The winter line-up of professional class teachers is:
Jessica Wright
Jessica trained at Central School of Ballet prior to joining D.A.N.C.E in 2005 where she performed as a guest dancer with the Forsythe Company and with the Ballet Preljocaj. A company member with Wayne McGregor|Random Dance since 2008, Jessica has toured internationally and been part of the creation of ‘Entity', ‘Dyad 1909', ‘FAR' and most recently ‘UNDANCE'. As a teacher she has delivered creative learning workshops for Wayne McGregor|Random dance for school kids, universities and professional companies worldwide. She also occasionally teaches technique classes for Random. In addition to her work with Wayne McGregor, Jessica has been collaborating with Morgann Runacre- Temple creating pieces that explore film and interactive dance performance. Last year they were invited to perform ‘Point of You' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and their most recent film ‘Mishandled', produced by MJW, has been shown at film festivals nationally and internationally. Jessica's class will explore dynamic range, by examining technical precision combined with release and flow. As the class develops, attention will be given to the shifting of weight and changing the centre of gravity, all the while building phrases that incorporate the detailed articulation worked on earlier in the class.
Hannes Langolf
Hannes trained at LCDS before joining the unique European interdisciplinary project D.A.N.C.E. where he was working, creating and performing under the artistic direction of Angelin Preljocaj, Frédéric Flamand, Wayne McGregor and William Forsythe. A member of DV8 Physical Theatre since 2007, his Flying Low-based class is structured around the principle of changing levels, shifting the body onto the floor and accessing the own voice as an instrument to direct the body and communicate with the group. It aims to refine the concept of diving in and out of the floor, to work on transforming the body into a fluid tool. The class uses spacious, physical and acrobatic movement to access the full potential of the powerful performer. Please bring knee-pads and clothing that covers both legs and arms.
Janina Rajakangas
Janina studied to be a dancer both at the 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 it rolls on 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.
British Dance Edition
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. 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: www.britishdanceedition.com.
Jose Agudo
Jose has worked with Charleroi/Danses, Ballet de Marseille, T.R.A.S.H. and SJDC, amongst others. Since 2005 he has been creating his own work. His currently touring is 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.
Stephen Pelton
Stephen Pelton is the artistic director of Stephen Pelton Dance Theatre now in its 18th year. The company was created in San Francisco in 1993 and 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, Goteborg Ballet, Rotterdam Dance Academy, Tanz Fabrik/Berlin, Dance Base/Edinburgh, Central School of Ballet, Danceworks & 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.
Eva Recacha
Eva trained at LCDS 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 she is a Place Prize Finalist and 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.
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 for The Place Prize. Bawren regularly composes his own music to accompany his choreography and has also 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.
Scottish Dance Theatre
Since the company began 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. The following teachers will teach:
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.
Toby Fitzgibbons
Toby 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 very much enjoys the challenge of performing work by the diverse range of choreographers who come to create work for SDT and also enjoys collaborating with the SDT Creative Learning team in the delivery of education work on tour. 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
Matthew 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 choreographically 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 from opening up freedom in the joints, working towards dynamic travelling phrases focussing on building flow through the use of weight.
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 three dancers from the company and the style will vary from day to day.
Fernanda Prata
Born in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro 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 .
Stuart Waters
Stuart 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.
Valentina Golfieri
Valentina 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.
Omar Gordon
Omar was principal dancer with Northern Ballet Theatre under the late Christopher Gable until 1998 when he switched to contemporary dance and moved to Italy to study. He then worked with Ballet de L‟Opera National de Lyon, DanceManifest (Copenhagen), Richard Alston Dance Company, Cathy Marston, Bare Bones and Dance Theatre of Northern Greece. In 2007 he joined Bern Ballet as rehearsal director and dancer under Cathy Marston. Omar worked with Protein on B For Body. He studied film and editing at the Metropolitan Film School and recently worked with film director Joe Wright and choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui on their film adaptation of Anna Karenina.
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 the 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.
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.