulses while cultivating creativity, sensitivity, and fluidity.
By integrating floorwork, acrodance, choreographic exploration, and improvisation, this intensive provides a holistic approach to body movement, allowing participants to strengthen their physicality, expand their movement vocabulary, and reconnect with the innate intelligence of their bodies.
techniques to allow the body to act freely and effectively in diverse situations. The emphasis on organicity, awareness, and playful experimentation offers participants the opportunity to reconnect with their natural movement impulses while cultivating creativity, sensitivity, and fluidity.
By integrating floorwork, acrodance, choreographic exploration, and improvisation, this intensive provides a holistic approach to body movement, allowing participants to strengthen their physicality, expand their movement vocabulary, and reconnect with the innate intelligence of their bodies.
About Ciutadella
Menorca Winter Dance Festival Ciutadella 2Ciutadella, located on the western coast of Menorca, is one of the island’s most enchanting towns, blending history, culture, and natural beauty. Once the island’s capital, it is a place where narrow cobbled streets wind between centuries-old buildings, revealing hidden squares, charming cafés, and elegant palaces. Its strategic position by the Mediterranean Sea has shaped its identity, offering stunning views of the harbor and easy access to the crystal-clear waters that lap the coastline. The town’s maritime heritage is evident in its picturesque port, where fishing boats and yachts share space with lively restaurants and bars, creating a vibrant atmosphere that celebrates both tradition and modern life.
Ciutadella’s architecture reflects its rich history, with influences ranging from Gothic and Baroque to neoclassical styles. The majestic cathedral of Menorca, built in the 14th century, stands as a symbol of the town’s religious and cultural significance, while countless palaces, noble houses, and restored townhouses showcase intricate stonework, wrought-iron balconies, and colorful shutters. Walking through its streets, one can sense the layers of history—from medieval fortifications to Renaissance-era plazas—making the town feel like a living museum.
Menorca Winter Dance Festival PlatjaThe town’s connection to the Mediterranean Sea is deeply woven into its character. Beyond its scenic harbor, the coastline around Ciutadella is dotted with secluded coves and sandy beaches, perfect for swimming, sailing, and exploring the island’s natural beauty. Local festivals often celebrate this maritime bond, with lively parades, traditional boat races, and music echoing through the streets. Combining historical charm, architectural elegance, and the timeless allure of the sea, Ciutadella remains one of Menorca’s most captivating and memorable destinations.
HOW TO GET TO MENORCA AND CIUTADELLA?
Menorca Winter Dance Festival Ciutadella 7 sesvoltes1Getting from Barcelona to Ciutadella (Menorca) during the winter low season is quite easy. Here are the main ways to travel, with practical notes for wintertime:
1. By Plane (Fastest Option)
• Route: Barcelona El Prat (BCN) → Menorca Airport (MAH)
• Flight time: ~1 hour
• Airlines: Typically Vueling, Iberia, or Air Europa (frequency reduced in winter, but usually daily)
• From the airport to Ciutadella:
◦ Bus (Line 01) to Maó + Bus to Ciutadella (~1 hour total)
◦ Taxi (~45 minutes)
Pros: Fast and reliable year-round
Cons: Fewer daily flights in winter; prices can vary
2. By Ferry (Overnight & Scenic)
• Route: Barcelona Port → Ciutadella or Maó
• Companies: Balearia (most common), sometimes Trasmed
• Travel time:
◦ Fast ferry: ~5 hours (less frequent in winter)
◦ Night ferry: ~8–9 hours (often overnight)
Pros: Comfortable, scenic, good if traveling with lots of luggage
Cons: Reduced schedules in winter; weather-dependent (sea conditions)
3. Plane + Ferry Combination (Flexible Option)
• Fly from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca, then take a ferry to Menorca.
• Ferry Palma → Ciutadella: ~1.5–2 hours
• Useful if direct flights are limited or expensive.
Accomodation - Albergue Sa Vinyeta
Menorca Winter Dance Festival Alberg Sa Vinyeta 1The Sa Vinyeta Hostel is a modern and comfortable facility with an educational and social purpose. It is located in Ciutadella, about a 10-minute walk from the port, 15 minutes from the town center, and approximately 7 minutes from the small Farola beach.
The main building is a restored traditional farmhouse and features a newly built annex. The hostel offers parking, Wi-Fi, and spacious common areas including a garden, a play area, a terrace, and a lounge with a reading and TV area.
It also provides hot water, bathrooms in all rooms, individual lockers in the rooms, a dining room, an air-conditioned multipurpose room, an outdoor terrace and garden, a kitchen area equipped with a fridge and microwave, and a first aid kit.
Participants of the festival will be sleeping in confortable and modern rooms of 10 people, having access to their own bathroom and showers.
Address: Camí Vell de Sa Farola, s/n, Ciutadella de Menorca. Phone numbers: 971 487 763 and 971 365 073
Menorca Winter Dance Festival Alberg Sa Vinyeta 3Menorca Winter Dance Festival Alberg Sa Vinyeta 4Menorca Winter Dance Festival Alberg Sa Vinyeta 5
Our kitchen team
All meals at the festival will be lovingly prepared by Sandra and Vanessa, who specialize in wholesome vegetarian cuisine. They will take care of Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, focusing on fresh, seasonal, mostly Bio and always using local ingredients to ensure both flavor and quality.
To meet the high energy demands of festival activities, the meals will be thoughtfully balanced, including ingredients rich in carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables, and whole grains, eggs and cheese, dry fruits, etc. Cheese and eggs will also be included to provide additional protein and variety. Special attention will be given to accommodate allergies and dietary intolerances, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the meals safely and comfortably.
Beyond nutrition, Sandra and Vanessa aim to create meals that are satisfying, colorful, and nourishing for both body and mind, complementing the energy and spirit of the festival. Each dish will reflect care, creativity, and the joy of sharing food in a community setting.
PRICES & REGISTRATION
Price WITH FOOD and ACCOMODATION in Sa Vinyeta Hostel:
• Early Bird until February 5th, 2026: €540
• After February 5th, 2026: 580 €
Price WITH FOOD but WITHOUT ACCOMODATION:
• Early Bird until February 5th, 2026: 440 €
• After February 5th, 2026: 480 €
Price WITHOUT FOOD and WITHOUT ACCOMODATION:
• Early Bird until February 5th, 2026: 280 €
• After February 5th, 2026: 320 €
To reserve the place, you must pay the deposit of €120, and the rest can be transferred or paid in cash at the event.
What is included in the price:
• Accommodation in Sa Vinyeta Hostel in shared rooms. People will be distributed as they register.
• All Breakfasts, Lunches and Dinners, with vegetarian cuisine.
• Use of the common spaces of the Sa Vinyeta Hostel, dining room, bathrooms, terraces, etc., (people not sleeping in the hostel, will be able to enter the common spaces and share time with the group).
• All workshops and jams.
• Liability insurance.
What is not included in the price:
• Accomodation and food for those not paying for it.
• For those paying for Food but not Accomodation, Breakfast is not included; for them there is only lunch and dinner.
REGISTRATION AND PAYMENTS
To reserve your place you must register in the registration form and pay the deposit of €120 to confirm your reservation, and the rest can be transferred before the event or paid in cash on the first day of the event.
The transfer of the deposit can be made to a Spanish or French bank, or by Paypal:
• Spanish bank: IBAN: ES47 0081 0900 8000 0334 3240SWIFT: BSABESBBXXX (Owner: José Nebot Muns)
• French bank: IBAN : FR76 1390 6001 4200 1891 0602 595 / BIC : AGRIFRPP839 / Association Corps Raccords
• Paypal: [email protected] If you choose to pay pay Paypal, there is an applyed commission that can vary from 5 euros (Euro zone) to 20 euros (Israel or Australlia for instance). Due the this high quantities, we will ask you to pay us back this commission in cash in the festival. Thanks for understanding.
When making the transfer, write in the concept "your name and surname + Festival Menorca". For international transfers, make sure that the amount being sent is free of bank commissions.
Contact and information:
Contact in France: Merce Nebot +33 666124365, [email protected]
Contact in Catalonia: Pep Nebot +34 685166358, [email protected]
Advertisement
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Ciutadella Menorca, Carrer de Mallorca, 209I, 08036 Barcelona (Barcelona), Espanya, Barcelona, Spain
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
