Teaching
AERIAL DANCE
Focusing on rope and harness, bungee cord or custom apparatus, I introduce students to the possibilities of aerial dance and their professional applications. Aerial dance can be a dangerous activity and the level of discomfort is inherently high. Students are made aware of the hazards before committing to this class, but are free to observe the class depending on the level of discomfort,... and safety always comes first.
Rope & Harness/bungee cord: After a warm-up that particularly addresses the high impact zones shoulders and lower back/core, the student will learn basic principles of aerial work such as spinning, running, swinging and climbing. We look at safety issues and rigging. Smaller combinations and repertoire allow the dancer to learn about various possibilities of solo rope and harness work and partnering with on and off-rope combinations. We discuss the creative applications of aerial work in the context of concert dance versus circus work and delve into creative approaches to aerial work choreographically.
CUSTOM APPARATUS
I accompany the students through the process of designing and building custom structures for aerial dance and their specific ideas for pieces with these structures. Depending on the level of complexity, professional riggers, welders etc, will be consulted.
AERIAL DANCE
Focusing on rope and harness, bungee cord or custom apparatus, I introduce students to the possibilities of aerial dance and their professional applications. Aerial dance can be a dangerous activity and the level of discomfort is inherently high. Students are made aware of the hazards before committing to this class, but are free to observe the class depending on the level of discomfort,... and safety always comes first.
Rope & Harness/bungee cord: After a warm-up that particularly addresses the high impact zones shoulders and lower back/core, the student will learn basic principles of aerial work such as spinning, running, swinging and climbing. We look at safety issues and rigging. Smaller combinations and repertoire allow the dancer to learn about various possibilities of solo rope and harness work and partnering with on and off-rope combinations. We discuss the creative applications of aerial work in the context of concert dance versus circus work and delve into creative approaches to aerial work choreographically.
CUSTOM APPARATUS
I accompany the students through the process of designing and building custom structures for aerial dance and their specific ideas for pieces with these structures. Depending on the level of complexity, professional riggers, welders etc, will be consulted.
Class description:
BII – THE BODY'S INTRINSIC INTELLIGENCE is an advanced class that analyzes human movement. Although advanced in it's approach it does not require any former dance training, in fact it is great for people without former movement training as an entryway to dance. BII classes are of particular value to professional movement artists since the primary goal is to cultivate knowledge and understanding of the body in motion, safe practice, energy conservation and longer careers. Every class is a complex web of exercises and improvisations that inspire body awareness, all directional navigation with inversions and partnering aspects, musicality, studying the bio-mechanical principles that govern human movement and the ability to effectively harness them for the purpose of virtuosity, performance quality, energy conservation and healthy practice. BII classes start with the study of the human skeleton, muscles, fascia and other components involved in movement. The students are given specific and improvisational exercises so they can physically experience and embody the theoretical knowledge. The class format is that of a lab and typically lasts 2 or more hrs each. Basis for the BII class content are my studies as a massage therapist (Orthopaedic massage, Rolfing/Myofascial Release/structural integration, watsu, shiatsu, kinesiology, anatomy), my studies with the axis syllabus (axissyllabus.com, currently enrolled in their certification program), and my experience as a teacher over the past 25 years. In BII class we analyze common injuries in dancers by looking at the information given in various styles of dance and other movement teachings and by looking at everyday activities and their impact on our structural integrity. We pay attention to the fact that each body is a uniquely crafted entity that varies from individual to individual and that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to movement education if the goal is to train the dancer for a long healthy career in dance. The goal is empowerment through knowledge and a long career as professionals with exceptional artistic and physical abilities. With proper anatomical and bio-mechanical knowledge dancers are able to extend her careers substantially and diminish long term adverse effects from pushing their bodies to extremes. BII emphasizes that the dancer is an intelligent, informed and self governed human being that is eager to learn and maximize their body's potential for movement possibilities. Components of BII class, to name a few, are slow-motion, dissecting movements into their smallest components to explore the bio-mechanical principles that make them possible; attention to joint axes and support value throughout the entire structure; understanding of the body's arches and their value to healthy movement and effective powerful expansion and contraction (such as jumps and falls); the principles of ramping and guiding energy and shock through the body to be reused for greatest possible use to the dancer, preventing energy loss and allowing for the development of stamina and the circumvention of shear, torque, torsion and compression forces; the understanding of the fascial system and it's relevance to efficient movement; breath and its effect on movement quality and efficiency ; the understanding of the spiral and helical nature and three-dimensionality of movement versus linearity of movement and mono-planar orientation and isolation; the principles and locations of landing pads and natural shock absorption.
BII – THE BODY'S INTRINSIC INTELLIGENCE is an advanced class that analyzes human movement. Although advanced in it's approach it does not require any former dance training, in fact it is great for people without former movement training as an entryway to dance. BII classes are of particular value to professional movement artists since the primary goal is to cultivate knowledge and understanding of the body in motion, safe practice, energy conservation and longer careers. Every class is a complex web of exercises and improvisations that inspire body awareness, all directional navigation with inversions and partnering aspects, musicality, studying the bio-mechanical principles that govern human movement and the ability to effectively harness them for the purpose of virtuosity, performance quality, energy conservation and healthy practice. BII classes start with the study of the human skeleton, muscles, fascia and other components involved in movement. The students are given specific and improvisational exercises so they can physically experience and embody the theoretical knowledge. The class format is that of a lab and typically lasts 2 or more hrs each. Basis for the BII class content are my studies as a massage therapist (Orthopaedic massage, Rolfing/Myofascial Release/structural integration, watsu, shiatsu, kinesiology, anatomy), my studies with the axis syllabus (axissyllabus.com, currently enrolled in their certification program), and my experience as a teacher over the past 25 years. In BII class we analyze common injuries in dancers by looking at the information given in various styles of dance and other movement teachings and by looking at everyday activities and their impact on our structural integrity. We pay attention to the fact that each body is a uniquely crafted entity that varies from individual to individual and that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to movement education if the goal is to train the dancer for a long healthy career in dance. The goal is empowerment through knowledge and a long career as professionals with exceptional artistic and physical abilities. With proper anatomical and bio-mechanical knowledge dancers are able to extend her careers substantially and diminish long term adverse effects from pushing their bodies to extremes. BII emphasizes that the dancer is an intelligent, informed and self governed human being that is eager to learn and maximize their body's potential for movement possibilities. Components of BII class, to name a few, are slow-motion, dissecting movements into their smallest components to explore the bio-mechanical principles that make them possible; attention to joint axes and support value throughout the entire structure; understanding of the body's arches and their value to healthy movement and effective powerful expansion and contraction (such as jumps and falls); the principles of ramping and guiding energy and shock through the body to be reused for greatest possible use to the dancer, preventing energy loss and allowing for the development of stamina and the circumvention of shear, torque, torsion and compression forces; the understanding of the fascial system and it's relevance to efficient movement; breath and its effect on movement quality and efficiency ; the understanding of the spiral and helical nature and three-dimensionality of movement versus linearity of movement and mono-planar orientation and isolation; the principles and locations of landing pads and natural shock absorption.
We study technique for many different reasons: to gain the control and coordination we seek to be able to dance in some of the best companies in the world; to easily and confidently switch to improvisation as demanded by many choreographers today; to become versatile, virtuosic and adaptable; to be confident and and capable of enriching the choreographic process; to understand the physiology behind dance; to become excellent, clear, responsible, knowledgeable and competent movement educators; to enter movement therapy professions, etc, etc... I am confident that through my experiences as an educator and a professional artist I can be helpful to many students' specific career goals.
I hold a BFA in Dance and Choreography and I am a licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist in the state of North Carolina, NC#8931.
Teaching is inspiring to me and I hope to in turn inspire my students to broaden their horizons and to maintain the curiosity and passion that brought them to dance in the first place. I encourage them to never stop searching for knowledge and new paths.
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 hold a BFA in Dance and Choreography and I am a licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist in the state of North Carolina, NC#8931.
Teaching is inspiring to me and I hope to in turn inspire my students to broaden their horizons and to maintain the curiosity and passion that brought them to dance in the first place. I encourage them to never stop searching for knowledge and new paths.
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.
