| This work is a technical approach to improvised dancing that studies the function of the mind and body together with the forces of nature. We look at movement as an intelligent, magical, and functionally creative physical dialogue with the environment; and consider the form and composition of these interactions as our movement voice; a language for making dances. The visible boundaries of our body are transparent to the force of gravity. The forces of nature that we feel within our body, (compression / stretch) do not know the difference between what is us and what is our environment. |
width='450'height='300' alt="(JPG)" />Crédits : Andre Andreev, AndreinLA@gmail.com (from a performance of "White Noise’ Jan. 2006 - Highways, LA) |
We move ourselves by extending our architecture and expressing our force/energy into the environment. The environment answers. We move it and it moves us.
This duality offers an extended dimension to our awareness and understanding of what is happening as we navigate through space.
Detailed focus on the "movement of attention", basic patterns of movement (walking, rolling, crawling, running), breath, the spine, body waves, pushing, and pulling.
Note: This workshop, while not a presentation of the Contact Improvisation duet form offers physical material that can be applied directly to the dancing of contact improvisation as well to any other form of movement research and performance.
At Studio 303, 372 Ste-Catherine West street, Montreal
Monday to Friday, Nov 26 to 30, 2012, 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Max 25 people. $90.
Registrations and questions: info@studio303.ca, 514.393.3771
Bio :
Daniel Lepkoff is a dancer, dance maker, improvising performer, teacher, and writer. His work looks at all movement as a finely tuned physical dialogue with the environment and explores the form and composition of this interaction as a language for making dances. He has developed techniques based on this approach that form a dance practice as well as a research into moving and living in the world. He is known for his commitment to composing dance works that bring the process of living movement onto the stage.
width='300'height='491' alt="(JPG)" /> |
Starting in the early ’70’s Daniel was at the center of the development of Release Technique with Mary Fulkerson and of Contact Improvisation with Steve Paxton. Throughout the ’70’s and 80’s he traveled extensively; actively teaching, performing and exposing these new ideas worldwide. He was one of the founders of Movement Research in NYC (1975). Together with Mary Overlie, Wendell Beavers, Cynthia Hedstrom and Christina Svane, among others; he played an active role in defining the initial conception of this seminal organization: designing new programs, curating events, teaching regular classes and offering intensive workshops. Living in New York City in the ’80’s Daniel performed in the works of several choreographers including: Trisha Brown, Mary Overlie, Judy Padow, & Nancy Topf. In his own solo and group work he experimented with the elements of voice, text, film & video, photography, interactions with physical objects, and constructing sets for performance. From 1982 to 1987 he was a member of the New York based improvisational performance ensemble “Channel Z”. Channel-Z’s work investigated the spontaneous, focused, and deeply physical movement states occurring in Contact Improvisation and developed the compositional potential of this approach to address all aspects of theater. |
Over the years Daniel has engaged in several long term and important collaborations with other performing artists including: Lisa Nelson, Steve Paxton; Paul Langland, Saira Blanche Theater in Moscow (Oleg Soulimenko and Andrej Andrianov), Hungarian experimental musician Dora Attila and Japanese dancer, Sakura Shimada, among others.
He has published numerous articles articulating concepts that are central to his approach to dance making. These writings appear in Contact Quarterly, The MR Performance Journal, and Contredanse Publications in Bruxelles.
He has an ongoing interest in sound and video compositions, photography, singing and playing the guitar, mathematics, & house building.