Moving Memories

With Akoiya Harris

This class will allow us to drop into being present in our minds as we prepare our bodies for movement. We will begin with guided improvisation that will encourage us to be responsive not just to the needs of our bodies, but those of the room. We will then move into exercises from modern techniques. With these exercises, we will build awareness of our different approaches to movement through the practice of witnessing each other. The class will be finished off with phrase work and play, where we will learn ways to disrupt, enhance, and come in and out of a set phrase.

Improvisation

With Amy J Lambert

In this class students will learn and practice techniques for dance improvisation. Day 1 will focus on improvisation as a soloist and in duet, and Day 2 as an ensemble. Dancer’s will practice the skill of being a choreographer and dancer in the same moment as they improvise to compose something new. Students can expect a playful, exploratory environment where they can be creative, supportive, and practice risk-taking.

Contemporary Techniques

With Maya Soto

Class starts on the floor with breath, connecting to the core and building strength. Drawing heavily on flow and momentum, dancers are challenged to shift weight quickly; isolate body parts; and move bigger, stronger, and faster. Focus is placed on understanding and maintaining healthy alignment while exploring fall and recovery, rebound, suspension and spirals. This class flows through traditionally structured exercises and guided improvisations incorporating ideas inspired by laban/bartenieff fundamentals as well as release and countertechnique principles. Solid technical practice is paired with individual exploration. The dialogue between work and play is important. Increased spinal mobility, range of motion, articulation, and physical prowess are the goals. Class culminates with fun, challenging phrases that emphasize rhythmic dynamics and artistic expression.

Cross Polinate

With Keyes Wiley

What happens when we begin to blend various dance genres from a street style perspective? In Cross Pollinate we will attempt to find our fullest dance expression through a hip hop lens, finding internal rhythms and timings and pairing them with Hip Hop, RnB and Soul music. Half improvisational practice and half choreographic practice.

Amy J Lambert has been dancing in her living room, her car, and while walking down the street since age 3. You may remember her from her memorable performance as ‘Snow Flurry #6’ in The Nutcracker in her home town in the 1990’s.

Amy J Lambert Seattle-based dance artist who playfully choreographs and directs in the realms of theater and concert dance. She obtained her BFA in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts and is an active dance maker, producer, and dance educator. She is currently the director and choreographer for RicketySticks Dance-Theater (previously named AJnC Dance-Theater) and her work has received critical acclaim as she “creates works that masterfully blend the beautiful physicality of dance and the playful absurdity of theater…” (SeattleDances).
Lambert has worked in collaboration with artists such as Keyes Wiley, Emmy Smith-Stewart and the Eternal Glow Project, and Sean Tomerlin and Taryn Collis. Her work has been presented at Velocity Dance Center, On the Boards, Seattle International Dance Festival, BOOST Dance Festival, The Slate Theater, Centerstage Theatre, and Out of Sight: a contemporary visual and performance art festival. She occasionally has the honor of choreographing dance and movement for Seattle’s favorite rock band, Thunderpussy.

She has had the pleasure of working with and performing works by Merce Cunningham, Robert Battle/Battleworks, Tonya Lockyer, Daniel Linehan, Amy O’Neal, Keyes Wiley, Maya Soto, Deborah Wolf, Emmy Smith-Stewart, Molly Sides, Dylan Ward, and Marlo Martin, among others.

Lambert is a full time dance educator and is an advocate for creating classroom spaces where all can have an access point into the performing arts. Lambert teaches students in 6th-12th grade and has taught drop-in classes for adult dancers in Seattle for a decade. Find out more at AmyJLambert.com

Maya Soto is a choreographer, performer and teaching artist calling Seattle home since 1999. Her vast body of work includes concert dance, movement installations, dance for theater and for film. She has worked with many notable artists including Michele Miller/Catapult Dance, Amy O’Neal, KT Neihoff, Ellie Sandstrom, and Amii LeGendre. As a freelance artist, she has created numerous evening length works and has been featured in many major dance festivals in the Northwest. In 2014, she was honored with the Velocity Dance Champion Award for significant contribution to Seattle dance. Her choreography has been recognized and supported by 4Culture, Office of Arts & Culture, the James Ray Residency Grant and Allied Arts Foundation. Festival commissions include Northwest New Works, Conduit’s Dance+ Festival, Seattle International Dance Festival, Juan De Fuca Festival of the Arts, Pacific Dance Makers, SITEWORKS, and Arts in Nature Festival. Passionate about arts education, she brings an openhearted energetic teaching style that embraces all people. Maya currently spends her days dancing with students at The Northwest School. Additionally, she was on faculty at Velocity Dance Center for ten years and served as Board President of Dance Educators Association of Washington for five years. She has taught dance at schools and studios including Cornish College of the Arts, Bellevue College, Evergreen High School, Tacoma School of the Arts, the International Ballet Academy and Strictly Seattle Summer Intensive. She has worked extensively in the public school system as both a certified dance specialist and a teaching artist and in outreach programs for the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) and Seattle Theater Group. Maya holds a BFA in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts and a WA State Professional Teaching Certificate.

Multi-hyphenate art maker Keyes Wiley (they/them) is a designer of all things surrounding performance. Their next series of works will be in collaboration with Velocity Dance Center under the name NoGoodDoers. They will also be working with Dani Tirrell and crew on Dani’s next project LOL. Wiley has been an arts educator in Seattle since 2009 teaching various styles and genres all over the west coast. You can catch them in action as dj dark_wiley monthly at TUSH at the Clock-Out Lounge. Keyes has performed, collaborated or created work with Kitten N Lou (Jingle all the Gay, Atomic Bombshells) , Dani Tirrell (Black Bois, LOL), Keith Hennessy (Turbulence), On the Boards (Its Not Too Late), the CD Forum, Velocity Dance Center, Gibney Dance (NYC), Cal State San Luis Obispo and more.