Contact Improvisation (CI) is a movement practice in which points of physical contact provide a starting point for explorations with a partner or partners. It was developed in America in the 1970s, and has been evolving in varied directions since then.

In this class series for beginners, participants will learn basic tools for practicing Contact Improv, including falling, rolling a point of contact, weight exchange, counter balance, and physical listening.

Meets THIRD SUNDAYS at Blacksburg Dance Theater (1711 North Main Street) for the duration of the spring semester.

Cost: $5-15 sliding scale, pay what you can!

Class description: Authentic Movement

Authentic movement is a completely self-directed form in which individuals discover a movement pathway that offers a bridge between the conscious and the unconscious. Authentic Movement explores the sense being seen and seeing. With eyes closed, the mover listens inwardly and finds a movement arising from within. The witness brings a receptive quality of clear attention to the mover, accepting the mover without analysis or direction. The mover and witness together can achieve a level of perception of self and other that evokes deep respect and empathy. Authentic Movement is informed by developmental psychology, somatic epistemology, Jungian thought, dance ethnology, and dance/movement psychotherapy.

*The purpose of this workshop is for self-exploration, similar to the practice of yoga and meditation, and is not intended as a clinical/psychotherapeutic practice.

Bio: Candy Beers, M.S., R-DMT

Candy Beers studied dance/movement psychotherapy at Pratt Institute, receiving her master’s degree in 2006. Foundational to Pratt’s clinical curriculum and her post-graduate work with Dr. Suzi Tortora, is the practice of authentic movement and Laban Movement Analysis. Candy worked as a dance/movement psychotherapist and movement educator in Richmond, VA from 2007-2016. She moved to Blacksburg in 2016 and is currently a doctoral candidate in Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech. She focuses her research on shame on social conformity within the context of mothering and child development. Candy is also certified to teach Pilates and yoga, specializing in personalized training. At the core of her clinical work and scholarship is her passion to create spaces where those she interacts with feel safe expressing themselves and honored for their authenticity. She believes knowledge creation and personal growth are a collaborative and creative process. She looks forward to moving with you in class.

This course is designed as an immersive exploration of self, other and environment through movement.  Grounded in the Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education, the course will weave between structured Awareness Through Movement (ATM) lessons, semi-structured improvisation, and free movement.  Working with the constructs of attention, perception and  coherence, i hope to create a space for participants to explore the dynamic interplay of formative forces at play between self, other and the environment.

About the Instructor

Jon McNamara recently received a Master of Social Work degree from Radford University. He received a BA from the University of Arizona in 1994 (combining Dance, Humanities and Cultural Anthropology).  The decades in between have been spent immersing himself in a myriad number of body centered practices, cultural movements and consciousness studies.  He is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, an award winning choreographer, a teacher, activist, farmer and now, a therapist.

Join Jesse Miner for a workshop in Foundation Training, a movement program that consists of isometric poses, some gentle movements, and breath work.

You’ll learn a series of body-weight exercises that activate your posterior muscle chain, which includes the muscles in your back, hips, glutes, and legs. By strengthening and learning to use these muscles properly, you can correct the imbalances that come from sitting too much, hunching over screens, and other habits of modern life.

Foundation Training helps you decompress your spine and anchor your hips, which can relieve back pain and improve your posture. By learning to take the burden of supporting your body off your joints and put on your muscles, you can move more easily and gracefully, no matter your age or fitness level.

Whether you’re a dancer or athlete looking to improve your performance, a desk worker looking to relieve tension, or someone who simply wants to feel better in their body, Foundation Training can help.

The Introduction to Afro-Brazilian Rhythms dance workshop will be an experiment in Afro-Brazilian corporeality and its rhythms, focusing on the movements of some specific cultural manifestations. These dance languages present strong characteristics of African rhythms of Bantu and Yoruba ethnic origin, and also South American Indigenous references.

The workshop will be inclusive, introductory, and open to any audience willing to dive into a sensorial experience and explore the many cultural mixtures that characterize Brazilian dances and culture.

About the Instructor

Andreza Jorge is a dance teacher who graduated from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She is a dance artist and researcher focusing on popular dances, mainly Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Diasporic. She is the co-creator of the dance project Mulheres ao Vento (Women of the Wind), in which she develops artistic and choreographic work inspired by Orixá mythologies directed towards women.

The Introduction to Afro-Brazilian Rhythms dance workshop will be an experiment in Afro-Brazilian corporeality and its rhythms, focusing on the movements of some specific cultural manifestations. These dance languages present strong characteristics of African rhythms of Bantu and Yoruba ethnic origin, and also South American Indigenous references.

The workshop will be inclusive, introductory, and open to any audience willing to dive into a sensorial experience and explore the many cultural mixtures that characterize Brazilian dances and culture.

About the Instructor

Andreza Jorge is a dance teacher who graduated from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She is a dance artist and researcher focusing on popular dances, mainly Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Diasporic. She is the co-creator of the dance project Mulheres ao Vento (Women of the Wind), in which she develops artistic and choreographic work inspired by Orixá mythologies directed towards women.

This course is designed as an immersive exploration of self, other and environment through movement.  Grounded in the Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education, the course will weave between structured Awareness Through Movement (ATM) lessons, semi-structured improvisation, and free movement.  Working with the constructs of attention, perception and  coherence, i hope to create a space for participants to explore the dynamic interplay of formative forces at play between self, other and the environment.

About the Instructor

Jon McNamara recently received a Master of Social Work degree from Radford University. He received a BA from the University of Arizona in 1994 (combining Dance, Humanities and Cultural Anthropology).  The decades in between have been spent immersing himself in a myriad number of body centered practices, cultural movements and consciousness studies.  He is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, an award winning choreographer, a teacher, activist, farmer and now, a therapist.

Class Description: Contact Improvisation (CI) is a movement practice in which points of physical contact provide a starting point for explorations with a partner or partners. It was developed in America in the 1970s, and has been evolving in varied directions since then. In this workshop for beginners, participants will learn basic tools for practicing Contact Improv, including falling, rolling a point of contact, weight exchange, counter balance, and physical listening. No experience necessary! For those who are experienced - feel free to join us, and we can offer additional challenges to most exercises. We will jam the last half hour.

In the process of developing the “language” to help you understand any style, this class will introduce you to several of today’s most popular Ballroom, Latin, and Swing dances. We will focus on general concepts that will help you progress in any dance while also analyzing the characteristics that define each individual style.

TBA

This course is designed as an immersive exploration of self, other and environment through movement.  Grounded in the Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education, the course will weave between structured Awareness Through Movement (ATM) lessons, semi-structured improvisation, and free movement.  Working with the constructs of attention, perception and  coherence, i hope to create a space for participants to explore the dynamic interplay of formative forces at play between self, other and the environment.

About the Instructor

Jon McNamara recently received a Master of Social Work degree from Radford University. He received a BA from the University of Arizona in 1994 (combining Dance, Humanities and Cultural Anthropology).  The decades in between have been spent immersing himself in a myriad number of body centered practices, cultural movements and consciousness studies.  He is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, an award winning choreographer, a teacher, activist, farmer and now, a therapist.

The Introduction to Afro-Brazilian Rhythms dance workshop will be an experiment in Afro-Brazilian corporeality and its rhythms, focusing on the movements of some specific cultural manifestations. These dance languages present strong characteristics of African rhythms of Bantu and Yoruba ethnic origin, and also South American Indigenous references.

The workshop will be inclusive, introductory, and open to any audience willing to dive into a sensorial experience and explore the many cultural mixtures that characterize Brazilian dances and culture.

About the Instructor

Andreza Jorge is a dance teacher who graduated from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She is a dance artist and researcher focusing on popular dances, mainly Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Diasporic. She is the co-creator of the dance project Mulheres ao Vento (Women of the Wind), in which she develops artistic and choreographic work inspired by Orixá mythologies directed towards women.

Andreza Jorge is a dance teacher who graduated from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She is a dance artist and researcher focusing on popular dances, mainly Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Diasporic.
She is the co-creator of the dance project Mulheres ao Vento (Women at the Wind), in which she develops an artistic and choreographic work inspired by Orixá mythologies directed towards women.

Introduction to Afro-Brazilian rhythms will be an experiment on Afro-Brazilian corporeality and its rhythms, focusing on the movements of some specific cultural manifestations. These dance languages present strong characteristics of African rhythms of Bantu, Yoruba ethnic origin, and also South American Indigenous references. The workshop will be inclusive, introductory, and open to any audience willing to dive into a sensorial experience and many cultural mixtures that characterize the Brazilian dances and culture.

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