The Renaissance of… Workshop Lab 1
With Keith A. Thompson

The Workshop-Lab will start every day with a Technique Class
Integration Through Movement Technique
This class is geared towards movement principles that deal with the human body’s design. Warm-up exercises will draw on elements of basic alignment and structural soundness and direct the student toward flexibility, fluidity and power. We will explore and apply these methods to movement phrases involving multiple pathways, quick changing rhythmic patterns, and dynamic shifts of energy. Emphasis in the class will be put on technique exercises leading into a rigorous research that guides the student towards a new integration of mind and body.

In the Afternoon during the Lab time we will work on:
Cultivating short and longer movement studies of choreographed and improvisational contemporary partnering, focus is placed on the exploration of ideas and meaning.  Interests in finding the purpose of movement during dialogue / monologue, sourcing from a variety of tools and ideas used to investigate the development of seed ideas that will consist of enhancing or exaggerating material, finding variations, working with unison, abstracting the context of text, physicality verbal action, playing with and exploring characters physical attributes. Some time will also be devoted to investigations of external influences to generate material. In my own work, I have this driving desire to search for crossroads and intersections within phrases that can support my choices in choreographic structure. This lens of seeing and recognizing these opportunities will be explored within the lab as well. An open mind and unlimited imagination is core for study within this lab. Participants will be asked to look at improvisations to determine what works and why, and then will begin to set some of the improvised material. Concepts from daily class will be imported into lab time. Working as individuals and in small and larger groupings, students create their own movements as they learn to follow their internal impulses and respond to their fellow dancers. Mechanisms to build and deliver material will be investigated and guided by the mentor to broaden perspectives about choreography. Participants will investigate material from my own work.

Photocredits: Al Viciedo, Julie Lemberger