InnerMotion - Buku Panduan - Mengapa Saya Menulis Buku Panduan Ini
Semuanya dimulai pada suatu malam di tahun 1993. Saya adalah seorang remaja berusia tiga belas tahun yang gelisah, penuh antisipasi untuk rave pertama saya. Saat saya berdiri di kamar saya, tidak yakin apa yang akan terjadi, kakak perempuan saya masuk, tersenyum, dan memberikan nasihat sederhana: “Tutup saja matamu, dengarkan musiknya, dan menarilah.” Saya mengikuti sarannya, dan itu persis yang saya butuhkan. Saya jarang menari dengan musik seperti itu sebelumnya, tetapi malam itu, saat dentuman elektronik memenuhi ruangan, saya menutup mata dan mulai bergerak. Rasanya luar biasa dan saya langsung menyukainya! Seolah-olah sesuatu di dalam diri saya telah menunggu momen yang tepat itu. Saya tidak menyadarinya saat itu, tetapi malam itu memicu hubungan dengan musik dan gerakan yang akan membentuk sisa hidup saya.
Sejak saat itu, klub-klub techno menjadi tempat perlindungan dan sekolahku. Setiap malam yang kuhabiskan untuk berdansa memperkenalkanku pada komunitas yang dinamis—sebuah keluarga pilihan yang dipenuhi orang-orang inspiratif dan ide-ide transformatif. Energi dahsyat dari kancah rave Belgrade di tahun 90-an memberikan latar belakang yang sempurna untuk pertumbuhan dan eksplorasiku. Berdansa menjadi lebih dari sekadar hobi; itu berkembang menjadi praktik penting, membantuku mengelola stres, memproses emosi, dan terhubung kembali dengan diriku sendiri. Bahkan hingga hari ini, tiga puluh dua tahun kemudian, pergi ke klub tetap menjadi bagian penting dari hidupku, sebuah ritual yang berharga untuk kegembiraan, pelepasan, dan penemuan diri.
For many years, I danced purely on instinct, without structure or guidance. That changed in 2016, when my journey took a powerful new direction thanks to my psychotherapist and mentor, Hana Stamatović. She invited me to one of her Open Floor workshops that offereda unique blend of movement and psychological exploration. From the very first session, I was hooked. I began to understand that dance wasn’t just physical,it could be deeply healing, transformative, and revealing. Hana’s teachings on embodiment, grounding, mindfulness, and emotional expression struck a profound chord in me, and I found myself carefully documenting every insight and exercise, eager to hold onto everything I was learning.
One unforgettable workshop became a turning point in how I related to dance. For the final session of our seven-week cycle, we were invited to come in costume as a way to embody and express a new version of ourselves that had emerged through the dance process. I chose to turn my hands into living reminders of everything Hana had taught me, covering them with symbols that formed a kind of “cheat sheet” based on the notes I had collected over the years.
At our next therapy session, Hana asked me, “How would you feel about becoming a teacher of a practice like this? You’re a natural. Both your parents are teachers, and your detailed notes, combined with your scientific mind, would make you excellent at it.” I laughed and said, “Nooo, that’s not for me - I can’t see myself teaching a group of people.” Yet, within three years, everything had dramatically changed.
When Hana passed away on November 4th, 2022, our dance community was left heartbroken. She had a rare ability to guide people toward a deeper connection with themselves through dance. There was something extraordinary about the way she held space, it was calm, intuitive, and full of presence and love. She didn’t just teach movement; she helped people feel safe enough to be fully themselves. Through her work, many of us experienced breakthroughs we didn’t even know we needed. She was truly one of a kind. After her death, I felt a quiet but strong pull to keep exploring the knowledge about dance she had shared with me.
As I searched for deeper understanding, I was surprised to discover a significant gap in knowledge and there were very few comprehensive resources on conscious, intuitive dance. I spent hours digging through websites, articles, and videos, hoping to find something that reflected what Hana had taught us. I couldn’t find anything that captured the essence of her work. Then, at the Parallel Festival in September 2023, surrounded by beautiful music, nature, and a sense of belonging, something clicked. I would write the guide I had always needed and share this knowledge with others who might be searching too.
Fueled by years of personal notes, extensive scientific research, and relentless curiosity, I began pouring myself into this project. What started as a simple idea rapidly evolved into an ambitious mission - a comprehensive manual filled with techniques, exercises, and insights on mindfulness, embodiment, emotional connection, and transcending inhibition. Each session on the dance floor became a laboratory for testing and refining these ideas, deepening my understanding and bringing newfound joy to my own dance practice.
As my vision expanded, I realized I needed to develop new skills, especially in creating safe spaces, guiding groups, building trust, and understanding how movement can evoke deep emotional responses and altered states of consciousness. Then, in September 2024, once again at the Parallel Festival, I experienced another powerful insight: this knowledge wasn’t something to keep to myself, it needed to be shared widely. That realization inspired the creation of DanceResource.org - a non-profit, open-source platform for dancers, facilitators, researchers, and curious newcomers to explore movement as a path to self-awareness, healing, connection, and transformation. Determined to grow further, I enrolled in the Center for Integrative Development (CIR) in September 2024. A few months later, in December, I began mentorship with Alexey Kuzmin, an experienced teacher with over a decade of leading conscious dance workshops. Finally, in March 2025 - after twenty years in the IT world - I took the leap. I left my job to dedicate myself fully to the path of dance.
This guide is more than a manual; it is a testament to the transformative power of dance, a tribute to Hana’s legacy, and an invitation to anyone who has ever felt the pulse of music stirring within. My deepest wish is that through this practice, others will discover the boundless freedom and authenticity waiting to emerge from within their bodies - just as I did on that unforgettable night, all those years ago.
