Encouraging, Open-Minded, Fully-Embodied:
A Different Kind of Dance Class for Evanston
Move with Me Toward Curiosity
In my studio, dancers encounter technique as a set of open questions rather than as a fixed menu of established patterns and styles.
I believe that dance as a field and dancers as individuals are best served by an approach to learning that emphasizes curiosity over perfectionism, and so I build time into my classes for students to practice lesson material on their own or to create original movement and dances. In this way, my dance classes emphasize movement exploration and provide ample space for self-discovery.
Rather than focusing on delineating "correct" from "incorrect" ways of moving, which are more often a question of aesthetics than technique, I teach what is possible, what is commonly practiced, and how dancers integrate those understandings to produce a style of movement that is their own.
A practice that I use frequently is to demonstrate mutliple ways of doing a given movement ("right", "wrong", or otherwise) and to ask to students to describe what differences they observe followed by an opportunity to practice the demonstrated material. Students then discuss what felt different about the various approaches in order to develop their kinesthetic awareness and critical thinking.
I value each individual's unique ways of moving while pushing my students to engage dance as an ongoing practice of learning.
Find out more about my pedagogical approach on my teaching philosophy page.