Contact Improvisation has informed and clarified my practice as a contemporary dancer for over fifteen years now. My teaching reflects this by exchanging technical information between CI and Contemporary Dance. Its main aim is a ready and safe practice that allows for a playful virtuosity in movement, both with and without a partner.

Since 2002 I have taught company class, dance technique and workshops in improvisation and Contact Improvisation in the UK, Germany, Portugal, Norway, Brazil, Chile, Palestine a.o. at places such as Tanzfabrik Berlin, London Contemporary Dance School, Roehampton University, De Montfort University, CAT Youth Dance Scheme for Dance4 Nottingham and Jose Vidal Dance Company Chile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selection of workshops and classes:

Contemporary Dance / Intermediate & Beginners at Tanzfabrik Berlin (2014-16)

This class brings together release-based Contemporary Dance and technical information from Contact Improvisation for solo dancing. Exercises and phrasework emphasize on the travelling of weight, the use of momentum and the balance between effort and release, tension and softness in the body. The movement material is athletic and bold, makes use of the floor and invites the up side down. An interest in generous and expansive use of space, ongoing practice of performance skills and a sense of improvising through choreographed material is crucial to this class.

“In and out of contact – CI, Technique and Improvisation” at Saryyet Ramallah, Palestine 2016 – Summer Intensive 

We begin each day by breaking down and practicing principles and patterns of falling, folding and softening into the floor and being up-side down. This strengthens core muscles and allows safety and confidence when moving on to enter contact with a partner. We use crucial skills in CI -like opening the sensitivity of our skin, muscles and bones towards the weight of another person, trusting ourselves to take weight and to give weight – to enrich, inform and inspire both duets and solo dances.  The second part of each day will be dedicated to improvisation in the group, applying technical information learnt and improving compositional and performance skills in a supported environment.

“Shifting Weight” – at Contact-meets-Contemporary Festival 2015 – Göttingen

This workshop brings together release-based Contemporary Dance and technical information from Contact Improvisation. Exercises and phrase-work moves fluently between improvisations and short set movement phrases that emphasize on the traveling of weight, the use of momentum and the balance between effort and release, tension and softness in the body. The movement material is athletic and bold, makes use of the floor and invites the up side down. We improvise through choreographed material and refine clarity and precision in improvised movements. An interest in generous, imaginative and expansive use of space and dancing for and with each other is crucial to this work.