The Transformative Power of Dance...
CHOREOGRAPHIES OF CARE
Empathy and embodiment led, Choreographies of Care is a practice that took root in my heart and mind while being in community with my loved ones - my grandmother, my sisters, my students, my teachers, my friends, my partner or my dog. Understanding and remembering how others care for us and how we care for others can be bound up in how we care for ourselves, our bodies. This theory and practice can be applied most anywhere, yet can be very clearly experienced in physical practices and dance spaces. Using an "engaged pedagogy" (a framework coined by bell hooks), I bring all of my experiences into the creative space and invite others to do the same. We employ breath, groundedness, togetherness and joy as our guides through movement and toward liberation.
Master Classes
Contemporary Technique:
Fast-paced and educational, this class will challenge participants to engage body, mind and spirit, learn movement phrases, push beyond technique and to explore their own individual performance choices throughout. Focusing on breath, alignment and articulation, this contemporary movement experience will incorporate many influences including post-modern aesthetics, Dunham and Horton techniques.
Horton-based Technique:
This structured class will deepens the students understanding of the Lester Horton technique, which can be described as a movement form that emphasizes a full body, anatomical approach to dance that prioritizes flexibility, strength, coordination and body and spatial awareness to enable unrestricted, dramatic freedom of expression. All experience levels welcome.
Katherine Dunham Technique:
Dunham Technique is a vibrant African American dance form that engages the body, mind and spirit! Created by dance pioneer Katherine Dunham, the technique is informed by the traditional dances of the African Diaspora, as well as by modern and ballet. All experience levels welcome.
*Bernard Brown/bbmoves can provide week-long intensives to your institution implementing our curriculum that includes our brand of contemporary technique, Dunham technique, Horton-based technique, rooted jazz dance, 90’s social and party dances, Hula, improvisation, and repertory classes.
Workshops
COME.UNITY: MOVEMENT TOWARD INCLUSIVE DANCE SPACES
This embodied lecture and workshop experience offers historical context, theoretical framing, and tangible takeaways for students and educators alike. Participants are invited to look deeply into their own experiences from which we will work to deconstruct hierarchies of privilege and power, making space for prioritizing breath and belonging.
COMPOSING: IDENTITY
Building from the breadth of our lived experiences, this dance-making workshop calls on participants to bring the totality of themselves to their craft. Solo and group experiences are built on trust and clear intentions. Improvisation, from many cultural stances, guide us toward repeatable phrases as we continue move from our specific histories.