Modern & Contemporary

Geared towards children aged 7-9, this class explores fundamental movement principles like fall and recovery, release and momentum, weight transfer, dynamic alignment, and counterbalance, all within a fun, creative, and imaginative approach. Students are encouraged to get in touch with their funky and weird selves through expressive movement that celebrates each individual's voice and body, and promotes coordination, musicality, spatial awareness, and a love of dance.

Geared towards children ages 10-12, this class builds on the material learned in Children's Modern I. We will continue to explore the fundamental movement principles like fall and recovery, release and momentum, weight transfer, dynamic alignment, and counterbalance, and will further our understanding of these fundamentals through short and medium-sized combinations. Students will also have chances to learn the basic tools of choreography and composition through games, partnering, and use of props.

Gentle modern is a multi-level class that begins on the floor, tuning up our inner sensing with an exploration from a variety of somatic practices. Warmup continues into standing with exercises that emphasize efficient alignment. Finally, we dance, exploring rhythm, flow, contrasting energy dynamics, partnering with the space and with one another. This class is aimed at the advanced beginner, with some intermediate-level combinations introduced toward the end. All are welcome who have an interest in dancing from the inside out.

The overall goal of this class is to dance at the edge of our control—finding the boundaries of our abilities and deepening our comfort of letting go. We will explore fundamental movement principles like fall and recovery, release and momentum, weight transfer, dynamic alignment, and counterbalance. Class starts with a warmup sequence that holistically builds into more complex and challenging phrase work. We culminate with a combination that pushes our technique and engages nuance of timing, use of space, and deepening of dynamics. Fun music the whole time!

In this class students will be introduced to movements and qualities from the disciplines of contemporary and modern dance. From investigating inversions and floorwork to how dance is understood and defined, this class will push the student to expand away from the idea of "uprightness" and "correctness" as the only location for dance. Engaging with the weight of the body, initiations, and how shapes can be built from within, the goal of this class is to build versatile, brave, and joyous dancers by engaging with the near infinite ways dancing can emerge and be explored. This class is open to dancers with at least 3 years of rigorous dance training. Prior experience with modern/contemporary recommended but an openness to using technique while letting go of the classical form required and highly encouraged.