THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27

​

9:00-10:00a

GYROKINESIS w/ Lili Weckler

The Gyrokinesis Method is a movement method that addresses the entire body, opening energy pathways, stimulating the nervous system, increasing range of motion and creating functional strength through rhythmic, flowing movement sequences.

​

BIO: Lili Weckler is an interdisciplinary artist from San Francisco and is the artistic director of Lili Weckler/Unhinge, a dance-theater company fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts. Also a creative writer, she was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2010. She trained in Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis at San Francisco Gyrotonic and teaches at East Bay Gyrotonic in Rockridge.

​

_______________________________________

10:00-11:30a

MODERN TECHNIQUE w/ Abigail Hosein

This class will focus on technique, phrasing, alignment, and expansive movement exploring a variety of dynamic qualities, focus, musicality, and easeful moving in and out of the floor. Phrase material consists of controlled suspension and fluid release work that allows the dancers to explore their relationship with gravity and momentum.

​

BIO: Abigail Hosein is choreographer, teacher and the artistic director of ahdanco, a Bay Area modern dance company founded in 2002. She has been teaching for over 15 years and has served on faculty at Santa Clara University, College Prep High School, and currently at Shawl-Anderson Dance Center where she is also the Administrative Director. She holds her MFA in Performance and Choreography from Mills College and has performed locally for Dance Repertory/San Francisco, Hudson Dance, Barely Complete Productions, and Rogelio Lopez & Dancers.

_______________________________________

12:30-1:45p

PHRASEWORK w/ Abigail Hosein

or

PARTNERING w/ Claudia Hubiak

​

PHRASEWORK: Focus on quickly seeing and physically integrating new material, practicing embodiment and finding your individual voice in the work. Phrase material contains lush, athletic, detailed choreography that emphasizes full body movement, musicality, and performance technique.

​

BIO: Abigail Hosein is choreographer, teacher and the artistic director of ahdanco, a Bay Area modern dance company founded in 2002. She has been teaching for over 15 years and has served on faculty at Santa Clara University, College Prep High School, and currently at Shawl-Anderson Dance Center where she is also the Administrative Director. She holds her MFA in Performance and Choreography from Mills College and has performed locally for Dance Repertory/San Francisco, Hudson Dance, Barely Complete Productions, and Rogelio Lopez & Dancers.

​

PARTNERING:  This class will explore partnering techniques through weight exchange, subtleties in reaction and the art of impulse. We will dive into topics like how to trust quickly, how less is often more, and the power of listening in partnership. *Please note it is encouraged to take the Choreographic Tools class in conjunction with this class.

BIO: Claudia Anata Hubiak is a choreographer, educator and the artistic director of The Anata Project. She currently teaches choreography at the SF School of the Arts and is a 2018 Chime recipient.

_______________________________________

2:00 - 3:00p

CHOREOGRAPHIC TOOLS w/ Claudia Hubiak

or

FLOORWORK/FLYING LOW w/ Ellen Slatkin

​

CHOREOGRAPHIC TOOLS: This class is open to all levels and will explore how choreographic form can be used as a container for partnership. We will create duets and trios! The class will address the generation of material and how this material works in partnership allowing for human exchange to naturally exist within crafted content. *Please note it is encouraged to take the Partnering class in conjunction with this class.

​

BIO: Claudia Anata Hubiak is a choreographer, educator and the artistic director of The Anata Project. She currently teaches choreography at the SF School of the Arts and is a 2018 Chime recipient.

​

FLOORWORK/FLYING LOW: Drawing from Ellen’s personal research and Flying Low technique, this class helps dancers to find the most efficient ways to come in and out of the floor through powerful and dynamic movement, focusing on functionality and fluidity in relationship to the floor. It creates a high energy, wild, and visceral environment, pushing to the extremes of physicality through play, trust, and exhaustion.

​

BIO: Ellen Slatkin is from Berkeley, California, and began her contemporary training at Shawl-Anderson and in the ODC/Dance Jam, and has been dancing in the UK and Europe for the past five years. While studying, she found an immense love for floorwork and improvisation, which she has explored in depth with Hagit Yakira, and trained extensively in Flying Low and Passing Through with Leila McMillan and David Zambrano. Recently, she has performed for Second Hand Dance (UK), Clod Ensemble (UK), Arch8 (NL), Julia Bengtsson (SWE), and Marrafa Company (BE).

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28

​

9:00 -10:00a

YOGA w/ Juliana Monin

By attending to one's breath, the mind is linked to the whole body and therefore the whole system is engaged in personal integration- structurally, functionally, psychologically, and energetically. In this class, we will investigate the proper use of the breath and how to use the quality of breath as feedback to inform the alignment of the body as you are guided through posture sequences in a way that is appropriate and safe for every body.

​

BIO: Juliana Monin received her 200 hour yoga certification through BeYoga in 2006. She has completed an advanced teacher training through the Heart of Yoga Foundation and worked as a master teacher for the organization, assisting classes and workshops throughout the world. Her work as a professional dancer and student of movement informs her practice and teaching.

​

_______________________________________

10:00 -11:30a

MODERN TECHNIQUE w/ Kristin Damrow

Kristin’s class is a highly physical and rigorous exploration of contemporary technique. Class will begin with a meditative body scan and improvisation exercises; first finding alignment of the body, then moving with ease and dynamic energy. Large energetic phrase work will have a constant play with gravity; going in and out of the floor, upside down and traveling though the space with fierce abandonment.

​

BIO: Kristin Damrow is the artistic director and choreographer of Kristin Damrow & Company. She is on faculty at ODC Dance Commons and Dance Mission Theater. Kristin is the resident artist at Iowa State University and has taught master classes at NYU Tish School of the Arts, Columbia College Chicago, Gibney (NYC), Mark Morris Dance Center (NYC), Bodyvox (Portland), Sonoma State University, City College of San Francisco, LINES Ballet, and the University of San Francisco.

_______________________________________

1:00 - 2:30p

MODERN TECHNIQUE w/Joan Lazarus

or

FORSYTHE IMPROVISATION & FELT SENSE w/ Nicole Peisl

​

MODERN TECHNIQUE: Technique in service to expression. In dance, it's not about doing it "right," it's about communicating through the language and vocabulary that is entrusted to the body. And yes, that means an exquisite level of expertise manifests in a huge vocabulary of possibilities: a vocabulary that all dancers can attain.  Let's play in the realms of articulation, attention, discovery, and mastery. Bring your body, your willingness to explore, your commitment to technical investigation and practice. 

​

BIO: Joan Lazarus has served as Executive Director of Oakland Ballet, General Manger of the Cowell Theater at Fort Mason, Executive Director of WestWave Dance Festival, and Executive Director of Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp. Joan has performed with or in the works of many local and national choreographers, including Alonzo King, Krissy Keefer, Frank Shawl, Bill DeYoung, Toni Pimble, Richard Colton and Alan Ptashek. She has taught at the University of Oregon, Mills College, San Francisco Ballet, Dance Circle of Boston, The Princeton Ballet, RoCo Dance & Fitness, and Shawl-Anderson Dance Center. She holds a MA in Dance from the University of Oregon, and a MA in Arts Administration from Golden Gate University.

​

FORSYTHE IMPROVISATION & FELT SENSE- AN INTRODUCTION: In this workshop we will work with methods for compositional practice developed in the setting of the Forsythe Company and the Ballet Frankfurt. We will engage our ability to generate movement from task. We will play. Curiosity will lead us, and sensation, orientation, and physical and proprioceptive awareness will be our material. What can the body do? With the intention to expand what we can do with our bodies, we will develop ways of attending to, articulating and activating isolated areas of the body while at the same time holding them in dynamic relation.

​

BIO: Nicole Peisl is a dancer, choreographer and teacher. From 2000 until 2014 she was a member of Frankfurt Ballet/The Forsythe Company; she has also worked with Anouk van Dijk, Michael Klien, among others. She teaches regularly at festivals and universities and is now pursuing her doctorate in Performance Studies at UC Davis.

_______________________________________

2:45 - 3:45p

GYROKINESIS w/Lili Weckler

or

FLOORWORK/FLYING LOW w/ Ellen Slatkin

​

GYROKINESIS: The Gyrokinesis Method is a movement method that addresses the entire body, opening energy pathways, stimulating the nervous system, increasing range of motion and creating functional strength through rhythmic, flowing movement sequences.

​

BIO: Lili Weckler is an interdisciplinary artist from San Francisco and is the artistic director of Lili Weckler/Unhinge, a dance-theater company fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts. Also a creative writer, she was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2010. She trained in Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis at San Francisco Gyrotonic and teaches at East Bay Gyrotonic in Rockridge.

​

FLOORWORK/FLYING LOW: Drawing from Ellen’s personal research and Flying Low technique, this class helps dancers to find the most efficient ways to come in and out of the floor through powerful and dynamic movement, focusing on functionality and fluidity in relationship to the floor. It creates a high energy, wild, and visceral environment, pushing to the extremes of physicality through play, trust, and exhaustion.

​

BIO: Ellen Slatkin is from Berkeley, California, and began her contemporary training at Shawl-Anderson and in the ODC/Dance Jam, and has been dancing in the UK and Europe for the past five years. While studying, she found an immense love for floorwork and improvisation, which she has explored in depth with Hagit Yakira, and trained extensively in Flying Low and Passing Through with Leila McMillan and David Zambrano. Recently, she has performed for Second Hand Dance (UK), Clod Ensemble (UK), Arch8 (NL), Julia Bengtsson (SWE), and Marrafa Company (BE).

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2

​

9:00 - 10:00a

PILATES w/Jessica Damon

This Dance-Based Pilates Flow mat class is designed to be a thorough warm-up and preparation for full-bodied dancing or a complete exercise program on its own. Based in the traditional repertoire of Joseph Pilates, the class integrates principles of Feldenkrais, yoga, and dance, emphasizing ease and integrity of movement while thoroughly strengthening and stretching the major muscle groups. Jessica teaches with an eye toward the alignment and strength - concerns of the dancing body - but offers modifications that are appropriate for all levels of movement experience.

​

BIO: Jessica Damon is a dancer, choreographer, video artist and teacher of dance and somatic therapies. As a young dancer she had the honor of working with Mel Wong and later performed with a handful of Bay Area companies before pursuing her MFA in Performance and Choreography from CU Boulder. She now dances regularly around the house with her 5 year old daughter, as well as teaching Pilates in Berkeley to the young and the young at heart.

​

_______________________________________

10:00 -11:30a

MODERN TECHNIQUE w/Andrew Merrell

This contemporary modern class focuses on dynamic movement, flow, and creating an expansive body. Students will focus on alignment as well as full articulation of the spine. Andrew will teach you how to get the most out of the depth of your plié.  We will also play with momentum and use of the floor in our explorations. Students will discover sequences through initiation points and cross lateral pulls, which will help develop awareness of how the body can flow through space with grace and attack.

​

BIO: Andrew Merrell graduated from California State University Long Beach with a BA in Dance in 2008. From there, he completed a 200hr yoga certification through Laughing Lotus in San Francisco. Andrew has danced professionally with Keith Johnson and Dancers as well as Holly Johnston's Ledges and Bones. He shares a Lester Horton Award for Best Group Ensemble for his part in Keith's piece "Presence of Absence". He has also been commissioned to choreograph works for Santa Ana College and Cerritos College. Since moving to Oakland in 2010 he has had the privilege to work with Bay Area choreographers such as Rogelio Lopez, Catherine Galasso, Abigail Hosein, Cathy Davalos, and Nina Haft.

_______________________________________

12:30 -1:45p

PARTNERING w/Andrew Merrell and Rogelio Lopez

or

FLOORWORK/FLYING LOW w/ Ellen Slatkin

​

PARTNERING: Merrell and Lopez will take their extensive experience with partnering to work on exploring a series of lifts, weight-sharing, and efficiency in and out of the floor. Explore several lifts from Merrell's & Lopez's choreography. Learn techniques to facilitate verbal and non-verbal communication between partners emphasizing safety, ease and consent. 

​

BIOS: Rogelio Lopez earned his MFA in Dance emphasis in choreography from California State University Long Beach. He is a dancer, choreographer, dance instructor, and designer. He currently servers as the director of the MFA in dance at Saint Mary's College of California.

​

Andrew Merrell graduated from California State University Long Beach with a BA in Dance in 2008. From there, he completed a 200hr yoga certification through Laughing Lotus in San Francisco. Andrew has danced professionally with Keith Johnson and Dancers as well as Holly Johnston's Ledges and Bones. He shares a Lester Horton Award for Best Group Ensemble for his part in Keith's piece "Presence of Absence". He has also been commissioned to choreograph works for Santa Ana College and Cerritos College. Since moving to Oakland in 2010 he has had the privilege to work with Bay Area choreographers such as Rogelio Lopez, Catherine Galasso, Abigail Hosein, Cathy Davalos, and Nina Haft.

FLOORWORK/FLYING LOW: Drawing from Ellen’s personal research and Flying Low technique, this class helps dancers to find the most efficient ways to come in and out of the floor through powerful and dynamic movement, focusing on functionality and fluidity in relationship to the floor. It creates a high energy, wild, and visceral environment, pushing to the extremes of physicality through play, trust, and exhaustion.

​

BIO: Ellen Slatkin is from Berkeley, California, and began her contemporary training at Shawl-Anderson and in the ODC/Dance Jam, and has been dancing in the UK and Europe for the past five years. While studying, she found an immense love for floorwork and improvisation, which she has explored in depth with Hagit Yakira, and trained extensively in Flying Low and Passing Through with Leila McMillan and David Zambrano. Recently, she has performed for Second Hand Dance (UK), Clod Ensemble (UK), Arch8 (NL), Julia Bengtsson (SWE), and Marrafa Company (BE).

​

_______________________________________

2:00 - 3:00p

Z-HEALTH: FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGY FOR DANCING FEET w/Beth Harris

or

CHOREOGRAPHIC TOOLS w/Rogelio Lopez

Z-HEALTH: Human feet are a masterpiece of the creativity of nature. We will explore five very special joints that are over looked by traditional dance training. Moving in particular ways we can mobilize these joints to stimulate position sensing neurons so that neural recognition and mapping is accurate. Then our motor cortex can send more effective and efficient motor control commands. So helpful for us wild dancing people; all feet are welcome.

​

BIO: Beth Harris teaches at Accademia Teatro Dimitri in Verscio Switzerland in the Bachelor and Master of Physical Theatre. She had a long and fulfilling dance career performing and choreographing, mentored by Daniel Nagrin. She is a Z Health Neural Performance Specialist and Master Trainer.

​

CHOREOGRAPHIC TOOLS: This class offers an opportunity with a professional choreographer to explore, tinker, and consider new starting points and inspiration for movement as well as tools for refinement, distilling ideas, and manipulating initial concepts. For choreographers and collaborators alike.

​

BIO: Rogelio Lopez earned his MFA in Dance emphasis in choreography from California State University Long Beach. He is a dancer, choreographer, dance instructor, and designer. He currently servers as the director of the MFA in dance at Saint Mary's College of California.

​

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3

​

9:00 - 10:00a

YOGA w/Valerie Gutwirth

This class uses yoga asana and principles of alignment to help students find greater ease, efficiency, and joy in everyday movement, dancing, and other athletic pursuits. Building on a central theme, the class sequence builds strength, flexibility, and balance. Poses can be adapted for injury and other special needs; this practice is designed to be adjusted to individual bodies.

​

BIO: Valerie Gutwirth holds a 500-hour certification in Iyengar-based yoga from The Yoga Room in Berkeley. She dances, sings, and plays body music with Evie Ladin/MoToRdance and with her 450 students in Berkeley's public elementary schools.

​

_______________________________________

10:00 -11:30a

MODERN TECHNIQUE w/Kristin Damrow

​

Kristin’s class is a highly physical and rigorous exploration of contemporary technique. Class will begin with a meditative body scan and improvisation exercises; first finding alignment of the body, then moving with ease and dynamic energy. Large energetic phrase work will have a constant play with gravity; going in and out of the floor, upside down and traveling though the space with fierce abandonment.

​

BIO: Kristin Damrow is the artistic director and choreographer of Kristin Damrow & Company. She is on faculty at ODC Dance Commons and Dance Mission Theater. Kristin is the resident artist at Iowa State University and has taught master classes at NYU Tish School of the Arts, Columbia College Chicago, Gibney (NYC), Mark Morris Dance Center (NYC), Bodyvox (Portland), Sonoma State University, City College of San Francisco, LINES Ballet, and the University of San Francisco.

_______________________________________

12:30 - 1:45p

REPERTORY w/Kristin Damrow

or

FELDENKRAIS w/Mary Armentrout

​

REPERTORY: Kristin will teach repertory from Kristin Damrow & Company's past works. Students will explore layering phrase work with characterization and technique.

​

BIO: Kristin Damrow is the artistic director and choreographer of Kristin Damrow & Company. She is on faculty at ODC Dance Commons and Dance Mission Theater. Kristin is the resident artist at Iowa State University and has taught master classes at NYU Tish School of the Arts, Columbia College Chicago, Gibney (NYC), Mark Morris Dance Center (NYC), Bodyvox (Portland), Sonoma State University, City College of San Francisco, LINES Ballet, and the University of San Francisco.

FELDENKRAIS: The Feldenkrais Method is a wide ranging system for understanding how the human being functions and learns how to learn, using the body as its primary laboratory. It is also a wide ranging, elegant, and deeply probing system for understanding the myriad layers of how movements in the human body work, and of how you can learn to manipulate the structure of those movements. This is a wonderful opportunity for dancers to bring greater felt understanding of how their body is constructed, as well as greater ease and articulation, into the execution of all their movements, from the everyday to the highly complex.

​

BIO: Mary Armentrout is a dancer, choreographer and Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner. Her artistic practice interrogates the complex and discontinuous connections between body and self, self and other, and self and the larger environment. Her teaching seeks to discover the intimate conversations of these layers within the body/self.

​

_______________________________________

2:00 - 3:00p

USING SOMATIC INQUIRY AS A CHOREOGRAPHIC TOOL w/Mary Armentrout

or

CHOREOGRAPHIC TOOLS w/Kristin Damrow

​

USING SOMATIC INQUIRY: The Feldenkrais Method is a wide ranging system for understanding how the human being functions and learns how to learn, using the body as its primary laboratory. It is also a wide ranging, elegant, and deeply probing system for understanding the myriad layers of how movements in the human body work, and of how you can learn to manipulate the structure of those movements. This is a wonderful opportunity for dancers to bring greater felt understanding of how their body is constructed, as well as greater ease and articulation, into the execution of all their movements, from the everyday to the highly complex.”

​

BIO: Mary Armentrout is a dancer, choreographer and Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner. Her artistic practice interrogates the complex and discontinuous connections between body and self, self and other, and self and the larger environment. Her teaching seeks to discover the intimate conversations of these layers within the body/self.

​

CHOREOGRAPHIC TOOLS: Kristin will share an inside look at her creative process while building a dance piece. Students will play with improvisation to build tool box of movement vocabulary and character building.

​

BIO: Kristin Damrow is the artistic director and choreographer of Kristin Damrow & Company. She is on faculty at ODC Dance Commons and Dance Mission Theater. Kristin is the resident artist at Iowa State University and has taught master classes at NYU Tish School of the Arts, Columbia College Chicago, Gibney (NYC), Mark Morris Dance Center (NYC), Bodyvox (Portland), Sonoma State University, City College of San Francisco, LINES Ballet, and the University of San Francisco.