Autumn Eckman
International Conference "Theatre Between Tradition and Contemporaneity"
Theatre - Dance - Music - Visual & Multimedia Art - Arts Administration - Performing Arts Training - Theatre Design & Technology
Motion Tracking through Ballet Technique
Practical workshop/master class by Autumn Eckman - Assistant Professor of Dance, The University of Arizona (Arizona, USA).
Autumn Eckman devises work to draw a deeper understanding of the daily life and the social fabrics of choreography. In her performance career, she had the privilege to dance for companies including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theatre, Giordano Dance Chicago, Lucky Plush Productions, Ron De Jesus Dance, State Street Ballet and the Cambrians. A former resident choreographer of Giordano Dance Chicago and State Street Ballet, Autumn received an MFA in Choreography as an Iowa Arts Fellow from the University of Iowa and is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Arizona.
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
Motion Tracking through Ballet Technique is practical workshop/masterclass that explores the ways in which contemporary dance-related modalities/methodologies including improvisation and organic movement qualities are beneficial to producing efficient movement outcomes in traditional ballet technique. Focusing on the integration of basic physics and biomechanics in (primarily, but not limited to) ballet technique; internal and external forces acting on the body as well as the effects created by theses forces are analyzed in a series of short exercises.
How is contemporary dance influencing/evolving the ballet form? We will investigate how biomechanics and physics inform movement and cognitive awareness as they are applied to ballet technique. Through the analysis of musicality and muscle action, gravity/weight and motion/momentum; we will place our intentions on improving accuracy, coordination/efficiency, alignment/placement and dynamics of balletic movement. Short exercises are structured to start with simple concepts/movement phrases and increase to greater complexity through the practice of repetition. Class follows a classic ballet structure, however many exercises are done without use of the barre in order to access full weight and use of the pelvis and discover efficient pathways of coordination between upper/lower extremities when moving through space. Three primary categories are used to analyze dance movements: Analysis of muscle action Forces acting on the body and Motion.
Discussion and dialog situating the role of ballet technique in contemporary dance will follow the movement portion of the workshop.
Organized by IUGTE in collaboration with "ArtUniverse" and New International Performing Arts Institute