workshops

MAster class with Bill T. jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company - Int/Adv Repertory Class
WITH Antonio Brown

Saturday, Feb 25
Time: 11am-12:30pm
Cost: $20
Pre-Registration Required

Geared towards strong pre-professional and professional dancers, this technique and repertory class will be based on the style and movement sensibility developed by Bill T. Jones and Janet Wong. We will cultivate precision, range, and the ability to cover space in movement, integrating and borrowing values from modern, postmodern, and classical traditions. We’ll also focus on remaining a thinking, feeling human being that makes choices with genuine consequences throughout the process of moving. Full bodied and challenging physicality will be the point of departure for our time together.

Company dancer, Antonio Brown, will teach repertory from the company's current touring work, Story/Time, in conjunction with their Cal Performances shows Feb 24 & 25.

Just Turns - An interactive classical Ballet Workshop
with Ikolo Griffin

Saturdays, Feb 11-March 3
Time: 12:30-2:30pm
Cost: $95 for all four classes or $25 each
Pre-Registration Required

Want to improve the quality and number of turns you can do? The Just Turns Workshop is designed to maximize your turning technique with a personalized approach.

I have learned a lot in my 17-year professional career in San Francisco Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Joffrey Ballet and Smuin Ballet. I will share with you all the Tips and Tricks that I’ve gathered about the art of turning in these 2-hour sessions.

There are many different turning styles out there and a lot of ways to turn. I’ve taken all this information and broken it down into Four Fundamental Rules:

One. Fast. Strong. Finish.

With these four rules, you will gain the confidence and ability to have consistent, beautiful turns. They are easy to learn and will give you a strong base to help you recover any turn.

Pirouette Workshop - Ongoing!
with coco Liborion

Fridays 2011
Time: 5:45pm-7:45pm
Cost: $18/class paid to the instructor
Drop-in!

The workshop begins with a warm up barre followed by pirouettes exercises from the Royal Academy of Dance Vocational Graded Syllabi (Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced). The workshop is designed to focus on understanding and improving technical aspects of all turns. We will work on pirouettes en dehors and en dedans starting from and ending in different positions including diagonal turns: piqués en dedans, piqués en dehors, assemblés soutenus, chainés and fouettés. Men will also have the opportunity to work on tours en l’air and tours à la seconde.

Learning objectives:

Understanding and improving pirouette preparations and turns;
Understanding fundamentals of weight placement;
Improve the use of contra-forces against gravity in order to enhance balance;
Improve the use of arms, quick spotting and the importance of awareness of the surrounding space;
Secure use of torso, correct weight placement sur place and in traveling pirouettes;

**For Coco's Sunday 10-12:30 Beginning III Workshop, see Adult Classes