Skills Acceleration

Class

Get the tools to build your movement foundation

Topics and Principles we will work on:

Movement Qualities / Body Parts

You will learn to use different qualities of movement. We will work with images and shapes to practice fluid/round as well as sharper, isolated movements. 

To get more control in your movement it is important to understand where you initiate the movement from. Where does it begin and where is it ending?

By working with and separating individual body parts we recognize the infinite possibilities of movement creation. 

In the class we will work with specific improvisation exercises to train the body and artistic mind to find unique movement vocabulary. You will start to create a versatile melody in your improvisation.

Qualities: 

Fluid, Round Shapes — Vectors, Lines — Fragmentation, Isolation — Density — Detailed, Small Movements — Full Range of Movement — Rhythmic Changes 

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Floorwork Basics - Rolling, Enter/Exit

In this session we will explore different techniques to enter and exit the ground and practice elements to move across the floor. 

The focus will be on rolling and sliding. If you have the right technique, floorwork becomes effortless and adds a lot of options into your movement routine. Floorwork helps building your strength in a 3-dimensional way. 

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Shifting Weight / Traveling Space

As we often practice moving at home or in limited spaces we tend to stagnate on the spot. In this session we will focus on using our weight shifting and practice movement principles to travel in space. 

Properly shifting our weight on to different body parts is crucial for many movement techniques and partner work.

How can we travel not just walking or running? We explore how our movements can expand as well as how we can visualize space from different perspectives in order to bring more creative ideas for our movement.‍

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Off Axis Movements / Falling

When taking the weight shift to an extreme the body will start to fall. Without practice or knowing any tools falling can seem scary and the body is tensing up. 

Understand different ways of falling to find softness in it. We use falling to combine it with floorwork tools and practice on catching your own fall in order to recover the body. The fall gives us kinetic energy and momentum to use for movement instead of hitting the ground hard.

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Partnering Technique and Contact Principles

After exploring movement in your own body it’s time to start exploring movement with another person. We learn how to listen and communicate through the body with each other. Exploring communication tools using dynamics and rhythm as well as principles from contact improvisation like rolling/sliding point of contact, sharing weight, leaning, pushing/pulling.

Exercises help us form a common sense of movement to improvise and play together. 

In partnering technique we work with exercises to understand distribution and placement of our weight. Using counterweight or a shared axis to understand the physical principles used in motion.

The class focuses on the technical aspects behind partnerwork to understand and work with precision. 

In the end we will explore how these principles can be applied and connected more fluid to move in and out of contact.

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Lift Technique

This session provides you with a library of basic lifts that you can practice and learn. These lifts can be adapted further on and you can start to create multiple versions of them. And understanding the positioning of your body.

It will give you a baseline to incorporate into your movement vocabulary.

Jumps

You want to jump higher and land softly again on the ground? In this session we explore techniques to practice jumps. Finding jumps that direct straight up as well as using jumps that are traveling far. You will get a variety of specific jumps to practice the coordination. 

Jumps from one foot, both feet - landing on one or both feet - landing on the ground 

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Lifts & Tricks

You will learn a repertoire of lifts that are more advanced using jumps and going up on shoulder level or upside down. In some sessions we will focus more on Icarian lifts using our legs. For this class we will use technical aspects from the sessions before. If you drop in to this class please be aware that you have enough movement experience.

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Turns and Spirals

Turning is not just about spinning in place; it's a dynamic exploration of how momentum and alignment work together. Practice techniques that involve spotting, core engagement, and weight distribution to create clean and controlled turns.

We will also explore spirals, which allow for fluidity and the seamless connection of movements. Spiraling through the body opens up new pathways and helps maintain flow even in complex choreography. Exercises will focus on creating efficient movement pathways while exploring full-body engagement and multi-dimensional movement.

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Floorwork Tricks

In this session we go into dynamic and visually captivating tricks. You will learn techniques to incorporate spins, slides, and inversions into your floorwork sequences. These tricks require coordination, strength, and a sense of timing to execute smoothly and with style.

We’ll also work on the transition between movements to ensure fluidity, blending floorwork tricks seamlessly with other movements. Be aware of your experience level before attending the class. Physical strength and body awareness is required.