VERTICAL DANCE

Please note: Our vertical dance wall is compact, intimate and cosy, (much like ourselves). It’s great for getting your creative dance on but definitely not the place for long line leaps, multiple somersaults and wall running, just so you know.

Vertical Dance Harness Technique – Explorers/Improvers

12pm – 1.30pm – Week 1 – Tutor Lindsey Butcher
10.15am – 11.45am – Week 2 – Tutor Magalie Lanriot
Space B, Vertical Dance Wall 

Beginning with an introduction to the rigging kit, we’ll move through basic orientation and vocabulary and build towards learning jumps, somersaults towards the end of the week and linking choreography with the possibility for creative play.

Please wear multiple snug layers around your hips and waist for your comfort. Long sleeved t-shirts are also handy for some moves. We usually work barefoot but you may also want to bring slim soled plimsolls or pumps for working on the wall – Feiyues are ideal! 

Accessibility info:
– Lindsey and Magalie will only play music in this class when necessary to set a tempo or mood. It will be kept at a relatively low level
– Lindsey and Magalie will ask in advance before ‘spotting’ but may act immediately for safety.
– The focus of the material for day 1 will be shared in-brief at the start of the session and we can discuss specific needs during the ‘check in.’ Beyond day 1 Lindsey or Magalie will give you an advance brief of what we’ll be exploring the following day

Vertical Dance Harness Technique – Improvers Up

12pm – 1.30pm – Week 2
Space B, Vertical Dance Wall – Tutor Lindsey Butcher

This class is for those who have previously attended a vertical dance class or have climbing experience.

We’ll begin by revisiting the climbing equipment used and checking in on your understanding of safe use before diving in to find your dance on the wall.
We’ll work towards gaining control and confidence in different orientations, understanding how to return to your centre point with ease before then launching into jumps, cartwheels, rotations and sequencing.

As you’ll no doubt remember we advise wearing multiple snug layers around your hips and waist for your comfort. Long sleeved t-shirts are also handy for some moves. We usually work barefoot but you may also want to bring slim soled plimsolls or pumps for working on the wall – Feiyues are ideal!

Accessibility info:
– Lindsey will only play music in this class when necessary to set a tempo or mood. It will be kept at a relatively low level
– Lindsey will ask in advance before ‘spotting’ but may act immediately for safety.
– The focus of the material for day 1 will be shared in-brief at the start of the session and we can discuss specific needs during the ‘check in.’ Beyond day 1 Lindsey will give you an advance brief of what we’ll be exploring the following day

Vertical Dance Doubles Technique – Intermediate upwards

10.15am – 11.45am – Week 1 
Space B, Vertical Dance Wall  – Tutor Lee Clayden

Previous vertical dance experience is required, but not necessarily doubles and you don’t have to bring a partner.

In this class you’ll explore working in contact with a partner on the wall looking at how you can work together to create a vertical dance duet.

The class will also use material from Lee and Lindsey’s abseil duet ‘Why’ as a reference/starting point to inform your own investigations.

Please wear multiple snug layers around your hips & waist for your comfort. Long sleeved shirts are also handy for some moves.

If you have a preferred climbing harness & any kit (gri gris, rigs, carabiners etc), please bring them with you.

Partnering on the Wall – Intermediate up

2.30pm – 4pm – Week 2
Space B, Vertical Dance Wall  – Tutor Magalie Lanriot

Magalie will guide you through a series of improvisational tasks working in pairs. We’ll explore techniques for flying and partnering on the wall, using momentum and sensitivity, and playing with the physics between bodies and different gravities. Skills such as surfing, releasing, giving and supporting weight, and expanding our range of spatial orientation, lifting, catching, and falling to provide a greater understanding of your gravity on the wall.

Vertical Dance Creative Lab – Improver up

4.15pm – 5.45pm – Week 1
Space B, Vertical Dance Wall – Tutor Lindsey Butcher

You should have some single point harness experience to join this class and a basic understanding of the rigging equipment however the focus here is more about creative play and discovery than technique.

Each class, will begin with a theme of the day leading into the creation of material in solos, duets and groups and focus on finding creative tools to inspire and gently challenge your own process as an inquisitive body and mover.

As you’ll know (!) we advise wearing at least a couple of snug layers around your hips and waist for your comfort. Long sleeved shirts are also handy for some moves. If you have a preferred climbing harness & any kit (gri gris, rigs, carabiners etc), please bring them with you.

Accessibility info:
– Lindsey will only play music in this class when necessary to set a tempo or mood. It will be kept at a relatively low level
– Lindsey will ask in advance before ‘spotting’ but may act immediately for safety.
– The focus of the material for day 1 will be shared in-brief at the start of the session and we can discuss specific needs during the ‘check in.’ Beyond day 1 Lindsey will give you an advance brief of what we’ll be exploring the following day.

Vertical Dance – Skilled/Advanced

2.30pm – 4pm – Week 1
Space B, Vertical Dance Wall – Tutor Magalie Lanriot

Note: Strictly for aerialists with a vertical dance practice spanning several years.
Please don’t join this class if this isn’t you as you may be asked to leave – EEK!

We will work on placement with proposals that revisit the fundamentals of vertical dance. This includes concepts such as the notion of weight, space, control, and momentum on a rope. We will develop suspensions, learn repertory, and explore different materials and qualities of movement, all while focusing on mobility and space in the body.

Vertical Dance Harness Rep/Choreography– Skilled/Advanced

4.15pm – 5.45pm – Week 2
Space B, Vertical Dance Wall – Tutor Lindsey Butcher

Note: Strictly for aerialists with a vertical dance practice spanning several years who have performed or taught vertical dance professionally.
Please don’t join this class if this isn’t you as you may be asked to leave – EEK!

The focus for this class will be on working through and understanding specific vertical dance body puzzles and orientations as applied in some of Lindsey’s own choreography.
In this class we’ll assume a level of proficiency and warm up by moving through different orientations, checking in on vocabulary and building towards shifting between fast paced dynamic sequencing and slower more sensual phrases – there may well be some counting involved in this class!

So why learn someone else’s choreography/rep?
I think it’s about challenging/educating and expanding our movement pathways, digging into known vocabulary and asking where/what else, searching for the new ‘unfamiliar’ and where we can still find ease, space and breath in the body.

As you will know by now (!) a couple of snug layers around your hips and waist (or my preference stretch jeans), will make the whole harness v skin experience infinitely more pleasurable/bearable! Long sleeved shirts are also handy for some moves.
If you have a preferred harness or any other equipment you’d like to use please bring them with you.

Accessibility info:
– Lindsey will play music in this class as necessary to set/ run choreography but it will be kept to a moderate level
– The focus of the material for day 1 will be shared in-brief at the start of the session and we can discuss specific needs during the ‘check in.’ Beyond day 1 Lindsey will give you an advance brief of what we’ll be exploring the following day

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