TEACHING

Choreography, Directing & Scene Design

Rehearsal of 'Matrix' at Auburn University taylor filming from Karola Lüttringhaus on Vimeo.

BII - THE BODY'S INTRINSIC INTELLIGENCE

          CHOREOGRAPHY and INTERDISCIPLINARY CREATIVE WORK 
Dance is an influential tool as it represents a channel to our innermost needs and desires. I am a detail-oriented, investigative and philosophical teacher/choreographer, basing my classes on a search for uncovering layers of the subconscious to be assembled into works that satisfy the complexity of our human experience. Intellect and instinct are at work in equal measure, and an ongoing exchange between creativity and analysis takes place in a supportive and honest group or partner setting.  
We will pursue the creation of works from a starting point of authenticity. We direct our focus onto the channeling of  visceral and kinetic voices that trace the changeable electricity of thought and sensation that underlies human interaction and interpersonal relationships. We study body language and interpretation skills. We develop thinking methods for the aspiring choreographer to find a direct connection to his or her inner motivation and to channel fragmented  ideas into a coherent form that is understood by the audience on multiple levels. We analyze and apply a number of choreographic tools, such as theme and variation, improvisation, sub texting, script/character analysis, story-boarding and many others to support each participants unique needs.. 


More about Choreography, a bit of philosophy,...
Developing a new work is a process of love that is endlessly rewarding to me. I am enchanted by visceral and fierce kinetic expressions, by spaces that offer transformation, and by materials that resonate within the characters and the story. I love for the space/set design to leave room for the players, so that intricately interwoven relationships and strong personalities can develop and merge with the environment, the lighting, the sound and the costumes to something intimately connected and meaningful. As dancers/choreographers we have an impact on our society and I emphasize the importance that our work bears, not only on individual and private lives, but on our society. Dance is an influential tool as it facilitates a platform for intelligent, emotional and critical exchange and learning, as well as the development of complex social networks. I am a detail-oriented, investigative and philosophical director, basing my work on a search for uncovering layers of the subconscious. Intellect and instinct are at work in equal measure, an ongoing exchange between creativity and analysis. Exploring the precipices of human emotion, I am drawn to friction, confrontation and vulnerability. I do not fear beauty. I avoid illustration. I crave a deep look into the soul of a work and I need absolute honesty within each work. With that, art can change our hearts.

I am interested in visceral and kinetic voices that trace the changeable electricity of thought and sensation that underlies human interaction and interpersonal relationships. My work is athletic and detail oriented and so are my classes. I teach choreography as a complex arrangement of options which are identified as located somewhere in between the visual arrangement of energetic lines created by bodies in space and the underlying motivations/expression, hence: the psychology of movement. We study body language and interpretation skills. My emphasis lies on the exploration of honest, real expression and interaction. 

          CONTEMPORARY PARTNERING 
My partnering classes teach students how to lift and be lifted off the ground. Classes are designed to inspire confidence and trust. The goal is a complete understanding of the physics of dynamic cooperation. Touch, the connection to another human being, teaches us tremendously much about how we move as individuals. Both share the same principles. We look at the importance of timing, breath, musicality, proper alignment, listening to one self and the other for coordinated take off and landing. Everything is done in duet format, starting with the warm-up to across the floor phrases and combinations. We will build our repertoire of lifts from non-physical connections and unison work via simple weight-sharing, to complex and athletic lifts. Students gain inventiveness, originality and spontaneity with a sophisticated and intelligent approach to lifting that practices technical strength and anatomical understanding. This class includes some improvisational and creative exercises as well as the learning of repertoire. We address the psychology of touch. This class is not gender specific, everybody will be the 'lifter' and the 'lifted', as long as the weight/strength ratio is appropriate for each individual. 

      SCENE DESIGN
Scene Design classes focus on play analysis, building of models to scale, and setting each scene of the play within the model. Photos are taken to illustrate scene changes and lighting looks.

Scene Design is another voice in a play/piece, an important and powerful tool. The scene sets the environment that the actors/dancers live in, it is a work of art, a metaphor, a translation, a visual and haptic expression of the play's soul. The set is not an illustration, but a psychological rendering of a state of mind.

Beginning with play analysis, we move to drafting ideas and building models to scale. Lighting and costumes are part of this process. We spend a lot of time discussing the purpose and impact of each element, whether it is redundant, necessary or foreign, etc to the idea of the play, and to the particular staging of a play; so for one play we can have many interpretations and many set designs.

        FOLK AND TRIBAL DANCES  
This West African and European folk dance inspired class focuses on the community aspect of dance, on rhythmicality and musicality. Dances incorporate simple to fast footwork and the teaching is founded on the bio-mechanic principles of walking. 

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