Class Descriptions
Afro-Brazilian/Samba Reggae
Samba class will journey to Salavdor da Bahia where samba reggae
originates. Afro-Brazilian dance is a synthesis of the African, Portuguese and
Indigenous cultures in Brazil. Many cultural traditions of Africa have been
preserved in the state of Bahia and this is expressed in the music and dance.
Movement in this class is inspired by the season of Carnaval. This parade style
expression is based on the movements originated by Ilê Ailê, the first Bahian
Afro-Brazilian samba group. The movement is grounded and lifted; earthy and
free. Prepare to dance samba like you never have before.
Afro-Cuban Orisha
The dances of Africanheritage maintained in Cuba are termed Afro-Cuban folklore.
Dances explored in this class will focus on the Yoruba traditions and deities called
Orishas. Afro-Cuban technique styles in class are influence by Conjunto Folklórico
Nacional de Cuba, Compañía Raíces Profundas, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas and
Grupo Afro Cuba. Participants will learn the context surrounding these dances as
well as the history encoded in the movement.
Introduction to African Diaspora Studies:
The African Diaspora and Black Dance studies course is designed to bring awareness
to the African influence in the Americas. In addition to discussions and
movement explorations, students will approach dance studies through an
Africanist perspective. A combination of sources including scholarly articles,
film, repertory, and popular media will used in the class. Course units are
divided in methods of inquiry including aesthetic, embodied, socio-political and
historic.
Modern Dance:
This class engages and challenges dancers to find democracy of the body/parts while
finding whole body connectivity in modern dance. Dancers will increase bodily awareness,
proprioception, relationship to space, and use these tools to approach
individuality in class. Explorations will include finding levels of
groundedness, supportive alignment and movement efficiency. Dancers will be
given agency to move with a range of qualities, points of initiation and
semiotics. Classes begin with Bartinieff/somatic approaches to be present in the
body, followed by conditioning and core-strengthening exercises. Movement will
gain momentum as we use musical structures provided externally and created
internally. As polyrhythmic structures are incorporated, dancers will find
freedom in the joints, angularity, dynamism and control in phrase work and for
application in improvisational scores. Techniques incorporated are Release, West
African, Brazilian, Hip Hop and Afro-Cuban. This class emphasizes Africanist
perspectives in modern dance.
West African Dance
This class will explore traditional dance and
music of Guinea, West Africa. The republic of Guinea is located on the western
coast of Africa, south of Senegal and north of Sierra Leone. The traditional
dances in this class come from the Soussou, Konianka and Baga people. We will
cover proper alignment in West African movement to prevent injury and achieve
more efficient movement. A strong emphasis will be placed on the dancer’s
communication and response to traditional drumming.
Afro-Brazilian/Samba Reggae
Samba class will journey to Salavdor da Bahia where samba reggae
originates. Afro-Brazilian dance is a synthesis of the African, Portuguese and
Indigenous cultures in Brazil. Many cultural traditions of Africa have been
preserved in the state of Bahia and this is expressed in the music and dance.
Movement in this class is inspired by the season of Carnaval. This parade style
expression is based on the movements originated by Ilê Ailê, the first Bahian
Afro-Brazilian samba group. The movement is grounded and lifted; earthy and
free. Prepare to dance samba like you never have before.
Afro-Cuban Orisha
The dances of Africanheritage maintained in Cuba are termed Afro-Cuban folklore.
Dances explored in this class will focus on the Yoruba traditions and deities called
Orishas. Afro-Cuban technique styles in class are influence by Conjunto Folklórico
Nacional de Cuba, Compañía Raíces Profundas, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas and
Grupo Afro Cuba. Participants will learn the context surrounding these dances as
well as the history encoded in the movement.
Introduction to African Diaspora Studies:
The African Diaspora and Black Dance studies course is designed to bring awareness
to the African influence in the Americas. In addition to discussions and
movement explorations, students will approach dance studies through an
Africanist perspective. A combination of sources including scholarly articles,
film, repertory, and popular media will used in the class. Course units are
divided in methods of inquiry including aesthetic, embodied, socio-political and
historic.
Modern Dance:
This class engages and challenges dancers to find democracy of the body/parts while
finding whole body connectivity in modern dance. Dancers will increase bodily awareness,
proprioception, relationship to space, and use these tools to approach
individuality in class. Explorations will include finding levels of
groundedness, supportive alignment and movement efficiency. Dancers will be
given agency to move with a range of qualities, points of initiation and
semiotics. Classes begin with Bartinieff/somatic approaches to be present in the
body, followed by conditioning and core-strengthening exercises. Movement will
gain momentum as we use musical structures provided externally and created
internally. As polyrhythmic structures are incorporated, dancers will find
freedom in the joints, angularity, dynamism and control in phrase work and for
application in improvisational scores. Techniques incorporated are Release, West
African, Brazilian, Hip Hop and Afro-Cuban. This class emphasizes Africanist
perspectives in modern dance.
West African Dance
This class will explore traditional dance and
music of Guinea, West Africa. The republic of Guinea is located on the western
coast of Africa, south of Senegal and north of Sierra Leone. The traditional
dances in this class come from the Soussou, Konianka and Baga people. We will
cover proper alignment in West African movement to prevent injury and achieve
more efficient movement. A strong emphasis will be placed on the dancer’s
communication and response to traditional drumming.