Have you ever wondered how movement can transform fear into freedom? Arianna Economou, a dancer and artist from Cyprus, shares her journey of personal and artistic transformation through dance and creativity. She recounts her experiences during the 1974 invasion of Cyprus and how dance helped her cross from fear to freedom, using her body as a vessel to express what words could not. Economou's talk is a testament to the power of creativity as a bridge – not just between people, but between our conscious and unconscious selves. She encourages us to see every challenge as an opportunity to "polish the stone of self," transforming it into something precious and authentic.0:10 - Introduction 0:28 - Movement concept of connection 1:02 - Bridge as a reflection of a dancer, artist, woman 2:35 - Body & mind connection that helps to tell the stories 3:40 - Dance that connects fear and freedom 3:54 - 1974 Invasion of Cyprus through creativity 4:34 - Personal Arianna Economou challenge of bridging the gap 6:33 - Creativity is the bridge to our internal world 07:24 - Polishing the creativity 8:02 - Dance House of Nicosia that connects the new generation of artists 09:09 - Art and love arches of Arianna Economou 11:28 - Creative projects of Arianna Economou 12:21 - Conclusion Arianna Economou is a dance artist and dance activist. She brought modern dance to Cyprus in the 80s, co-founded the Dance House Lefkosia and was its director for more than ten years. Festival Director of the NO_ BODY Movement/Dance Performance Arts Festival since 2008. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx