Silvija Tomčik, was introduced 22 years ago to Gabrielle Roth’s teachings through her book Maps to Ecstasy. It was a powerful encounter, which motivated Silvija to begin searching for teachers of the 5Rhythms to begin her dancing path. Since then she has been organizing 5Rhythms workshops in Croatia bringing it for the first time to this part of the world. At the time she was working in the Center for Peace Studies and leading workshops on gender issues. She has finished Waves Teacher Training with Gabrielle in 2001., and in 2010. the Heartbeat Teacher Training. Silvija has been a part of the Teacher Training Staff with Jonathan Horan 2013-2020. She teaches weekly classes and weekend workshops using her imagination, great variety of music, her grounded way of dancing and her love for the freedom of being in the body to prompt people to discover their personal dance and healing movement. She is living with her husband Thierry Francois, also a 5Rhythms teacher and their son, Numa Rock and her daughter Tara in Zagreb.
Thierry François: As a kid, I started to take classes to become a « young ballet-girl in the Paris Opera » but soon, too soon, I gave up. Later, as adolescent I could spend hours and go for miles just to go dancing somewhere. I can feel today that it still carbonates me. Afterwards, around 20, I met the theatre. It was like a revelation and I felt a strong desire to play and to be on stage. To play, to say, to be touched, to express, to share, to transmit. I completed my training with several other practices such as dance (with Karine Saporta), mime, clown. Then on my path, I met the Gestalt therapy, a humanist method which gives flesh to the words. In Paris, and soon in Zagreb, I keep on seeing people, in individual therapy and in groups, as a Gestalt therapist. At the beginning of the 2000’s, I met 5Rhythms dance. I remember that I was a little reluctant to go to a class and that I was totally won over when I came out as it perfectly satisfied my need to integrate the body in my practice. I started to go dancing occasionally, then more regularly, then in a more addicted way by going elsewhere exploring dance, in other countries, other cultures, other teachings. In 2009, I’ve been accepted to attend the US training for new 5Rhythms teachers. And then there is also this Men work that I love to be a part of as a leader. Above all that, I like to say that I put all these resources in my practice with enthusiasm and that I like communicate my passion with humor, lightness and creativity.