MOVEMENT ALCHEMY

Movement, Flexibility, & Soft Acrobatics Retreat

with Samy Nevarez & Kuba Odzioba

December 5-12, 2026
Casa Chango Mexico, Puerto Escondido

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Scholarship Available for a person identifying as BIPOC and/or Mexican.
Apply here by August 1

Spend a WEEK in PARADISE with new friends, the beach, delicious, fresh, local food, and learn loads and loads of new skills!

This retreat offers an immersive movement experience designed to expand mobility, deepen body awareness, and explore connection through movement. Each day includes a progression of classes that support both individual development and collaborative exploration. The day begins with Flexibility and Mobility training led by Samy, focusing on developing safe and sustainable flexibility through joint preparation, strength within range, and intelligent stretching techniques. Participants will learn practical tools to increase mobility, improve alignment, and build strength that supports greater freedom of movement. Following this, Soft Acrobatics with Kuba introduces playful and accessible acrobatic principles that develop coordination, spatial awareness, and dynamic movement pathways. Through progressive exercises, participants will explore rolling, soft inversions, and fluid transitions between floor and air. During the retreat, we will also offer two Partnering Masterclasses. These sessions focus on trust, communication, and physical dialogue between bodies. Participants will explore weight sharing, counterbalance, and fluid transitions through guided exercises and improvisational scores. The emphasis is on sensitivity, listening, and discovering how movement can expand when created in collaboration. By the end of the retreat, participants will leave with new tools for mobility and strength, a deeper understanding of partnering dynamics, and a renewed sense of creativity and connection within their movement practice.

This retreat will have 2 daily classes:
Mornings will be Soft Acrobatics
Afternoons will be Flexibility & Mobility

Soft Acrobatics – with Kuba This workshop is a technical exploration of the vocabulary of Soft Acrobatics, offering a detailed map of its fundamental elements. The goal is to present soft acrobatics as a clear and coherent movement language rather than a random collection of isolated elements.
The class begins with specific conditioning. Through a variety of preparatory drills we develop mobility, coordination and structural awareness, building the physical foundation necessary for safe and efficient practice. The material explored in the workshop is organised around two main movement families: arching acrobatics and rolling acrobatics. Arching acrobatics focuses on patterns where the body moves through extension and elastic rebound, allowing energy to travel through the spine and create light, dynamic transitions.
Rolling acrobatics explores circular pathways close to the ground, where momentum is redirected through different types of rolls and floor patterns. A central concept connecting these two worlds is the spiral. Through spiralling pathways, the body learns to guide and redistribute forces already present in the movement rather than generating effort from scratch. This allows momentum to circulate through the body efficiently, giving the practice its characteristic quality of softness, continuity, and effortlessness.
Participants learn the movements through a clear and progressive approach. Each skill is broken down into smaller, understandable drills, allowing everyone to work at a level appropriate to their experience. Because of its low-impact nature, the workshop is accessible to movers from a wide range of disciplines including dance, gymnastics, parkour, yoga and general movement practice.

Flexibility & Mobility – with Samy This class focuses on developing safe and sustainable flexibility through intelligent mobility training, strength within range, and deep body awareness. The practice is inspired by methodologies from contemporary dance, yoga, and contortion training, integrating elements that support both fluidity and structural strength in the body. Participants will explore progressive techniques to increase range of motion while building the muscular support necessary to move safely and efficiently. The class combines joint preparation, active flexibility, and controlled stretching to help the body open gradually and naturally. Emphasis is placed on alignment, breath, and understanding the body’s mechanics in order to create long-term mobility rather than temporary flexibility. Participants will leave the class with practical tools and exercises that can be integrated into their personal training practice, supporting greater freedom, resilience, and fluidity in movement.

The rest of your time will be spent eating delicious food, swimming in the pool, lounging in hammocks, and enjoying being in nature.  There will be time to explore local markets and beaches as well as the local night life.  

Daily Schedule Sample:  

  • 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. – Tea, Coffee and Breakfast
  • 9:45 a.m.-12:45pm – Soft Acrobatics
  • 1:00 p.m.  – Lunch
  • 2:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m. – Free time (pool, hammocks, massages, naps)
  • 3:30 p.m. – Afternoon snack and beverage
  • 4:30 – 6:30p.m. – Flexibility & Mobility
  • 7:00 p.m. – Dinner
  • 8:00 p.m. – Free time, jacuzzi, and evening activities

We will take you to our favorite beaches for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, and releasing baby turtles into the sea. Optional evening adventures include a bioluminescent lagoon & local night market.
Read more about our excursions here.

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Prerequisites:

No specific prerequisites are required. However, participants should feel comfortable engaging in physical movement practices and have a basic level of body awareness. Some prior experience in movement disciplines such as dance, yoga, fitness, or acrobatics can be helpful, but all exercises will be offered with progressions and modifications to support different levels. Participants should be in good physical health and willing to explore movement with curiosity, openness, and respect for their own body, and the bodies of others.

Your coaches:

Samy Nevarez; is a Mexican performing artist, choreographer, and movement teacher whose work combines physical power, technical precision, and expressive depth. Her practice is rooted in contemporary dance and explores movement as a space for both artistic expression and physical research. She graduated from the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey and has collaborated in choreographic processes with internationally recognized creators such as Damien Jalet, Jasmin Vardimon, and Fernando Melo. These experiences have deeply influenced her artistic language and strengthened her commitment to rigorous movement practice. Since 2021, Samantha has been teaching her workshop “Cuerpo Abierto,” a contemporary dance and soft acrobatics practice that integrates mobility, dynamic floorwork, and creative exploration. The workshop has been shared internationally in Mexico, the United States, Costa Rica, and England. Her choreographic work has been presented in Mexico City, Monterrey, Xalapa, and Costa Rica, reflecting a practice that moves between creation, performance, and cultural production. Samantha is currently a member of VIM VIGOR, the dance company directed by Shannon Gillen in the United States. Through her teaching and artistic work, she is dedicated to cultivating strong, expressive, and adaptable bodies, encouraging dancers to expand their physical and creative potential.
You can find Samy on Instagram here.

Kuba Odzioba; is a movement teacher and founder of Warsaw Movement Practice. His movement journey began in street dance, where he competed for several years before gradually expanding his practice into contemporary dance. He studied at the Warsaw Dance Department and later completed a bachelor’s degree in Dance and Body Studies at WSUS. After moving to Paris, he continued developing his work through circus training, focusing particularly on floor and dance acrobatics, while also training in disciplines such as hand balancing, gymnastic rings and parkour. This broader physical practice eventually led him to further study strength&conditioning and training programming, developing a more structured and science-based approach to training. Today Kuba’s work focuses primarily on teaching. Through workshops, group classes and individual coaching, he draws from his multidisciplinary background to guide others in developing their own movement practice.
You can find Kuba on Instagram here.

Our Amazing Gym

Casa Chango gym afternoon
Casa Chango gym morning
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What’s included:

  • Ground transportation from the Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM) to Casa Chango if participants arrive to PXM on the specific arrival/departure dates listed.
    • Arrive on Dec 5. Depart on Dec 12, 2026.
  • Private or shared accommodations at Casa Chango eco-chic resort. Click here to take a look at your options. 
  • Daily cleaning service. 
  • 3 nourishing meals a day in our beautiful open-air kitchen. Click here to learn more about meals.
    • Breakfast: 7:30-9:30am
    • Lunch: 1-1:45pm
    • Afternoon treat & ice coffee: 3:30pm
    • Dinner & Dessert: 7-7:45pm
    • Communal space for personal food storage in our kitchen. 
  • Use of all community areas:
    • Swimming pool & hot tub 
    • Lounge with couches, books & a movie projector
    • Kitchen & dining area 
    • Amazing 2000 square foot open-air Circus Gym
    • Dance studio
    • Hammocks for lounging
    • Private hiking trail down to the Colotepec River 
  • 2 Daily Classes:
  • Photo shoot (w access to up to 15 photos) 
  • Beach Trips and Night Market
  • High Speed Starlink Internet
  • Access to our network of Spanish teachers who provide private or group classes on-site.
  • Access to our on-site massage space and network of body-work practitioners for hire who come on-site. 
  • Recommendations and guidance to enjoy all that Puerto Escondido has to offer. Beaches, nature excursions, tours, surf lessons, networking events, dance classes, and so much more.  Click here for an idea of what you have to look forward to. 

Retreat pricing:

Your choice of accommodations:Early Bird PriceFull Price
Shared Dorm (mixed gender)$2000$2300
Shared Private Room (2 friends sharing a room) 1 king size bed or 2 individual beds$2200$2500
Shared Private Room (2 friends sharing a room) 1 king size bed or 2 individual beds$2300$2600
Private Room w Shared Bathroom$2500$2800
Private Room w Private Bathroom$2800$3100
Private Room w Private Bathroom & Air Conditioner$3100$3400
Prices are listed in USD.
$500 Deposit is required to secure your spot. 
Early bird price ends 90 days before the retreat begins.
Full tuition is due by one month before the first day of the retreat. 
Rates refer to cost of one person’s tuition.
Payment plans are available if paying with credit card.
Couples must sign up together.
Significant others and friends who are not taking classes are welcome at a special price.
Dorms are mixed gender.
Click here for room descriptions.
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Links for more information:

Discounts:

  • Book and pay early and save $300!
  • Refer a friend to any of our retreats and save $100 with our referral discount.*
  • Sweet Retreats Alumni discount $200.

Questions?  Email us at SweetRetreatsMexico@gmail.com

*Food service begins with a snack and dinner on arrival day, and ends with breakfast on departure day.  All meals are provided.  The food is amazing! ** Your taxi to/from the PXM airport is included if you arrive/depart on designated days.   Click here for info about getting to Puerto Escondido.

Cancellation Policy:
  • No Refunds. 
  • Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferrable.
  • Cancel more than 60 days before 1st day of retreat: 50% of your tuition paid can transfer toward a future Sweet Retreat within 18 months of cancellation.
  • Cancel 30-60 days before the 1st day of retreat: 25% of your tuition paid can transfer toward a future Sweet Retreat within 18 months of cancellation.
  • Cancellations up to 30 days before the 1st day of the retreat will not be credited or refunded for any reason. 
  • At the time of payment for your retreat, we strongly advise purchasing a travel insurance policy. Make sure your policy covers the full cost of the retreat fee, as well as unexpected cancellation, trip delay, losses and other risks. Also, consider protection for canceled or delayed flights, lost luggage, medical needs while traveling. Please bring the policy with you in case of emergency. Click here for IM Global Insurance.  Click here for WanderWell Insurance.