Following the class we will look at the “less is more” approach to performance which places the body itself, rather than narrative or other outside accessories, at the center of our process. We will focus on finding personal movement characters by abandoning the classic process of choreography and searching for new and individual qualities which reflect the individual dancer. This will be achieved through guided improvisation using both movement and voice. By peeling back the layers of the person – physical, emotional, historical – we will discover within ourselves the capacity to transform and leave superficiality behind.

This workshop will consist of two parts:

A Class..
Moving the body in space with clarity and purpose and utilizing different physical tensions are the main focus of this class. By experiencing unfamiliar states and ways of moving we become reacquainted with our bodies and as a result enable ourselves to transform and break our own personal stereotypes. Imagination will help us to shift through various states, enriching our interpretation of movement and expanding the space around us. We will focus on various aspects of technique such as alignment and fluidity, as well as precision and on overall awareness of one’s own presence. Following the warm-up, which combines stretching and coming into movement on the floor, we will concentrate on phrases of choreography that bring together different levels of quality and tension, as well as a heightened sense of timing.

A Process..
We will break from choreography in the classical sense and try to find different entry points into creation. Rather than being led by an already formed goal we will instead pick a starting point and see where it leads us. By using ourselves as material we will create movement characters which when put into various contexts shift our perception of what is appealing, normal, attractive, intelligent, emotional, ugly, vulnerable, strange, funny.. Examining the contrasts that make people who they are is a significant part of the work, as is openness and observation.