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Katie Aggen

Katie Aggen attended the University of California, Santa Cruz where she received her BA in Community Studies with College Honors and Phi Beta Kappa. Katie studied jazz, tap, ballet and hip hop before she came to modern dance. Katie danced in Los Angeles with Carol Solomon Dance Company, and in San Francisco with Company Chaddick, Strong Current, EmSpace, Dance Elixir, Printz Dance Project and Dance Continuum SF. In New York, she has had the pleasure of dancing for Darcy Naganuma, Dixon Mena, Chris Ferris, Randy James and Sheri Celentano. In 2006, Katie performed Eye Candy with Maria Colaco Dance at the NYC Fringe Festival. Recently, Katie appeared as a guest artist for Shen Wei Dance Arts, and she has toured to Amsterdam and France with Jana Hicks and Marijke Eliasberg’s The Next Stage Project. Currently, Katie dances with Isabel Gotzkowsky & Friends, TNSP, VaBang and KDNY. Katie’s teaching credits include: San Francisco Dance Center, SF School of the Arts and Rutgers University.

Class Description

Class begins on the floor with Pilates mat exercises to warm the joints and core muscles, then progresses to exploring the floor space with various leg swings, arches and curls and some yoga postures. Standing center work builds out of the floor material and focuses on technical alignment and using core muscles to facilitate movement. Short exercises incorporate footwork, weight change, momentum and release, as well as phrase work that travels side to side, to the floor and upside down. The class concludes with longer phrase work to encourage and challenge physicality, musicality, technique and artistry.

Carter Turrell Celente

Carter Celente began studying the Simonson Technique at Barnard College/Columbia University in 1994 and continued her training under Lynn Simonson and Katiti King at Dance Space Center/Dance New Amsterdam. She has performed her own work as well as choreography by Katiti King.

Class Description

Carter Celente has been a teacher of Contemporary Jazz Simonson Technique since 2006. Simonson Technique, developed by Lynn Simonson, is a comprehensive and anatomically based technique that prepares the body to dance with awareness and safety. Carter’s class focuses on the fundamentals of the Simonson Technique, with an emphasis on organic movement and musicality. Her warm-up and choreography help students develop not only their technical skills and flexibility but also their sense of rhythm and body connectedness.

Ed Rice

Edward Rice, originally from the suburbs of Chicago, holds a B.S. and an M.F.A in Dance Performance from Illinois State University and the University of Iowa, respectively. His choreography has received honors at ACDFA Conferences and has been performed throughout the Mid-West. In New York, his work has been presented at Dixon Place and as part of Synethisia by Electric Pear Productions. He has performed with Jennifer Kayle + Company, The Brian Brooks Moving Company, Stone Depot Dance Lab, Jody Oberfelder Dance Projects, Amber Sloan, and Elizabeth Dishman. He currently dances with Alexandra Beller/Dances, Laura Peterson Choreography and Ephemerui(Benjamin Rasmussen). He has taught Technique and Improvisation throughout the Mid-West and at the New School (substitute for A. Beller), The International Dance Festival in Bytom, Poland and The Open Look Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia. In his other life he is the Production Coordinator at Dance New Amsterdam.

Class Description

In this class we will use the studio as our laboratory. Through improvisational experiments we will work to learn about the dynamics and mechanics of our bodies and incorporate that knowledge into performing set material. Dancers need to develop many abilities, such as: endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy, creativity, musicality, presence, and subtlety (to name a few). All of these things are available for us to work on daily, but giving them equal attention is challenging. In class we will choose a few of these things to focus on while keeping all of them within arms reach.

Jenny Rocha

Rocha is a teacher, performer and director of Rocha Dance Theater. She?s been a member of Heidi Latsky Dance since 2004 and recently worked with Sean Curran Company and Kelli Wicke Davis. Jenny’s been a guest artist at ACDFA/Connecticut College, West Virginia University and a revisiting artist at Roger. Her choreography has been presented by Danspace Project, Joyce Soho, Y and more. Currently, Jenny is an artist-in-residence at Galapagos Art Space. She graduated with a BA in dance from Roger Williams University.

Class Description

During a thorough and active warm-up, students will focus on alignment and breath in an effort to be grounded and working at full potential. Center phrasing will be athletic, quirky movement that emphasizes floor work and moving horizontally through space. Students will investigate the physical intent of the movement by exploring imagery, dynamic direction and specified rhythms. The class will be full of purposeful motion!

Julia Burrer

Julia Burrer hails from Austin, Texas and graduated from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Dance. She studied abroad at Rotterdamse Dansacademie in the Netherlands, as well as performed at the Hong Kong International Dance Festival in the summer of 2006. She has had the pleasure of dancing with and for the following lovely folks - Daniel Charon, Adriane Fang, Bill Young and Colleen Thomas, Teri and Oliver Steele, Gwen Welliver, Chimaera Physical Theater, and pocket engine, directed by Nora Petroliunas and Sarah Oppenheim. Julia has been a member of Doug Varone and Dancers since 2007.

Class Description

In this class we will begin with a thorough, easy-to-follow warm up using a variety of Yoga and Pilates exercises. This will be loosely based on Oliver Steele’s Advanced Modern warm up. The class will build through various shorter exercises addressing momentum and gravity and figuring out how these forces can be used to our advantage. Class will end with a hefty-sized phrase in which we will focus on finding the play between muscularly energized movements and skeletally guided joint articulations.

Marjani Forte

Marjani Forte is a performer, instructor and choreographer. She is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University with B.A. in Marketing and a second major in Dance. Her early training has been with Los Angeles master instructors Karen McDonald, Stephen Semien, Ka-Ron Brown-Lehman, ballet-master Don Hewitt, modern dance pioneer Rudy Perez, and later the Alvin Ailey School Summer Intensives 2000-2003. As a performer, Marjani has worked with several artists and companies including Earl Mosely’s Diversity of Dance, Garth Fagan and is in her 4th year with Urban Bush Women. She has premiered works by acclaimed choreographers Blondell Cummings, Camille Brown, and Nia Love. She can be seen as an original cast member in the historical collaboration between Jawole Zollar and Germaine Acogny (director of Compagnie Jant-Bi) in the acclaimed Scales of Memory. Marjani has performed and taught pre-professional, professional, and non-professional workshops internationally- including Germany, England, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and beyond. Marjani has commenced development on her solo work titled Moments In Prayer, centered on the dynamics of spirituality in collaboration with poet and musician Everett Saunders.

Class Description

For the Student/Training professional, Marjani’s classes and workshops explore elements of performing and developing artistry in addition to technique that fosters agility, abandon, and athletic virtuosity. While investigating- Subtlety and the Overt, the Use of Breath, Speaking and Listening through movement, and Dynamic Shifts, students will dive into this organic and richly diverse style that finds strength and power through opposition, lengthening, momentum, and rhythmic play. This class asks for the student to execute tasks in the body then explore their unique voice as a performer. It encourages the artist in the student and an exchange in the room.

Alessandro Pellicani

Alessandro is best known for his work on Italian national television R.A.I. as a principal dancer, and Studio 54 The Musical where he was assistant choreographer. He was then asked to dance a tribute for Pope John Paul II. Recognized for his work internationally, most recently Alessandro choreographed a Florida production of Cy Colemans“The Life”and just completed a commercial with Dita Von Teese for Cointreau Liquors. He’s know choreographing various project around New York City, Including the benefit OceanSpirit, for the preservation of our oceans.!

Class Description:

Alessandro combines strength, technique, and style throughout every part of his class. His warm-up will start by using floor barre and Qi Qong (breathing technique) to activate the core; allowing students to find their own body’s balance in a safe, controlled environment. Giving each student more confidence with their movement Alessandro uses the ‘three selves’ (body, mind, and soul) to aid their technique and phrase work during class. His style focuses on transitions and change of directions using musicality and strength to attain a higher quality of performance. Throughout the class, an emphasis will be put on injury prevention.

Claire Tunkel

Claire Tunkel, originally from Virginia, graduated from Hollins University with a bachelor’s degree in dance and studio art. She is currently a Teaching Artist for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Manhattan New Music Project and Dance New Amsterdam. She has taught dance for organizations that include the Hudson Repertory Dance Theater, Ballet Tech, and Kinderdance. Since moving to New York she has danced for the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Nathan Trice/Rituals, Ellis Wood dance, Colleen Thomas, Theresa Ling, Elizabeth Hazelwood, Gina Kohler, ShaLeigh Dance Works and Ayo Jackson.

Class Description

This beginning modern class will start with a warm up, bringing attention to alignment, physical strength, flexibility and momentum. We will explore the full range of motion in the body and use movement phrases as a vehicle for students to develop their practice of dancing mindfully and with attention to detail.

Donnell Oakley

Donnell Turner Oakley grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and spent 15 influential years dancing under Lemma and Glenda Mackie at Arts Together. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography in 2001 and attended the American Dance Festival in the summers of 1999 and 2001. Since moving to New York in 2002, Donnell has had her work produced by The Joyce Soho, Triskelion Arts, Movement Research, and Dance New Amsterdam. Donnell feels fortunate to have had 6 extraordinary years with her collaborative company, everything smaller. She currently adores collaborating and dancing with Chavasse Dance and Performance, SteeleDance, and Doug Elkins and Friends.

I am interested in offering a class that fulfills the dancers need to abandon what he or she thinks their boundaries are with movement. I want to play and investigate various techniques with the dancers. I want to create an authenticity to approaching movement in a class atmosphere where my plan may veer depending on how well they are absorbing the material. I think that teaching holds a certain responsibility to keep questioning your approach and is a constant experiment to find a better explanation.

Technique class will begin by pouring weight into the floor while finding simultaneous support through space. The dancer’s self investigation will continue through improvisation, partnering, and/or across the floor work. We will be preparing both mind and body to find a genuine awareness from moment to moment as well as permission to play within the given structure. This class will culminate with a movement phrase carving through space with momentum, inversions, slicing, bracing, counter-rotation, and gathering in to explode again.

Akiko Tomikawa

Akiko Tomikawa is a native of Japan, and active as a dancer ,choreographer, dance instructor, artist in
residency at Center of Remembering Sharing in NYC. Akiko had worked for Sadamatsu-Hamada Ballet Company in Kobe, Japan for 10 years where she had performed many classical and contemporary works and worked with various worldwide choreographers, including Lario Ekson, Yuri Ng, and Stanton Welch. She also had taught classical dance technique for youth in a belonging school of the company for over 10 years. She moved to New York in 2004 to learn modern and contemporary technique as an international student in Dance New Amsterdam and Peridance
Center. She had chance to work with many great people , including Jana Hicks, Diane McCarthy, Max Stone, Marijke Eliasburg, Heather McArdle, Oliver Steele, among others. As a choreographer ,She showed her work pieces at Chen Dance Center, City Center Studio, La Guardia High School Theater, The Tank Theater, Chez Bushwick in NYC and Viskrofors in Sweden. Her teaching experience of contemporary dance class is at Steps on Broadway, Jefferey Ballet School, Dance New Amsterdam, Peridance Center, etc in NY and Dance Skola in Stockholm , Viskrofors in Sweden.

Class Description
This class will focus on a person’s expression, passion, musicality and sense of space and integrating
those into physical techniques.  It is splendid if dancing expression is equal with speaking
words.  I try to give dancers a phrase with technical movement and I respect dancers that give it back and add their
originality, and learn how to present towards an audience. The warm-up is adopted Simonson Technique and I try to find neutral posture, core strength and maximum possibility of each body. I aim for each dancer’s body having their own control for increasing the number of choices of their expression in dance.

Molly Heller

Molly holds a B.F.A. in Modern Dance from the University of Utah, a Pilates Certification from PhysicalMind Institute, and a Personal Training Certification from NASM. She is the co-artistic director of JuMo Dance, a duet-based company making work out of Salt Lake City and NYC. JuMo Dance received the Audiences Award Artists Grant in 2010 and a nomination for “Best Choreography 2010″ by the Salt Lake City Weekly. Molly has also presented work individually at venues such as Dance Theater Workshop (Open Performance), Green Space (Green Space Blooms), 2010 DUMBO Dance Festival, Balance Dance Company, Boise State University, Sugar Space Studio for the Arts, and the University of Utah’s Student Concert and Senior Concert.

Molly has had the privilege of working with/dancing for Naganuma Dance, Stephen Koester, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, Pamela Geber, GoGo Vertigoat Dance Project, Ashley Anderson, Lindsey Drury, and countless other emerging artists. Currently Molly is adjunct faculty at SUNY New Paltz, the rehearsal director for Naganuma Dance and she has a private Pilates practice. Outside of dance Molly enjoys drinking tea, organizing, and rock climbing with her husband. www.jumodance.com

Class Description

Molly’s class flows with a sense of ease and calm, while still emphasizing dynamic energy from our revitalizing breath. At its core, her class is structured around contemporary release techniques, but a strong emphasis is placed on personal exploration, intuition and authenticity. A student will leave feeling at “home” in their body, more aware of intrinsic balance, core mobility and spinal articulation. Students can also expect a stimulating environment that encourages proper alignment and length, without creating excess muscular tension. We will expand our technical range 3 dimensionally, we will work hard, sweat together, laugh, and share our movement.

Adelita Hinojosa

Adelita X. Hinojosa-Martin is from Denton, Texas. While in college she trained and performed with ballet coach Arleen Sugano. In 2005, Adelita moved to New York City to pursue her dream of being a professional dancer. While in NYC, she’s primarily trained with Cecilia Marta, Max Stone & Jana Hicks. From 2007-2010 she was Cecilia Marta’s teaching assistant and company rehearsal assistant. Adelita has also assisted Max Stone at the Complexions Contemporary Ballet Winter Intensive. Adelita currently works as a free lance dancer performing with the Cecilia Marta Dance Company (Cecilia Marta), xodus dance collective (Karen Gayle), Organic Magnetics (Maija Garcia, associate choreographer of FELA!), The Next Stage Project (Jana Hicks and Marijka Eliasberg), and A Corps Perdu (Stephanie Landouer). She has performed for numerous Cirque de Soeil premeire events and has had the opportunity to work with the Errol Grimes Dance Group, Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company and Battery Dance Company. Adelita has had the privilege to work with Emmy nominated choreographer Brian Thomas, and musical artists such as Jason Moran and Meshell Ndegeocello.

“Adelita Hinojosa-Martin and Samuel Turner of xodus dance collective performed you hear me see we feel with aplomb and panache.” Rutledge, Walter. Walter’s World: NuDance 2009.

Lees Hummel

Lees Hummel began her performing arts training in Reading, Pennsylvania with the Berks Ballet Theater of Regional Dance America.   She then moved to New York City where she earned her B.F.A. in Dance, and ten years later, an M.F.A. in Pedagogy & Choreography from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.  While attaining both degrees, Lees studied Simonson Technique under Lynn Simonson and received credit for taking both Simonson classes and the Simonson Certification Program.  Lees’ teaching and choreography has been included at prestigious summer programs such as: American Ballet Theatre, Detroit, Michigan, the Fort Wayne Ballet, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Virginia School of the Arts, Lynchburg, Virginia, Florida Dance Festival, Miami, Florida, and Berks Ballet Theater in Reading Pennsylvania.

Lees has held academic positions teaching Simonson Technique at: The University of Miami, Miami Dade Community College, New World School of the Arts, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Winthrop University, Central Piedmont Community College, Western Kentucky University, Southeast Missouri State University, Rider University and Rutgers Recreation.  She is currently the Education Director for the newly formed Lustigdancetheatre in New Brunswick, NJ.

Megan Bascom

Megan is a Florida native and holds a BA with Honors in Dance Studies, focusing on dance injury and prevention, from the University of South Florida. Her earlier years consisted of apprenticing and performing for Dance Alive National Ballet. Megan currently dances with white road Dance Media/Marisa Gruneberg, with whom she is a founding member, and with Kendra Portier. She has also had the pleasure of performing in the works of Tara Burns Dance, Jeanne Travers, Michael Foley, Kelly Drummond Cawthon, Danny Buraczeski, Moving Current Dance Collective, Doug Varone, and others. Megan is the Artistic Director of Megan Bascom and Dancers, a NYC based company, with work presented at The Clemento Soto Vélez Center, Green Space, WAX Works, Amalgamate Artist Series, Movement Research, and produced by The Rover SoHo and Triskelion Arts. She has taught classes in Florida, Connecticut and New York and is a certified Pilates instructor working around the greater NY area. Additional information is available at www.meganbascom.com

Class Description

Class is a time to be playful, articulate, amazed by yourself and others, and reminded of your passion for movement. We will begin with a progression of continuous and cumulative patterns focusing on our strength, alignment, rotations and depth of sensation. I am fascinated with weight, momentum, torque, and individual nuance and the intricate play between these states. We will travel together through the low, middle and high space: transitioning in and out of the floor, moving forward, sideways, upside down and backwards. Find satisfaction in the wild and hungry “space eating” moments as well as the moments of balance or pause when all our years of technique prove worthwhile and a continuous stronghold, which we continue to shape. Phrase work is full and physical, involving propulsion, redirection and a curiosity of focus.

Loni Landon

Born and raised in New York City, Loni Landon received her training from the NYC High School of Performing Arts, Dance Theater of Harlem, The School at Jacob’s Pillow, and The Scholarship Program at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2005 she received her B.F.A. from the Juilliard School. After graduation, she worked with Aszure Barton on the opening of the Baryshnikov Arts Center before joining Ballet Theater Munich in Germany,where she was exposed to a variety of European choreographers. Loni’s work was shown in the State Theater of Munich, HT Chen’s NewSteps, a finalist in the Hannover, International Choreographer’s Competition, DanceNow,  The Ailey Theater, WestFest,City Center Studios,SUNY Purchase, and Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out. She is also the recent recipient of commissions from CityDance Ensemble in Washington, D.C, and Northwest Dance Project in Portland, Oregon.

Te Perez

Teresa (Te) Perez, holds a BA in Theatre/Dance and certifications in Pilates, Gyrotonic, Yoga, Anatomy of movement (Irene Dowd), and Touch for Health. Eleven years ago she became Simonson faculty and now teaches alongside Lynn Simonson with the Teacher’s Certification Course.  Te also teaches on faculty at Queens College, Hofstra University and at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Her international teaching credentials include master classes and workshops in Canada, Holland, Scotland, Spain, and Sweden as well as throughout the US, including the Bates Dance Festival. Te’s choreographic commissions are for independent companies, universities, workshops and concerts.

Samuel Wentz

Samuel Wentz, a native of North Dakota, has studied at Idyllwild Arts Academy, North Carolina School of the Arts, and NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He has performed with GERALDCASELDANCE, skybetter & associates, Mark Morris Dance Group and currently dances with the Trisha Brown Dance Company and Christopher Williams. He has performed internationally and nationally at venues such as: Dance Theater Workshop, Danspace at St. Mark’s, Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley, CA) Jacob’s Pillow, Grand Theatre de Provence (Aix-en-Provence, FR), The Tate Modern (London, UK), MOMA (NYC), The Whitney Museum of American Art, Dia: Beacon (Beacon, NY) Dansens Hus (Stockholm, SW), and Museu Serralves (Porto, Portugal). As well as performing with TBDC, he has taught master classes and workshops in technique and repertory at: University of Washington (Seattle,WA), Centre National de la Danse Lyon/ Rhône-Alpes (Lyon, FR), La Menage de Reims (Reims, FR), the Siobhan Davies Dance Studios (London, UK), the Red Bean Studios (NYC) and also CPR (NYC).

Class Description

In class, I wish to create an environment of experimentation. There are endless ways to access or execute movement. With that said, I am interested in looking at the way movement can be functional on all bodies. Investigating the utility of movement, versus expression and interpretation, unison movement will come easily. Encouraging sensitivity and active internal listening, we can start to create a common physical language. Working from the floor up, exercises in sequencing and yielding will be explored. Class will culminate into full phrase work; ease, weight, control of momentum, and focus upon detail will be studied.

Krista Jansen

Krista Jansen began her dance life in New York with Ellen Robbins at the age of five, and she has been dancing and choreographing here ever since.  Krista is currently dancing and touring with the the critically-acclaimed “Doug Elkins & Friends’ Fraulein Maria”.  She has been dancing with Doug Elkins for six years and is the assistant rehearsal director for the production.  She has also danced with CJ Holm, Christina Noel Reaves, Rachel Wynne, and the Fly-by-Night Trapeze Dance Company as well as performing her own choreography at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and Dance Theater Workshop.

Class Description

In this class we will explore the geometry of the body, our own weight and shape and how we can throw that around, let it fall, float it up or pull it apart.  I am interested in the trajectory of things, a movement or an image that suddenly references a specific emotional note, and finding our own internal logic in a phrase.

Alex Springer

Alex Springer is originally from Farmington Hills, MI and received a BFA in Dance with a Minor in Movement Science from the University of Michigan.  He has worked with Amy Chavasse, Elizabeth Dishman, Leyya Tawil, and has been a member of Doug Varone and Dancers since 2008.  Additionally, Alex has staged Varone’s work for various companies and universities.  He also creates his own work with his wife, Xan Burley.  They have presented work in NYC at Triskelion Arts, 100 Grand, Dixon Place, DanceNOW[NYC], Rooftop Dance, as well as Chicago, Detroit, and other fine cities around the country.  Notably, they received the DFA’s Silver Award for their dance film work and were chosen as the Fall 2011 BAX Space Grantees.  For more information visit www.alexandanceperformance.com

Class Description

Class will begin with a series of guided exercises to generate warmth, length and awareness in the body. Utilizing different improvisational exercises, we will experience individual movement qualities, sensations, and dynamics.  Moving through a simple and clear technical practice, dancers will begin to find their voice in more structured movement.  Class will build to a highly physical and athletic phrase, where dancers are asked to embody the material, making performative choices immediately. Movement will draw from different qualities:  bound, weighted, thrown, released.

Genna Baroni

Genna Baroni received her BFA from The University of The Arts Conservatory of Dance in May 2009. Shortly after graduation she moved to NYC to dance for Andrea Miller’s GALLIM. Most notably Genna has danced at Springboard Danse Montreal, The Reverb Festival, The Movement Invention Project as well as works by Noemie LeFrance, Twyla Tharp, Marie Chouinard and the incomparable Shannon Gillen, whom she has had the pleasure of working for this past year on 7 amazing projects and counting. As a choreographer and short filmmaker her works have been featured in music videos, at The Rover Soho, Koresh Dance Company, as well as reviewed/featured in BUST and Dance Magazine, you can find them all on Vimeo and Youtube. This winter Genna will continue to serve as a Pilates Instructor at Sal Anthony’s Movent Salon as well as perform in Shannon Gillen’s new work that premiere at DNA’s Raw Direction 2012.

Class Description

Class begins with visualization cues drawing heavily from concepts in Alexander, Gaga, & Pilates.
To follow, improvisation tasks geared towards challenging textures, traveling methods, and sensory studies .
Wormy floor work, brief technique and traveling combinations follow suit. The remaining 45 min-hr are dedicated to learning a long phrase which will alternate between Shannon Gillen & Guests repertoire, and self made work.

Frances Chiaverini

Frances Chiaverini was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and received a BFA from The Juilliard School.  Upon graduation, Frances joined the Netherlands Dance Theater where she danced original works by Jiri Kylian, Hans Van Manen, Ohad Naharin, Shusaku Tekeuchi, Foofwa d’Imobilite, and Lightfoot/Leon. In 2005, Frances returned to the US and has since collaborated with such choreographers and artists as Lucas Crandall, Shen Wei, Attack Theatre, Adam Barruch, Gregory Dolbashian, Martha Clarke and Shannon Gillen.  Most frequently Frances has worked on several projects with Italian-born director Luca Veggetti creating and performing throughout the United States and Italy.   As a choreographer, she has created and co-created original works for The Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, The Zany Umbrella Circus and REVERB Festival.  Frances is a recipient of a 2011 Society of Arts and Letters Award for solo choreography.

Class Description

Class begins with a guided improvisation that gently warms all body parts while exploring the various possibilities and vast capabilities of the body as a whole.   As you work through a structured study, you will discover new opportunities of motion while working at your own desired pace and intensity through both floor work and standing activity.  Once the blood is flowing and the brain is activated, you will begin to incorporate more technical ideas into your free flowing movement, allowing the body to surrender to its whims within more specified exercises.  The class then finishes with a choreographed movement phrase which asks for each dancer to apply what he or she discovered in the previous improvisational study.  Frances encourages individuality at its most advanced state, no movement is incorrect.

Nicole Smith

Nicole Smith, Artistic Director of project:Smith, also works for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company as a teaching artist/repetiteur, touring both nationally and internationally.  Most recently, she collaborated and performed in Shen Wei Dance Arts 2011 premiere of “Undivided Divided”, and is also privileged to be working with Zvi Gottheiner/Zvidance, Doug Elkins & Friends, Donna Scro/Freespace Dance,  and Maxine Steinman & Dancers.

Post-graduation from Montclair State University, Nicole’s solo pieces, as well as her duet with partner Lisa Peluso, have been showcased in various theaters and festivals across the USA, United Kingdom, and Asia. With project:Smith, Nicole moves deeply into the psycho-physical landscapes of her dances and stands on the edges of reality with each of her dancers in a collaborative process. They have inspired reviews such as “a dark-haired beauty… with a resilience that helps viewers feel the movement within themselves… fascinating” –Star Ledger, “incredible texture and depth” –Art for Sanity; “strongest presentation of the evening… story, gesture, humor, and strong partnership” –Edinburgh Spotlight; “seamless and immersive… an impressive collaboration and a beautiful thing” –offoffoff.com

As an independent artist, she has had the opportunity to teach modern dance and set choreography at many universities and performing arts schools. She also is a certified Kundalini yoga instructor, and a teacher of movement therapy to children and adults with Autism. Having studied on both coasts of the United States and abroad, her teaching reflects a strong background in ballet and modern dance, training in yoga, breath-work, contact improvisation, and composition. She strives to have her classes begin with intentions, progress with discoveries, and end in personal revelations.  www.nicolemariesmith.com
Class Description

What is extremely resonate in my work is improvisation as a tool to journey into one’s intuition and memory, through tapping into the subconscious mind. Via improvisation, finding and creating source material that is unique and organic to the self, as well as universal to the whole. I’m also invested in the ability of the body to comprehend and transcend emotions and thoughts into intricately layered physicalities, through the many modalities of technique, coordination, and focus, we may develop and interconnect as trained artists and athletes. Most importantly, I’m still a firm believer in the ability of dance to allow people to find their own understanding of the complexity of human nature, and a cultivation of compassion for it.

“Modern Technique/Rep”… Centering listening to our own impulses in guided improvisation; coming in and out of dialogue with other people’s energies while staying grounded in our own. Opening the awareness and clarity of the group through breath and sensation, then filtering back into to the totality of our own vessel through stillness. Fundamental floor work, moving up through flowing yogic sequences, and progressing through standing exercises focusing on suspended, isolated, and successive movements’ relation to release and weight. Class culminates across the floor and in a phrase, which may utilize twists on vocabulary ranging from petite allegro to inversion/floor work. Focus on clarity of performance, effortless movement, and support through breath and sensation is instilled.

Stefanie Batten Bland

Stefanie Batten Bland - 2010/11 Baryshnikov Arts Center/Jerome Robbins NEW Fellow

Sharing her time between Paris and New York sbb is the artistic director of Company Stefanie Batten Bland (CSBB) is a Franco-American contemporary dance company with goals to redefine community by illustrating the synergy that arises when interdisciplinary artists from varied backgrounds and cultures collide.  The work features distinct, multi-disciplinary futuristic physical environments for stage and film.
Class Description

Stefanie’s classes interrogate how we learn and apply physical emotional relationships tasks in our classroom and profound our notion of community within a supportive space, where senses and diligent technique break bread together.