The Place

If you are coming from outside of London there are four places available to be booked in advance, these places will only be held only until 9am. Please call 020 7121 1040 for more information. 

• 23 – 27 January   Janina Rajakangas
  

Janina studied to be a dancer both at London Contemporary Dance School and European Dance Development Centre in Arnhem, The Netherlands. She has danced for Iztok Kovac and Frauke Requardt, among others. She graduated with an MA in Choreography in spring 2010 from Helsinki Theatre Academy. Janina works as a dancer, choreographer and teacher mainly in the UK and Finland.

The class prioritises the importance of the aerobic durability of a dancer. The class does not stop between exercises but instead proceeds like a performance. It is based on floor technique and includes sections of running. Each class will finish with a short choreography that develops as the classes go on.

• 30 January – 3 February   BDE Class
  

British Dance Edition is the UK's premier dance platform. In 2012, British Dance Edition will be held in the capital for the first time, hosted by a consortium of eight of London's leading dance promoters - Dance Umbrella, East London Dance, Greenwich Dance, The Place, ROH2, Sadler's Wells, Southbank Centre and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Fresh for 2012 is the British Dance Edition London 2012 Professional Class programme, held at Greenwich Dance and The Place. Programmed by the BDE consortium, each day class will be taught by a different artist or company performing in the festival covering a range of styles from hip hop, kathak and fast paced contemporary. The full programme will be announced online at  www.britishdanceedition.com.

• Monday 30 January: Rahel Vonmoos (Charles Linehan Company)

Rahel Vonmoos is Swiss/British and lives in the UK. She has worked with choreographers including Charles Linehan, Rosemary Butcher, Philippe Gehmacher and Iztok Kovac (film on improvisation) and has been part of Ricochet Dance Productions. She collaborated with video artist Ruth Schlaepfer (Switzerland), creating video/dance installations performed in art galleries and has participated in several collaborative projects with company Pool (Zurich) and Trisha Bauman (Paris). She intensively studied aikido at Ikeda Dojo in Zurich and certified as a body-mind centering practitioner in Massachusetts with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. Her current work will be performed in Spring Loaded 2012 at The Place. Her collaboration A Light Conversation with American dancer/choreographer Wally Cardona was seen in Dance Umbrella 2009.

Rahel regularly teaches for Independance, Greenwich Dance, a host of different companies in London and abroad as well as being a guest lecturer for Somatic Practices at Londno Contemporary Dance School. Rahel’s class draws from her personal movement research, her performance practice, her experience in body-mind centering and her aikido training. She investigates the different movement qualities of the body’s physiological systems focusing on the volume/ support of the organs and the connection of the centre to extremities and space. Rahel works with developmental patterns leading to phrases on the floor as well as standing, using a combination of set material and improvisation.

• Tuesday 31 January: Matthias Sperling

Matthias Sperling is an Associate Artist with Dance4 and winner of a Bonnie Bird New Choreography Award. His work has been presented at international festivals including Nottdance, Les Repérages (France) and Springdance (Netherlands). He has created commissioned works for Candoco Dance Company, Dance Umbrella and Southbank Centre and is a frequent collaborator with Siobhan Davies Dance. Originally from Canada, he studied with the Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre in Toronto before completing his studies with Transitions Dance Company at Laban and going on to perform with companies including Random Dance. He currently lives and works in London.
www.matthias-sperling.com.

These sessions will draw on elements from Release and Limon-based techniques, the practice of American choreographer Deborah Hay and Matthias' own recent choreographic practice, to encourage maintaining a sense of one’s individual practice as an artist while participating in a fairly structured group class.

• Wednesday 1 February: Alesandra Seutin (Vocab Dance Company)

Alesandra Seutin founder/artistic director of Vocab Dance was born in Harare, raised in Brussels where she began her early dance training with Colette Conraets, Anne Theresa De Keersmaeker and Isabelle Becquet. She moved to the UK and began her formal training at Laban before working with artists such as Rafael Bonachela, Kenrick Sandy, Pippa Donellan, Rui Morera, Pierre Doussaint and Germaine Acogny.

Alesandra Seutin founded her own company Vocab Dance in 2007. The company has toured nationally and internationally and is supported by Arts Council's Grants for the Arts. Alesandra has been commissioned to create work for Phoenix Dance and Theatre Centre and is an associate company at East London Dance.
 
Alesandra will be delivering a special workshop in which she will be sharing her unique contemporary style she names Afro-Eclectic, which takes its roots in Western and Southern African dances, combined with contemporary and the dynamic of urban dance.
Alesandra will lead you through a fast paced, fun and inspirational dance workshop that will challenge you physically!
 
http://www.vocabdance.co.uk/

• Thursday 2 February: Wilkie Branson (Champloo Dance Company) 

Self-trained bboy Wilkie Branson (28) began dancing in 2001 and has worked extensively with film, text and the expressive paradigm of the bboy form. He battled in the UK, Europe and US 2003-2007, and represented with the UK crew at Freestyle Session 09 in LA. Much of the work he has done since has been theatre-based with Champloo Dance Company, exploring bboying predominantly through site-specific film works. Most recently he was commissioned to produce White Caps, a full length live/film expressive bboying work for the Bristol Old Vic which performs at Sadler's Wells' Lilian Baylis Studio last October. His latest film Stronger has screened at festivals in over 15 countries including the US, Chile, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. This Spring White Caps is being showcased at British Dance Edition before touring in Canada in February. The class is based on the Champloo Paradigm of bboying, Taking foundation technique from bboying and changing the expressive context and application of this movement.

‘Champloo' is derived from the word ‘Chanpurū', Okina-wan for ‘something mixed'. Figuratively speaking, this has come to mean the mixing of unusual components to produce something with a unique flavour. Champloo Dance Company places the importance of a work's expression at the heart of its ideals, and as such the techniques and media it draws on to achieve this are highly varied. There are strong parallels between this approach and the company's roots in bboying. As in all hiphop culture, expression is paramount, and the borrowing of ideas, techniques and inspirations is always unlimited in the pursuit of this aim. Champloo was formed in 2007 by Wilkie Branson and Joel Daniel in order to follow this path, to explore the expressive capacity of their dance without restrictive genre boundaries. Champloo Dance Company now represents one of the UK's most innovative hiphop dance-theatre companies. This Bristol-based company, which has led a gentle revolution in merging the energy and invention of hiphop with intelligent, modern choreography, has become internationally renowned for its award-winning dance-film work, and has forged a reputation for elegant, epic work that defies preconceptions and challenges expectations

• Friday 3 February: Phil Hulford (Hofesh Shechter Company)

Philip Hulford was born and raised in Bolivia, South America. He studied gymnastics from the age of four until thirteen. During this time he competed in several competitions in Bolivia then moved to England were he competed at a National level. He began his dance training at eighteen at North Hertfordshire College, UK where he began a BTEC equivalent to A levels. After the first year of his studies he was asked to join London Contemporary Dance School for the BA Degree course. One of the choreographers that he worked with while in his second year at the school was Hofesh Shechter. He joined Hofesh for his 2006 tour in September and is now full time with the company.The class will be comprised of improvisation and small exercises dependent on the mood of the day. Emphasis will be placed on quality of movement, focusing especially on the emotional and dynamic qualities that can be brought by the individual. This will culminate in set phrases based on the qualities highlighted throughout the class.

• 6 – 10 February   Jose Agudo
  

Jose has worked with Charleroi/Danses, Ballet de Marseille, T.R.A.S.H. and SJDC. Since 2005 he has been creating his own work. He is currently touring his new solo Time/Dropper and working as a rehearsal director for Akram Khan.

Jose's class begins with finding simple alignment in the body. Continuing in this vertical plane, we start to find the relation between movement and breathing. This work is to prepare the body to travel and find the broadest movement in space whilst making fast, clean transitions from large to detailed movement. This is an energetic class, focusing on intention, clarity and physicality.

• 13 – 17 February  Stephen Pelton
  

Stephen Pelton is the artistic director of Stephen Pelton Dance Theatre, now in its 18th year. The company was founded in San Francisco in 1993 but is now based in London.  As an internationally respected teacher of Limon-based dance technique, Pelton has taught students and professionals for Sadler’s Wells, Rambert, Random, DV8, Göteborg Ballet, Rotterdam Dance Academy, Tanz Fabrik/Berlin, Dance Base (Edinburgh), Central School of Ballet, Danceworks and The Place in London. Pelton’s technique classes move from Limon’s swing, fall and rebound fundamentals to ballet placement exercises to yoga inspired strengthening practices to combinations exploring Pelton’s own lyrical and idiosyncratic movement style.

• 20 – 24 February   Eva Recacha
  

Eva trained at London Contemporary Dance School, graduating with an MA in choreography. She has performed for Frauke Requardt, Lost Dog, Proyecto Babel (Spain) and inFlux (Switzerland). Eva is currently making her own work in the UK and was a Place Prize Finalist (2011) and is now a Work Place Artist.

In her class, Eva explores through improvised tasks different movement ideas to do with weight and gravity (shifting weight, swinging, bouncing), later on challenging the individual movement responses through different aural, visual and sensorial stimuli.

• 27 February - March   Bawren Tavaziva
  

Originally from Zimbabwe, Bawren Tavaziva trained with the National Ballet and the City Youth Dance Group before joining Tumbuka Dance Company as an apprentice at aged 18. While with Tumbuka, Bawren toured extensively in Africa and Europe. In 1998 Bawren moved to the UK where he worked with Sakoba Dance Theatre, JazzXchange, Phoenix Dance and Union Dance Company.

After undertaking various choreographic commissions, Bawren established his own company Tavaziva Dance in 2004. In the same year he was a finalist inThe Place Prize. The company tour nationally and internationally and became a regularly funded organisation with the Arts Council in 2005 and subsequently a National Portfolio Organisation in March 2011. Bawren has been commissioned to create work for Phoenix Dance, Union Dance, Withoutwalls Street Arts Consortium and most recently Ballet Black. 

Bawren will lead a high energy class which combines his contemporary, ballet and African influences. His teaching will challenge the dancer to push their usual boundaries both physically and mentally. Bawren brings to his workshops his enthusiasm for dance and the creative experience.

• 5-9 March   Scottish Dance Theatre
  

Since the company was founded in 1986, Scottish Dance Theatre has created and performed highly acclaimed work by Rui Horta, Hofesh Schecter, Ben Duke, Ina Christel Johannessen and Liv Lorent. Dancers from the company will be teaching a contemporary dance based class which will look at dynamics and flow, and will focus on building this through the use of weight. Three teachers from the company will be teaching class this week:

Baptiste Bourgournon graduated from the National Conservatoire in Paris in 2000. His career began in Norway before returning to France where he worked as a freelance dancer. In 2002 he joined Scottish Dance Theatre where he worked for four years. Since 2006, Baptiste has worked with different companies such as Compagnie Maryse Delente, Ballet Lorent, Acronote, State Of Flux, Company Chameleon and Kieran Sheehan Dance Theatre. In 2010 Baptiste took on the role of rehearsal director for Company Chameleon.

Baptiste's class allows us to explore the connections between the centre and extremities. Building upon these connections we then delve into floor work and energetic combinations travelling through the space.

Toby Fitzgibbons began dancing at Central School of Dancing in Norwich before continuing his studies at the age of 16 at Doreen Bird College in London, graduating in 2003. During his time at college he toured internationally with the performance company. Toby took up an apprenticeship with SDT before working in London with Smallpetitklein Dance Company, joining SDT in summer 2004. Toby first starting collaborating choreographically with Matthew Robinson in 2010.

Toby’s class is a contemporary dance class based on dynamics and flow,  finding technique through changing choreographic styles with focus on warming up for the day and dance fun.

Matthew Robinson graduated from London Contemporary Dance School in 2009 with a first class honours degree. He was the recipient of the Robert Cohan Award for Most Promising Dance Artist, and in his final year toured internationally with LC3. He has danced work by choreographers including Richard Alston, Lorena Randi and Jan De Schynkel, and has created his own work for The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, The Place (CAT) and Dance South West. Matthew first starting collaborating with Toby Fitzgibbons in 2010. Joining SDT as an apprentice in 2009, he became a company member in 2010.

Matthew’s class will begin using the floor, building form by opening up freedom in the joints, working towards dynamic travelling phrases, focussing on building flow through the use of weight.

• 12 – 16 March   Protein
  

For Protein, creating and performing dance is crucially connected with everyday life. Artistic Director, Luca Silvestrini takes everyday issues and subjects them to a deep, witty analysis through his own very idiosyncratic and distinctive dance theatre. Luca Silvestrini’s dancers are all strong individuals with strengths in devising and producing dynamic physical movement. This week’s classes are led by four dancers from the company and the style will vary from day to day. The following teachers are:

Monday and Tuesday: Fernanda Prata was born in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro  and has been working as a Professional Dancer, Deviser and Teacher for over 17 years. She has worked widely in Brazil with companies including "Quasar", "Dani Lima", "Carlota Portella" and since has come to London has worked in theatre and dance with main companies like, "Protein", "PunchDrunk", "Jasmin Vardimon", "Vincent Dance Theatre", "Stan Wont Dance", "Sarah Crow", "The Globe Theatre", "National Theatre", "Theatre Rites". As a teacher she teaches at London Studio Centre and is a cover teacher for Trinity Laban University. Fernanda is also a Yoga Teacher and teaches at Rothbury Hall in East Greenwich. She has also a diploma in Pregnancy Yoga and Therapeutics.   A Release based Class, working on the efficiency of movement, with an emphasis on weight , gravity, joints and spirals of the body using the center as the starting point.  It is a very physical class with a focus on floor work, developing ways of getting in and out of the floor and integrating the breathing with movement .

Wednesday: Stuart Waters trained at The Northern School of Contemporary Dance, and is currently a post graduate student at LCDS. Stuart has toured nationally and internationally with Attik Dance, Dansconnect, Motionhouse Dance Theatre, Panta Rai dance theatre (Norway), Bare Bones and is currently a member of Wired Aerial Theatre and Protein Dance. Stuart has also worked with artists such as Rui Horta, Helen Blackburn, Henri Ougike and Kenneth Tharp. Stuart's class will involve floor work and combinations that travel in and out of the floor. It will be mix of improvisation and structured exercises, using the floor and maybe each other to extend in and out of the floor as well as around and into a partner.

Thursday: Valentina Golfieri trained at London Contemporary Dance School, graduating with an MA in Performance. She has performed for Frauke Requardt, Arthur Pita, Theatre-Rites, Clod Ensemble, Will Tuckett, Dam Van Huynh amongst others. She has also danced in Macbeth at ROH (Michael Keegan-Dolan) and DanceLines directed by Wayne McGregor. With Amy Bell she has choreographed That Was the Time I Stopped, Perlas a Los Puercos and the chamber opera Crossing The Sea. Together they began work on the new duet I Just Close My Eyes: Here Are The Devils through Choreodrome 2011 and Touch Wood at The Place. Valentina is one of 15 choreographers selected for Sadler's Wells Summer University lead by Jonathan Burrows. She joined Protein in 2011. Valentina teaches a fast paced, dynamic, energetic and athletic dance class. Giving great emphasis to the use of breath and musicality she challenges dancers to explore the extreme ranges of their physicality and of their ability to embody intricate idiosyncratic movement material. Her class is influenced by Limon and release-based techniques. Knee pads may be required.

Friday: Omar Gordon has had an extensive dancing and teaching career in various classical and modern repertory dance companies in both Europe and the USA. Companies include, Aterballetto, Ballet de Lyon, Bern Ballet, Richard Alston, State Theatre of Northern Greece, Gallim Dance, Bare Bones, & Protein Dance. Omar has worked to create a modern dance training/warm-up class from his own observation of a dance art form that is evolving with the times. Exercises are mainly based upon opening up a dancer's awareness to their form and its abilities to reach beyond them. The class is physical but builds gradually through set exercises that work on many elements of quality including softness, power, energy, speed, momentum, focus and breath. The class will culminate in a choreographed combination of intricate movements that organically lays a pattern in which a dancer can move through and discover. Many of the movement exercises are based around musicality and the class is probably best suited a dancer with a substantial understanding of movement and physicality.

19 – 23 March   Shelley Maxwell

Shelley Maxwell trained at La escuela Nacional de Arte in Havana, Cuba where she studied the Cuban Modern Technique. A former principal dancer for the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica and Tavaziva Dance Company, she has also worked with American choreographer Bill T.Jones and describes her choreographic movement style as heavily physical with a strong relationship to music.

Shelley's class is a fast-paced technique class merging elements of the Cuban modern technique with contemporary movement. The technique is loosely rooted in the Graham technique and through inclusions of undulations and spinal manipulations forces the dancer to master the shifting of weight through space. The class is highly physical with travelling sequences that demand a sense of attack and good musical interpretation.

• 26 – 30 March   Baptiste Bourgougnon
  

Baptiste graduated at the National Conservatoire in Paris in 2000. His career began in Norway before returning to France where he worked as a freelance dancer. In 2002 he joined Scottish Dance Theatre, where he worked for four years. Since 2006, Baptiste has worked with different companies such as Compagnie Maryse Delente, Ballet Lorent, Acronote, State Of Flux, Company Chameleon and Kieran Sheehan Dance Theatre. In 2010 Baptiste took on the role of rehearsal director for Company Chameleon.

Baptiste's class allows us to explore the connections between the centre and extremities. Building upon these connections we then delve into floor work and energetic combinations travelling through the space.

The classes are 'open', meaning you can attend when you like and pay per class. However the classes are fast-paced and highly-technical and some teachers will build material throughout the week.

The class is heavily subsidised by The Place to support professional practising dancers. This means to attend you must have completed a full-time professional contemporary dance training course or equivalent professional experience. You may be asked about your experience when you register on the day.

The teachers and organisers of these classes reserve the right to ask you to stop attending if they feel the class is unsuitable for you. If you have any doubts as to whether these classes are suitable for you please contact The Place Artist Development on 020 7121 1040.

The fee for professional class is £4 per class or £35 for a ten class card. Classes are run throughout the year with breaks over the Christmas and Easter holidays, and do not run on bank holidays.

Access for people with disabilities
There is on-street parking for blue badge holders outside The Place, level access to the foyer and a lift to all floors. Most local bus services have wheelchair access. Guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome.

If you have any other requirements, please contact The Theatre and Artist Development office on 020 7121 1040 or artistdevelopment@theplace.org.uk and we will do our best to ensure that nothing inhibits your visit.
The information in this brochure is available electronically and in large print.

Tavaziva Dance Artistic Director, Bawren Tavaziva
photo:Irven Lewis