2008 Summer Class Descriptions: Introductory Intensive

Skinner Releasing Technique

Faculty: Sally Metcalf, Lionel Popkin, and Mary-Clare McKenna

Skinner Releasing is a dance technique that facilitates a deep kinesthetic experience of movement. Hands-on tactile studies and imagery foster releasing of hidden tension patterns and blocks to allow more freedom of movement. This process reveals a natural grace in every human being—a key philosophy in this work. Guided poetic imagery is interwoven with music and sound, triggering spontaneous improvised movement. This approach taps into transformative states of consciousness as well as the imagination. Thus, creative process and technical growth are integrated. People without formal dance training are welcome.

Improvisation

Faculty: Lionel Popkin and Mary-Clare McKenna

Individual creative process from Releasing class inspires improvisation. Unique movement flourishes as dancers delve into their own multi-layered experience. Objects and vocal sounds are interwoven with the dance in both solo and group forms.

Creative Practice

Faculty: Lionel Popkin and Mary-Clare McKenna

An opportunity to deepen and refine your creative practice. We cultivate the choreographic voice, drawing inspiration from movement experiences in the Releasing and Improvisation classes. Your creations lead to informal performances.

Low Flying Trapeze

Faculty: Nathan Dryden

Combining Skinner Releasing with low flying trapeze, dancers experience seeming weightlessness as they glide through space. All ranges of strength and skill are accommodated while learning to hang, soar, float, and partner on trapeze—dancing in air!

Aerial Dance and Jam

Faculty: Lionel Popkin, Mary-Clare McKenna, and Nathan Dryden

An opportunity for you to integrate your creative voice with the skills and practices you've been developing throughout the intensive. Co-facilitated by two faculty members, this two-hour jam includes trapeze time, solo exploration, and group process.

Seminars

Faculty: Sally Metcalf, Lionel Popkin, Mary-Clare McKenna, and Nathan Dryden

These seminars are designed to answer any questions relating to your personal Releasing process. They are also designed to inform you about the history and background of Skinner Releasing, current practices, and the teacher certification process.

2008 Summer Class Descriptions: Ongoing Intensive and Teacher Refresher Course

Skinner Releasing Technique

Faculty: Robert Davidson, Kris Wheeler, and Sally Metcalf

Shaping and Forming

Faculty: Robert Davidson and Kris Wheeler

Shaping and Forming is a series of codified improvisational studies which Joan developed over a twenty-year period and which Robert has been employing with students at the National Theatre Conservatory since 1997. As an outgrowth of Releasing practice, the work naturally encourages one to “get out of one’s head” while simultaneously refining the perception of space, time, and energy. Initial studies focus on individual creativity, leading to simple dueting (“dialoguing”); other studies focus on the power of the senses (particularly the eyes and the ears) to transform one’s sense of energy and space, both near and far; an aspect of the work involves touching/contact/simple weight-sharing. Later work includes the development of “ideas” (emerging energy forms), where stillness, clarity, specificity, spontaneity and nuance are fostered, as well as the skill to follow an idea without getting in its way. Ultimately, the class leads to completely open-ended dancing that is lucid, coherent, ego-less, and filled with transparency—where one sees the dance rather than the effort that creates it.

Creative Practice: Rumi/Dance!

Faculty: Robert Davidson and Kris Wheeler

The center clears. Knowing comes:
The body is not singular like a corpse,
but singular like a salt grain
still in the side of the mountain.

This class explores the art of poetry (specifically the quatrains of the 13th c. Whirling Dervish and Sufi, Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi); the resonant, kinesthetically alive voice vibrating in space; and choreography as well as improvisation (specifically in 3-minute solos and/or duets) in response to the subtle and dynamic imagery of Rumi’s rich poetry. Together we will examine the incisive qualities and structures of specific poems as well as the techniques of vocally communicating the magic and truth of the poetry. Then, in collaboration with a partner, solos/duets will be created in response to specific text(s) chosen by the participants. The “event” may be environmental and site specific (indoors/outdoors); it may include music/costuming/props or none at all; and ideally the piece includes the vocalized text (spoken/sung/deconstructed) somehow, in any language whatsoever. There is no limit to the number of events partners may create. The teacher will guide the creation of these events with a light touch, allowing one’s unique creativity to unfold; yet fostering the most eloquent event possible (i.e., longer, shorter, fuller, quicker, cleaner, messier) between the two collaborators. With all participants operating from a unified source (Rumi’s poetry and Releasing), a showing of some or all events will be presented at the closing class.

Participants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the works of Rumi in advance, particularly Unseen Rain, Quatrains of Rumi by John Moyne and Coleman Barks and any other works translated by Moyne and Barks.

Seminars (Ongoing Intensive only)

Faculty: Robert Davidson and Sally Metcalf

An opportunity for students to talk about their Releasing practices and ask questions of the faculty about their Releasing practices. The teaching of Skinner Releasing Technique will also be discussed, as well as hearing from practicing Releasing teachers.