Jennifer Lott

Jennifer Lott is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher. She is a certified GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® instructor, on staff at Kinespirit Studios and Steps on Broadway, and Gibney Dance Center. Jennifer received her BFA in Ballet Performance with an Outside Field in Journalism from the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington, IN. In 2001, she became a founding member of Cleveland-based Inlet Dance Theatre. In 2004, she joined GroundWorks Dancetheater, where she originated roles in works by artistic director David Shimotakahara, KT Niehoff, Lynn Deering and Amy Miller. Since relocating to the East coast in 2007, Jennifer has appeared with Armitage Gone! Dance, Eglevsky Ballet, Collective Body Dance Lab, Bennyroyce Royon, Terra Firma Dance, Lydia Johnson Dance, and Boheme Opera New Jersey. While at IU, she began an ongoing artistic partnership with composer Ryan Lott (a.k.a. Son Lux). Most recently they premiered Son Set, a concert of dance and live music, at the Prospect Park Bandshell for Celebrate Brooklyn! 2010. Jennifer’s work has been presented at Chen Dance Center’s spring 2008 Newsteps series, in concerts with Terra Firma Dance, Collective Body Dance Lab, and Inlet Dance Theatre, at The Painted Bride in Philadelphia, PA and at The Southern Theater in Minneapolis, MN. For more about Jennifer and her work, visit her blog at lottdance.tumblr.com.

Class Description

GYROKINESIS® exercises work the entire body, beginning with seven natural elements of spinal movement: forward, backward, left side, right side, left twist, right twist and circular.  The class systematically and gently works the joints and muscles through rhythmic and undulating movements. These movements, along with corresponding breathing patterns, open and free the body, and also stimulate the body’s internal organs and nervous system.
Fluidity is the key.  Postures are not held for long periods of time.  Instead, postures are smoothly and harmoniously connected through the use of breath, making exercises appear and feel more like a dance and swimming than like traditional yoga.

Marcela Bragagnolo

Marcela Bragagnolo trained in classical dance in her native Argentina, Cuba and Paris, and in contemporary dance and drama in New York City. She danced with Ballet Proarte (Argentina), Ballet Nacional de Cuba, and Ballet de l’Opera de Paris. She holds a French National Diploma in Ballet Teaching and also is an ABT® Certified Teacher in Primary through Level 7 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She has taught ballet in Argentina, Geneva, Paris and New York.  Marcela’s passion is an integrated education with a focus on strong technique, a healthy body and a free spirit. This passion has led to her research in bio-mechanics, energy training, breathing and psychological preparation for performance (ISA Cuba, NYU USA, IFEDEM France).  She is also a STOTT PILATES® Instructor Trainer, a GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS®  Pretrainer, and a certified ACE personal trainer. Marcela speaks English, Spanish and French.

Class Description

A typical GYROKINESIS® class begins with participants practicing self-massage and simple breathing patterns, something  Juliu Horvath has named, “Awakening of the Senses.” Then the spine and pelvis are engaged through simple exercises: while seated on low stools, participants mobilize the spine through a series of arching, curling, bending, twisting and spiraling movements.  These same movement patterns are expanded to release the hip, knee, hamstring, quadriceps and so on, in all possible directions: front, back, twisting and turning.  The corresponding breathing patterns executed during every movement stimulate the nervous system, open up the energy pathways and oxygenate the blood.  The more advanced classes offer endurance training to participants prepared for more strenuous activities. All GYROKINESIS® classes, from beginner to advanced, encompass not only sitting but also lying and standing positions.

Those who practice GYROKINESIS® exercises tend to be more relaxed in their daily lives and can move with increased flexibility and ease.