Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Rituals, Modern Technique Workshop with Nathan Trice

Jul 13, 2009 - Jul 17, 2009; Mon - Fri
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

A New York based dancer/choreographer Mr. Trice has trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and with Aulani Chun in San Diego. Having danced with Momix, Donald Byrd, Complexions and Kevin Jeff, this former Navy crewman combines a stunning athleticism and power with musicality and emotional vulnerability that is thrilling. He is a master phrasemaker and brings astounding speed and intensity to his multi-faceted movement combinations. He is a positive role model for all youth and will draw on his richly layered experience to blend text and composition with music and technique.



Sokolow Theater Dance Ensemble Repertory Workshop

Sokolow Theater Dance Ensemble Repertory Workshop
Jul 6, 2009 - Jul 10, 2009; Mon - Fri
Technique: 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Repertory: 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM

"We see in a person’s work what he asks from life and from art. Art should recognize all our needs." as quoted by Anna Sokolow (a disciple of Martha Graham and Louis Horst). Continuing the historic tradition of these legends, Artistic Director Jim May is a devoted descendant of Ms. Sokolow and a former member of the José Limón Dance Company. Receiving a Bessie Award for a lifetime achievement, Mr. May is an internationally recognized teacher and has been on the faculty of Juilliard, SUNY Purchase and Princeton University. At his home teaching base, Peridance Center, Mr. May plans to share the past voice of Anna Sokolow through teaching selections from her repertory, and exploring her dramatic contemporary imagery that shows both the lyric and stark aspects of life.

The workshop is in two parts.
Technique: 10:30am - 11:45am
(drop in classes are permitted)
Repertory: 11:45am - 1pm
(drop in classes are not permitted. Students must take full week)

Waackin' & Voguing with Archie

Waackin' & Voguing Workshop
Jul 6, 2009 - Jul 10, 2009; Mon - Fri
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

This workshop will introduce you to Waackin', a style of dance in the early 70's underground Dance scene which surfaced on the ever ground-breaking Soul Train and Voguing, a dance popularized in the underground gay club scene. Stigmatized by it's roots it manages to attract a newly found respect for the art form applicable and accessible to all.

Afro-Caribbean with Richard Gonzalez

New Afro-Caribbean teacher, Richard Gonzalez
Thursday 7:00- 8:30
(starting July 9)

Acclaimed for his inspirational classes, Richard Gonzalez, choreographer, musician, and performer, is nationally recognized as a premiere interpreter of Afro-Caribbean folkloric and contemporary dance. Baba Richard who over the course of his 25-year career has shared the stage with notable artists, has participated in numerous dance festivals, and has served as instructor and lecturer at dance conferences. This master teacher of Afro-Caribbean and varied contemporary dance forms exhibits in his dance a strong ethnic fusion that result of the African, Spanish and Taino influence ever-present in the Caribbean.

Watch this video clip of Richard Gonzalez teaching Dances of Oshossi.

New Hip Hop Teacher, Joanna Numata


Intermediate Street Jazz with Joanna Numata,
Starting at our new space!!

Joanna Numata
has had the privilege of working with such artists as Fergie, Busta Rhymes, P.Diddy, Nelly, Pharrel, Black Eyed Peas, and Cassie. Some other credits include the feature film "I Am Legend," the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, "Fashion Rocks," "MTV VMA's," "SNL," "Law & Order," and industrials for L'Oreal, Nexxus, Nike, Adidas, Sobe Lifewater and Equinox.


Joanna's class focuses on musicality and the use of levels and dynamics, along with different qualities of movement. Students work on precision, body awareness and performance. This class will help students prepare for the commercial dance industry by working on skills needed to create a stronger, more versatile dancer. Joanna's style ranges from smooth -grooves to energetic hits.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Marjory Smarth's House Workshop

Jun 22, 2009 - Jun 26, 2009; Mon - Fri
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

"House" is a dance style that emerged from the New York City underground club scene. Marjory's approach is multifaceted. She mixes many cultural dances such as African, Salsa, Hip Hop, and more. Though her style is smooth it is physically demanding. Marjory is one of the major original contributors to the US House Dance scene.

Check out this amazing video clip of Marjory Smarth.

Forsythe-Based Workshop, Helen Pickett

Jun 22, 2009 - Jun 26, 2009; Mon - Fri
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

In this workshop you will learn the basic foundation of the Forsythe technique. The class will incorporate the fundamental warm-up, intrinsic to understanding the technique, and then move onto basic modalities. This particular improvisational technique enables each person to access movement, in part, by interpreting their body in space – a different version of space! All dimensions of your body will be challenged. You will learn to move and not to pose. This language is fun to learn and easy to refer back to because it is a technique. In this short time you will have an understanding of what the Forsythe Technique is.

All students are encouraged to bring a notebook. Bring socks, no bare feet. Ask many questions! Helen Pickett has taught this class for 10 years all over the world.

See Helen's website here, www.helenpickett.com

Click here for an interview with Helen Pickett on dance.net.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Max Stone Contemporary Workshop

6-Day Special Contemporary Workshop with Max Stone
July 20th -25th Mon-Fri 11:00 am- 1:00 pm and
Saturday the 25th 12:30 pm- 2:00 pm


Max is an internationally recognized teacher and choreographer of Contemporary Dance. He holds a Master’s Degree in Choreographic Theory and Practice and has served as Senior Lecturer on the dance faculty at Southern Methodist University. He was with the original Broadway cast of the Neil Simon musical/play, They’re Playing Our Song. He has taught classes at the Juilliard Conservatory and conducted choreography seminars for Cirque du Soleil. Max was Artistic Director of The New York Dance Exchange, an international intensive workshop series, and he continues to teach throughout Europe and Japan. Currently, Max is on the faculties of STEPS on Broadway and Dance New Amsterdam, (DNA).

As a contemporary dance artist and teacher, Max has developed his own philosophy and approach to movement and technique. He has created a unique movement style focusing on alignment, strength and transitional phrasing. The objective of the class is to prepare and train the dancer in both lyrical and percussive disciplines, with an emphasis on movement quality and dynamics. His teaching and choreographic skills have brought him international and critical acclaim.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Buglisi Dance Theatre Contemporary Tech & Rep

Jun 29, 2009 - Jul 3, 2009; Mon - Fri
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Buglisi Dance Theatre Workshops, taught by Buglisi and her company dancers, are aimed at giving dancers a broader physical and dramatic vocabulary while exploring the depths of human emotion from tenderness to fury, through some of the greatest love letters ever written and visual art. Bring your own love letter. Buglisi is looking for mature, passionate movers with a fearless abandon for self-expression. Dancers must possess strong use of modern and classical techniques.


Participants in this workshop may be asked to audition for the company. Those wishing to be considered for audition must be available starting August 12th 2009.
Click here for BDT's website.
Click here for BDT's youtube page featuring a clip of Suspended Women.

Contemporary Workshop with Pedro Ruiz

Jun 22, 2009 - Jun 26, 2009; Mon - Fri
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

World-reknown choreographer, Pedro Ruiz, will be teaching a week-long Contemporary Workshop Weaving the Classical ballet with Modern, Spanish, Latin and Afro-Cuban culture.


The classes will weave threads of classical ballet, modern and folk dance from Ruiz's background to develop works, bringing to realization a unique technique and identity. The class will consist of a Ballet Barre with a Contemporary and Repertory Centre.

"In all my work, I try to bring together the highest standards of choreography and musicality — always striving to show steps in new ways with theatrical clarity. Much of my choreography incorporates both the culture and music invested in the Spanish, Latin American and Afro-Cuban traditions. I appreciate the quiet eloquence and dignity of emotion, as well as the heat of intoxicating rhythms, in all its various expressions. I like to explore images, movement and emotions using the vast vocabulary of dance to its best and highest-quality theatrical effect."

Below is an interview with 2007 Joyce Awards winners, Pedro Ruiz and Joffrey Ballet in Chicago.




More info about Pedro Ruiz can be found at his website.

Seán Curran Summer Workshop

Jun 22, 2009 - Jul 3, 2009; Mon - Fri
Monday thru Friday: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Séan Curran will be teaching a 2-week long workshop at Peridance Center. An Irish step dancer as a young boy from Boston, Massachusetts, Séan Curran was a lead dancer with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and an original member of the off-Broadway hit Stomp. As a graduate and guest faculty of NYU, his dances have been seen at the New York City Opera, Broadway’s Playwright Horizons, Utah’s Ririe Woodbury Dance Theater, Sweden Skanes Dance Theater, Pittsburg Dance Alloy and several College/University’s pre-professional programs. From America to Europe Mr. Curran spans innumerable venues of dance art. A riveting performer, Mr. Curran explores aspects of movement that use gravitational pulls to expand dynamic ranges and awaken spatial relations between inner and outer focus. He brings these skills into his workshop to enrich the students' understanding of action, phrasing and timing.





Check out Sean Curran Company's Website at www.seancurrancompany.com

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Gaga Technique with Ariel Friedman

GAGA technique with Ariel Freedman
Jul 9, 2009 - Jul 11, 2009; Thu, Fri, Sat
Time Varies (see below): -

Thursday, July 9th, 2:30pm - 3:45pm
Friday, July 10th, 3:30pm - 4:45pm
Saturday, July 11th, 3pm - 4:15pm

Gaga technique was developed about 20 years ago by the now Artistic Director of Batsheva Dance Company, Ohad Naharin. Two decades ago, Naharin was creating choreography for the company when he sustained a serious bodily injury. "Gaga" was a way for him to begin dancing once again while paying special attention to areas of the body that needed it. It uses an imagery based method of teaching to create bodily sensations. (i.e. tiny ants crawling all over your body, ice cold water rushing off your limbs, etc.) It helps the person to listen to what the body needs by feeling from within rather than relying on mirrors to contrive the body from the outside.

Gaga offers a new way to reach a deeper knowledge and understanding of one's self via the body and its movement. The technique requires the participant to be alert, quick, flexible, imaginative and dexterous in the use of his or her body. Yet, one need not be a professional dancer to benefit from the tools imparted when learning the Gaga movement language.

Essentially, Gaga increases one's understanding of the body’s weaknesses and strengths, as well as its response to them. Through Gaga, one works to breakdown physical barriers to reach a greater comprehension and control of instinctive movements. Via Gaga one is able to de-construct the decisions of the conscience and sub-conscience. Ultimately, Gaga empowers the experiences of pleasure, stillness, positivism, and happiness. The Gaga movement language is a tool that can be utilized by dancers and non-dancers alike.

Ariel Freedman was born in the USA in 1983, studied at The Julliard School, danced at Mikhail Baryshnikov's Hell's Kitchen Dance and at Aszure&Artists Company, joined the Batsheva Ensemble in 2006 and the Batsheva Dance Company in August 2008.





Below are some more detailed articles on Gaga technique:

Dance in Isreal Posts by Deborah Friedes

Dance Spirit Article by Kathryn Holmes



Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Bournonville Style Ballet-3 Days Only

Guest Teacher from Denmark coming to teach Bournonville style Ballet classes at Peridance Center

Eva Kloborg,
Ballet Mistress of the Royal Danish Ballet
June 29th, 30th, and July 1st
10:00-11:30
3 Classes Only!

Eva Kloborg, trained at the Ballet School of the Royal Danish Theatre. She became an apprentice in 1964 and in 1966 a dancer of the Royal Danish Ballet, where she was appointed character dancer in 1992. From 1995 - 1999 she was Ballet mistress and teacher for the Royal Swedish Ballet and has also been guest teacher for the Inoue Ballet of Tokyo and National Ballet of China. She is also co-producing Bournonville’s ballets around the world with Frank Andersen, including productions in Florence, Cuba, Tallin, Beijing, Tokyo, and Prague. In 2009 she will be in Moscow, Vilnius, and Tblisi.

In 2007 she celebrated her 40th anniversary as a dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet. Today, besides being a Principal Character Artist, holds the position as Ballet Mistress for the company as well as teaching the Bournonville technique for the Royal Danish Ballet School.

These 3-Peridance Master Classes will be taught in the pure Bournonville style, which is known for its supremely elegant, gracious and buoyant qualities. This class blends the purest elements of French Romantic classicism with naturalistic gesture and delicate musicality and phrasing.

The clip below, demonstrates the choreography of Augustus Bournonville, performed by Marijn Rademaker as James in La Sylphide at Stuttgart Ballet.