Philosophy: Facilitating Movement Expression
I have been teaching contemporary dance for over three decades. In professional level classes we ground energy, shift weight, extend and release, and develop our agility. From fascia exercises to floor work, to swift rhythmic phrases—of lengthening, reaching, rotating and rebounding through space—dancers work with musicality, precision, and efficiency. Participants are guided through ways to integrate the exercises into structured improvisation to expand their physical, dynamic range or explore something else of their choosing and to feel what it's like to interpret in class, together.
In my advanced contemporary dance class, gentle warm-up explorations start from a release base. Dancers are encouraged to find bodily connection through somatic-informed exploration then strengthen the core and warm up the spine for stability and flexibility. Exercises progress to moving through homo- and contra- lateral coordination, lengthening the body and carving through space. Class progresses through explorations of rhythm, elevation, rebound and extension as whole body weight-shifts, encouraging ease, flow, and athleticism. Participants are invited and guided to develop ways to connect somatic information with the physicality of moving through space.
Approaching technique as a way to prepare for creative practice, this class also fosters exploration of quality of movement and a sense of connection to one's surroundings and to each other, consciously reinforcing grounding and re-grounding as a process.
Guided improvisations allow for diversity of expression, so participants can keep developing new awareness and insight around the technical exercises. The objective is to foster a positive environment for challenge and self-development, while providing a fulfilling and inclusive shared experience.
Whether with live or recorded music or vocals, sound and rhythm are integral elements in these classes.
