CHOP SHOP Master Class Series.
CHOP SHOP offers a unique opportunity to participate in master classes taught by festival artists. The Master Class Series is open to dancers ages 12+ with a minimum of three years of dance training, with all classes taught at an intermediate/advanced level.
The 2021 CHOP SHOP Master Class Series will be held online and all classes will be offered on a pay-what-you-can sliding scale. Teaching artists, class schedules, and more details will be announced in late fall 2020.
2020 Master Class Series Schedule.
Thursday, February 13 at Velocity Dance Center
12.00pm - 1.30pm: Dynamic Form with Daniel Costa
2.00pm - 3.30pm: Contemporary with Omar Román De Jesús
Saturday, February 15 at Meydenbauer Center Theatre
11.30am - 1.00pm: Feldenkrais - Awareness Through Movement with Ramona Sekulovic
Note: We recommend you bring a yoga mat to Ramona Sekulovic’s class, although this is optional.
1.30pm - 3.00pm: Contemporary & Repertoire with Seda Aybay
3.00pm - 4.30pm: Contemporary Technique with Chien-Ying Wang
Sunday, February 16 at Meydenbauer Center Theatre
10.00am - 11.30am: Contemporary Forms with Omar Román De Jesús
11.30am - 1.00pm: Movement Research/Contemporary with Nicole von Arx
*1.00pm - 2.00pm: Reading Dance hosted by choreographer Eva Stone, with festival artists
*Reading Dance is a lecture/demonstration that deconstructs and demystifies creative processes used in making contemporary dance works. Festival artists will explain their creative processes, deconstruct the meanings of their work, and answer audience questions. Reading Dance is offered free-of-charge and is open to all - no festival ticket purchase or advance registration necessary!
2020 Class Descriptions.
Thursday, February 13, 2020 at Velocity Dance Center
Dynamic Form with Daniel Costa
Daniel Costa’s studies of somatics, conditioning, floorwork, ballet, modern dance, and funk / hip hop intersect in a contemporary dance class that blends different styles and physical practices. Class acts as a lab for the participant to explore their individuality, technique, and artistry. The Class consists of conditioning, drills, a technical warm-up, and large phrases of movement with an emphasis on upright choreography that incorporates waving, liquid dancing, isolations, movement in and out of the floor, spiral sequencing, and distal initiation. Class will conclude with learning and performing Daniel’s choreography. Participants will have time to perform for their peers in small groups to hone their performance skills. Daniel is interested in coaching participants to unlock more of their unlimited potential, individuality, and confidence, even when the context of the movement is unfamiliar.
Contemporary with Omar Román De Jesús
Through demanding physicality, this class engages the dancer’s capacity to receive and apply instruction. By using Omar’s movement vocabulary, he encourage dancers to understand that the power of their movement is found through their approach; focusing on how nuance can inform the delivery of the steps. To support this vision, Omar developed a cardio based warm up that helps strengthen joints and muscles, expanding the body’s range of motion.
Saturday, February 15, 2020 at Meydenbauer Center Theatre
Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement with Ramona Sekulovic
In this class you will improve your awareness while being guided through a series of subtle and low impact movements. As your nervous system is receiving new information, you will find new possible pathways and experience a world of options. Having more clarity in movement improves clarity and focus of the mind. Feldenkrais reduces tension and effort while improving alignment, flexibility, and balance to gain greater ease in moving, dancing, and living.
Contemporary & Repertoire with Seda Aybay
This class explores quick weight shift, use of momentum, alignment, and strengthening through fusing the techniques of Horton and control release. Athletic phrase works embody off-center balances and turns, spirals, circular motion, and fluid floor work. Investigating expressiveness, full body connectivity, and movement initiation highlights Seda’s methodology for achieving maximum performance potential. The master class culminates into experiencing company repertoire.
Contemporary Technique with Chien-Ying Wang
This class provides a hybrid exploration of body weight to propel movements, dynamic changes, and usage of swing, along with a fusion of Eastern and Western philosophy.
Sunday, February 16, 2020 at Meydenbauer Center Theatre
Contemporary Forms with Omar Román De Jesús
Through demanding physicality and an embodied contemporary movement practice, Omar’s class engages the dancer’s capacity to receive and apply detailed information while connecting the relationships between body and mind. Through the use of Omar’s movement vocabulary and choreographic voice, his teaching methods focus on the retention of detail. Dancers are encouraged to understand that the power of their movement is found through their approach; focusing on how nuance can inform the delivery of the steps.
Movement Research/Contemporary with Nicole von Arx
This dynamic contemporary class incorporates elements of floor work, yoga, improvisation, and Nicole’s latest choreography research. She encourages you to embrace physical and emotional effort, and explore the extent of your body and mind’s capacity. Her warm-up is a series of challenging exercises focusing on isolating, strengthening, aligning, and balancing the body. This leads to a group improvisation emphasizing sensation, timing, and space. The class culminates in a long and complex phrase work allowing dancers to discover Nicole’s movement vocabulary and musicality.
2020 Pricing.
Master Classes at Velocity Dance Center (February 13) 1 Class: $16 2 Classes: $32 Fees for the Master Classes at Velocity Dance Center are payable on the day of the classes in cash only.
Master Classes at Meydenbauer Center Theatre (February 15 & 16) 1 Class: $18 2 Classes: $36 3 Classes: $45 4 Classes: $60 5 Classes: $70 Fees for the Master Classes at Meydenbauer Center Theatre are payable in advance by check (to StoneDance Productions) or on the day of the classes by check or in cash.
Scholarships are available! CHOP SHOP scholarships include tuition for the full CHOP SHOP Master Class Series and include one ticket to the CHOP SHOP 2020 Festival performance of the recipient’s choice.
2020 Registration.
Space for the CHOP SHOP Master Class Series is limited and advance registration is required for all participants. To register and reserve your place, please contact Eva Stone by phone/text to 206.799.6004 or via email at eva [at] chopshopdance [dot] org.
All participants must sign a release form prior to attending classes; participants under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian sign the release.
Banner Photo: Alicia Mullikin teaching at Master Class at CHOP SHOP 2018, photo by Bret Doss.