Join Wherever You Are
Many small steps
Dance technique improves through small steps. I've learned that building a Zoom studio works the same way. After two years of continuous small improvements, the space is well equipped for rewarding classes.
Many movements are easiest to learn by watching from behind the demonstrator. The addition of a second screen on the back wall allows me to watch students while facing any direction in the room.
Framed behind me are a sketch by Andrea Selby and a photograph of Tony Orrico.
One giant fern
Sharing the space with me is a large fern named Audrey III (a Little Shop of Horrors reference).
Multiple Cameras for Important Details
Close-ups even far away
Students take classes from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Washington, Texas, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Despite our connection across distance, there's no replacement for seeing a movement or muscular engagement up close. A second camera on the floor makes it possible.
Sur le cou-de-pied
The wrapped position sur le cou-de-pied should be pain free. The details of how you get there make the difference.
Overcoming Distance Learning
Transform your perception of space.
I have long been enthralled by teachers who are capable of transforming their pupils’ experience of space. The best teachers achieve this not so much through altering the physical setting of instruction, but by enhancing dancers’ awareness and engagement with their own bodies and each other. After more than 15 years as a dance teacher, I finally felt confident that I had the knack for making that magic happen. In packed classes dancers would breathe deeply and with intention, allowing themselves to become fully present and thereby transforming our shared space as a community of creative movers. When class would end with révérence and a big round of applause, I would watch with satisfaction as classmates exchanged sweaty hugs and cheerful face-to-face conversation.
Obviously, COVID-19 transformed our sense of space that the scene I’ve described sounded less like a magical pedagogical moment than an invitation for infection. Our traditional teaching spaces and ways of being together seemed unsafe for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, I continued connecting with students in the ways that really count.
Perhaps it helps that I’ve come to think of COVID-era classes less as “distance learning” and more as “overcoming distance learning”. Sure, part of that includes equipping my studio with the technology that enables me to be as scrupulous as ever with my students. Far more significant, however, is the deceptively simple (you, too, can find your space) yet decisive act of setting aside a space dedicated to our practicing together. I look forward to sharing this space with you.
The Atelier, a former wood shop, now a place for teaching.
Detailed Class Descriptions
Ballet
Drawing on my expertise in dance kinesiology and classical ballet pedagogy, my classes are designed for adult learners. I bring a contemporary approach to richly musical classical exercises, illuminating the muscular engagement and bodily alignment that bring about ballet movement. By focusing on movement from the inside out, students go beyond merely replicating ballet shapes and steps, learning to move with intention rooted in anatomical principles and classical style.
Class typically begins on the floor (often barefoot), with exercises to locate and activate the muscles of the inner thighs, abdomen, and pelvic floor, as well as the intrinsic muscles of the feet. This practice, known as floor barre, refers to the techniques ballet coaches have developed to enhance a dancer's technique, line, and career longevity. Next, in exercises standing at the barre and center (wearing ballet slippers), students work to apply these principles to their movement in the ballet vocabulary.
The duration of each section varies, but a typical 75-minute class includes approximately 20 minutes on the floor, 30-35 minutes at the barre, 20-25 minutes in the center. Class concludes with révérence, which may be a classical bow incorporating the movement themes of the day, or a standing ritual in which we massage the soles of the feet, focus attention on grounding, and create internal connections and spaces.
Throughout each class, I provide imagery to stimulate the senses, anatomical cues to clarify mechanics, and gentle humor to ensure that joy remains in the process. As a student, your role is to maintain your curiosity, release unnecessary tension, and fully engage in each exercise.
These classes are suitable for beginning to intermediate dancers, or anyone with experience with dance-related somatics or imagery. The practice offers benefits to everyone, from novices to seasoned professionals.
Floor Lab
Bartenieff-based floorwork practice encourages rewarding movement, cultivates curiosity about bodily mechanics, and fosters a playful, relaxed mind.
This one-hour class, designed for adult learners, introduces principles and techniques contemporary modern dancers use to stay organized and curious in their practice. For experienced participants, such as dance teachers, Floor Lab provides a space to refine foundational skills without the pressure of leading a group.
We begin each class with a deliberate two-minute pause, free from tasks or assignments, to observe how this intentional stillness shifts our internal focus.
The session progresses by developing a floor phrase, eventually transitioning to upright movement explorations or small-scale locomotor activities suitable for home practice. Examples might include backward walking, standing crawling, challenging the vestibular system with eyes closed, or folding into hip hinges.
Each week, we build upon and elaborate on phrases and concepts introduced in previous sessions, with a focus on refining efficient mechanics, clarifying movement initiation, and achieving precise musicality.
Modern dancers practice barefoot to establish a direct sensory connection with the ground, a central element of their artistry. While students are welcome to bring socks for warmth, bare feet are recommended whenever possible to maintain this connection.
Wobble Board
For more information about adding balance board training to your week, visit the page on the topic.