$1 CLASSES
Continuing the tradition of offering ‘free’ workshops as part of the Battery Dance Festival, Battery Dance is proud to offer nine diverse workshops taught by choreographers from the United States and around the world.
All Workshops take place from 10am – 11am EDT on Zoom.
Zoom links will be provided after registration.
Reservation cost of $1 is non-refundable.
Thursday | Aug 12
Jurriën Schobben & Alberto Villanueva Rodríguez, Introdans | Contemporary
Alberto Villanueva Rodríguez and Jurriën Schobben believe that dance provides a universal language that transcends words and their meaning (or misinterpretation thereof). With words you can go wrong, with movement you can’t. Expect a workshop with material from their film, WE ARNHEM chapter II, and carefully guided improvisation. Introdans takes a contemporary approach to ballet: one that’s creative and surprising. Dynamic, dazzling, gravity-defying, Introdans captivates one and all in a total dance experience – with passionate commitment and to international standards.
Friday | Aug 13
Jiva Velázquez | Ballet
Learn from Jiva and his ballet barre exercises, deconstructing the technique, to understand why and how should we move, eliminating unnecessary tensions and avoid injuries. Originally from Paraguay, Jiva started his dance studies at 6 years old at the Municipal Institute of Asunción, then trained at the Superior Institute of Bellas Artes, and now is a dancer at the Ballet Estable of the Teatro Colón.
Saturday | Aug 14
Hoedy Saad | Vogue
This workshop will be an introduction to Voguing as a dance style. Participants will learn the five elements of vogue and a piece of choreography at the end. Hoedy Saad introduced Voguing as both culture and dance to the Lebanese dance and club scene. A self-taught dancer, choreographer and performer Hoedy started voguing in 2013 and introduced the House ballroom scene to Beirut in 2017. He has since performed on some of the grandest stages from Beirut to Amsterdam, and has featured in various music videos as a dancer and choreographer.
Sunday | Aug 15
Kasi Aysola | Kuchipudi Indian Dance
This workshop will be a glimpse into the technique and vocabulary of Kuchipudi, a dramatic dance form which originates from Kuchelapuram village, but has evolved into a global dance vocabulary of the modern world. Kasi Aysola is a dance artist who is making his mark in the United States. He is the Co-founder & Artistic Director of Prakriti Dance, an innovative dance company. Kasi is a dancer, choreographer, and nattuvangam artist of Indian performing traditions who trained under Guru Viji Prakash in Bharata Natyam and under Mythili Prakash. He has also trained in Kuchipudi under late Guru Vempati Ravi Shankar and Yamini Saripalli.
Monday | Aug 16
Jill Crovisier | Physical Theatre
During this workshop, the participants will create together with Jill Crovisier their own host scene, based on Jill’s work, Die Gastgeberin, and explore the universe of physical theatre while keeping the importance to their own interpretation and story. The workshop will start with a gentle warm-up based on guided improvisation before finding the way to our chairs and tables. The workshop offers each participant the chance to explore the notion of dance in connection to theatre as well as an insight into the creation process of a solo performance.
Tuesday | Aug 17
Baye & Asa | Hip Hop & African Dance
Take a class in Hip Hop & African dance from Baye & Asa. The rhythms of these techniques inform the way they energetically confront contemporary dance & theatre. Baye & Asa is a company creating movement art projects directed by Amadi ‘Baye’ Washington & Sam ‘Asa’ Pratt. They grew up together in New York City, and that shared educational history is the mother of our work. Hip Hop & African dance languages are the foundation of our technique.
Wednesday | Aug 18
Demi Remick | Introduction to Tap
Demi Remick leads you through an Open Level tap dance class on Zoom. Tune in to learn some basic tap dance terminology and historic movements. We’ll work on some famous dances like the Shim Sham Shimmy all the while enjoying the musical stylings of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. You don’t need tap shoes to participate! Demi is an internationally acclaimed tap dancer, YoungArts Gold Award winner in Dance, one of Dance Magazine’s 2014 Top-25-To-Watch, a Presidential Scholar in the Arts nominee, and a Capezio Athlete.
Thursday | Aug 19
Will Ervin | Street Dance Fusion
This class will focus on musicality (grooving), ways to interact with and carve through space, and fostering community by incorporating elements of vogue (hands, duck walk, cat walk), popping, waving, freestyle cyphers, and contemporary ballet. Ervin’s choreography has been presented at Dumbo Dance Festival, Brooklyn Ballet, Equilibrium Choreographer showcase, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, University of Illinois, Earl Mosley’s Institute for the Arts, Montclair State University, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, State Farm Center, American College Dance Association, and was a semifinalist in Jacob’s Pillows Chance to Dance contest.
Friday | Aug 20
Battery Dance | Flow
Battery Dance company member Vive Khamsingsavath leads a class in Flow, an exploration connecting mind, body, and soul. Warm-up is inspired by Qi-Gong elements fused with modern and ballet technique, shifting towards movement research through guided improv and floor work across the space. Ultimately developing a phrase that applies elements from throughout class. Each student is encouraged to take class at their pace as it is a personal journey.