Spirals and Sequencing with Kara Burdack

Spirals and Sequencing with Kara Burdack are a sharing of her artistic practice and movement training. They include movement explorations and energetic practices; resulting in sequences and exercises that have the intention to create as much availability of movement and freedom in the body, all with awareness of the space inside and outside of yourself. The aim of the class is to constantly transform, spiral and open the body in all directions of movement, within energetic sequences to find balance in the physical, mental and emotional bodies.

Kara Burdack is a dancer, performer, creative, yogini, teacher and graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, Bachelor of Dance. She has performed nationally and internationally for choreographers such as Deanne Butterworth, Jess Smith, James Batchelor, Lina Limosani, Bicky Lee, Megan Beckwith, Rebecca Hilton and was a guest artist with touring company Brouzka. Kara is a passionate freelance teacher based in Melbourne having taught in a variety of contexts nationally and internationally: South Africa, New Zealand and Thailand. She is a certified Countertechnique Teacher, 500hr Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Instructor and Barre Instructor.

Contact: Kara Burdack – 0410 296 772
Email: [email protected]
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Body Weather with Gretel Taylor

This workshop will draw from high energy ‘MB’ (Muscle-Bone/Mind-Body) exercises and improvisational perception explorations to give you a taste of Body Weather. Body Weather is a training method and philosophy founded by Japanese dancer, Min Tanaka. It is an ideal training for any dance or performance practice, promoting nuanced body awareness, strength and versatility. Gretel’s facilitatory approach is challenging, inclusive and fun.

Gretel participated in Min Tanaka’s intensive workshops in Japan in 1999 and 2000. Since then Body Weather has informed her site-responsive dance practice. Gretel has taught dance, performance and live art at Victoria University, Monash and RMIT, as well as through her independent platform, BodyPlaceProject. She currently teaches Art and Performance at Deakin University, is a core member of Environmental Performance Authority and continues to create, facilitate and perform site-responsive performance and artistic works. www.greteltaylor.com

Contact: Gretel Taylor, 0425 759 988
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.greteltaylor.com

Improvising Dancing & Dreaming with Noelle Rees-Hatton 

A foray into embodied moving, the worlds of the imagination, dreaming and language

Contact: Noelle Rees-Hatton
Email: [email protected]

Contemporary with Louise Duckett

This Contemporary Dance Class combines both a kinaesthetic approach, with more conventional contemporary dance material to facilitate; both awareness in movement, and maintain and build the basic strength and flexibility required for Contemporary Dance.

Class will begin with a gentle warm up, develop to moving across the floor and onto some movement phrases. The style of movement is fluid, organic and interested in how weight can be shifted smoothly. It is also interested in movement pathways, finding ways to articulate new and old patterns. This class aims to share the joy of movement, articulation and creative physical expression. Please wear loose comfortable clothing, for stretching and moving. No shoes but advisable to bring socks for some footwork.

Louisa Duckett trained at the Arts Educational School UK, and went on to complete her BA Hons at the London Contemporary Dance School during which she also completed a choreographic scholarship at the California Institute of the Arts. She danced and taught in UK and Germany before coming to live in Melbourne many moons ago. She completed a Grad Dip in Choreography at the VCA. She has also been involved in many independent dance projects over the years.

Contact: Louise Duckett
Email: [email protected]

Zumba with Marlyse Marquer

Zumba is a fusion of Latin and International music/ dance themes that create a dynamic, exciting dance class, and is also based on the principle that the work-out should be FUN AND EASY TO DO. This class will start with a warm-up and dance on different rhythms like Merengue, Salsa, Cumbia, Reggaeton, African and more. After the workout, the session ends with a cool-down.

Marlyse Marquer is a dancer, originally from Mauritius, and is a licensed Zumba Instructor and ZIN (Zumba Instructor Network) Member. She has been doing classical ballet since she was young, but ever since she discovered Zumba it has become her passion. She loves to make her classes feel like a party – come and share the passion for Zumba!

Contact: Marlyse Marquer, 0410 459 830
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://marlysemarquer.zumba.com/
Facebook: http://fb.me/zumbamarlyse

Open Beginners Ballet with Shay Reeves

Graduate of Brisbane’s ADPI (Australian Dance Performance Institute), trained in both RAD & FATD classical syllabus, Shay Reeves is bringing their lifetime adoration of ballet & dance to the adult beginners world. Using an open intuitive approach to the traditional class structure, Shay is focusing on creating a safe inclusive space for those wanting to experience dance for the first time and to those brushing up after years gone by.

Email: [email protected]
Instagram & Facebook: @bunhead_dance

Indian Classical Dance: Odissi for beginners with Monica Singh

Odissi is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidence. It is particularly distinguished from other classical Indian dance forms by the importance it places upon the Tribhangi (literally: three parts break), the independent movement of head, chest and pelvis and upon the basic square stance known as Chauka or Chouka that symbolizes Lord Jagannath. This dance is characterized by various Bhangas (Stance), which involves stamping of the feet and striking various postures as seen in Indian sculptures.

The class structure follows a traditional yet a more modern approach to teaching Odissi dance. The class starts warm up routine with yogic exercise and warm up stretches for 30 minutes. Class for beginner’s level will introduce the basic positions. For more advanced classes, introduction to Arasas rhythmic structures set to different beats with compositions to prepare for the larger pieces in the first full-fledged dance piece.

Monica Singh is a Visharad in Odissi dance from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi and is a senior disciple of Smt. Madhavi Mudgal. Monica training extensively with Smt Madhavi Mudgal for 15 years and gained immense experience and in depth knowledge about Odissi not just through its traditional form but also by being a part of choreographic works based on exploring.

Contact: Monica Singh, 0450 059 520
Email: [email protected]

Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good with Amaara Raheem

A Dancing Reading Group

In this class we will dance together finding pleasure in our own and others movement. We will also read excerpts of ‘Pleasure Activism’ by adrienne maree brown (2019). Be prepared to move (in ways that please you), to notice what makes you feel good, to learn ways you can increase the amount of feel-good time in your life, be with others in joy, wholeness and aliveness, moving without judgement or shame, and to delight in the joy of reading about/with pleasure. All bodies welcome.

Amaara Raheem really loves reading and writing. Her first degree was in Politics and during this time (about twenty five years ago) she stumbled into theatre and did lots of performing. She moved to London in 2000 with the idea that she might get involved in something else altogether, and she did, sort of – it was called Dance. She’s been lucky enough to work with some really great choreographers, artists, and organisations in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Asia. After fifteen years hanging around in London Amaara came back home to Melbourne wondered what to do. A PhD seemed a good idea so she started one at the School of Architecture and Urban Design, RMIT University. It’s been a hugely fascinating and joyful experience working with people who make totally different things with movement and words.

Contact: Amaara Raheem
Email: [email protected]

Grow Through Dance (Graham Based) with Irina De Loche

Irina De Loche’s Grow Through Dance class is suitable for those who have a dance background, past or present. It is a low impact class that will focus on the source of movement in the body, both muscular and emotional learning to dance from the heart and core of your body. This class is based on the Graham technique, modern dance movement style and pedagogy created by American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham.

Irina De Loche has been teaching in the dance community for over 20 years now and has a background in a range of dance style, including Indian Russian folkloric dance, contemporary, modern, African dance, and jazz ballet. She is a dance participant as well as a dance make. Irina has formed her own dance group Solemates and has choreographed over 60 dance pieces and had two been taught at the Australian Ballet, School of Dance.

Contact: Irina De Loche
Email: [email protected] 

Improvisation For Adults With Kids with Lz Dunn

This class is a playful improvisational movement class for adults and kids. Adults will be keeping an eye on the smaller humans in their care while we all together dance our bodies through sound, stories, games and loving chaos! We welcome kids of all ages to join, however they choose to participate. This might mean following along, sleeping in the pram, crying, feeding or looping the loop. We will dive in together and swim in the possibilities of each moment.

Email: [email protected]

Kalaripayattu (Kalari) with Francesco Venturini

Kalaripayattu (Kalari) is Indian ancient martial, meditational & medicinal tradition that evolved alongside Yoga & Ayurveda. It is a complete system of body-oriented therapy with an emphasis on the expansion & development of the senses, a paradigm commonly called ‘when the body becomes all eyes’. Kalari gives us a framework for understanding how we exist in the world and practical guidelines to harmonize ourselves with our ever changing inner and outer environments.

The Kalaripayattu class will include all the elements of a traditional Kalari practice;
– Loha (warm up exercises to energise/strengthen/prepare the mind and body)
– Kalugal (leg swings or kicks to balance/ground)
– Vadivu (postures as whole body Mudras which awaken the energy of the particular form, creating focus and steadfastness)
– Kalari Vandanam (Salutation Vinyasa or form where we acknowledge the lineage and tradition of Kalari and energise/align/ground the subtle/physical body and mind).

Contact: Ramona Yagnik, 0474 702 790
Email: [email protected]

Contemporary with Rachel Huf & Tahlia Klugman 

Contemporary dance class based on our show, Unconscious Volcanoes, which was presented at Dancehouse during your 2018 Melbourne Fringe Festival season. The class will be based on improvisation scores used in the choreographing process of the show, as well as our love for floor work and some repertoire from the show will be taught and experimented with as well. We wish to keep the class open and accessible to all attendees who may come with varying backgrounds and levels of experience.

Contact: Rachel Huf
Email: [email protected]

Action Theatre with Danielle Cresp

Action Theater is a physical theatre improvisation training which expands the individual artists expressive range, builds ensemble awareness, and offers performers a clear, structured form in which to play with abandon. The training builds vocal, verbal and physical performance skills, hones awareness and increases expressive range! Danielle Cresp is not only a Licensed Action Theater Practitioner, she is also the only Action Theater Practitioner currently teaching in Australia!

Action Theater is a starting point for body-oriented theatre improvisation. It’s a physical theatre training method and an artistic practice all rolled into one. In Action Theater trainings the improviser follows the constantly changing interior of their imagination; they respond crafting each moment with movement, sound and language.

Danielle Cresp is a Melbourne-based professional Action Theater Practitioner, Director & Improvisation Artist who’s passion for improvised performance, practise, shared artistic exchange and directing has taken her to festivals, performance events, and trainings across Australia, to Europe and to America. Danielle became a Licensed Action Theater teacher under the watchful eyes of Ruth Zaporah (the creator of Action Theater) in the heat of the New Mexican desert in 2011. Since then she has taught over 50 sold out workshops, become the Creative Director at Action TheaterAustralia and has received over 60 five-star reviews for her teaching! Danielle’s focus as a teacher, director and improvisation artist is on physically embodied performance presence. Her motto is: “The more you notice, the more you have to play with!”

To read more about ActionTheater check out www.actiontheater.com.

Contact: 0408 590 759
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ActionTheaterAustralia/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actiontheateraustralia/
Website: www.daniellecresp.com

Contact Improvisation with Jonathan Sinatra

Interested in exploring contact improvisation?  Jonathan Sinatra will be teaching a Technique class’ for people interested in exploring, and developing contact improvisation through release movement practices.   Open 1-hour class for beginners as well to experienced movers to touch base with basics and develop higher sensitivity to contact while being able to move efficiently, creatively and safety through the form.

Contact Improvisation is a physical investigation into touch, gravity, momentum, and weight sharing between two or more bodies. Dancers move with constant attentiveness to their own bodies, pathways, senses, impulses, and trajectories, while listening and responding authentically to their partners.

This research workshop is an open situation that will encourage a practice into mindful awareness and mutual exchange ‘of making contact’. The workshop aiming to create an informal space to which movers, actors, body workers and dancers of all backgrounds are invited to explore potentials of a  kinaesthetic relationship to other bodies.

Jonathan Sinatra has a BA (honours) from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. His solo works include “Testing 1-2-3”, “languid yet”, “sometimes I fear touch”, “Passing By”, and “Burning In”. Since 2001, he has been working and dancing with Russell Dumas (Dance Exchange). He was the principal performer for Dumas‟ in the room series at The Studio (Sydney Opera House), Helsinki and Liverpool. Previous Dance Exchange projects include In Available Light at Dancehouse, Larret Projects (in France and Touch and Go (The Performance Space). In 2004 he received an international travel grant from NSW Ministry of the Arts to travel and study in USA, Europe and Asia.

Email: [email protected]