Anima Dance

[Rachel Brooker <rachel_brooker@yahoo.com>]

Hi Everyone!

I have lots of news. I'll give you the lowdown first, then more details for those who want them. If you read all the way down you'll be rewarded with a picture of me with my new KITTEN! (or you could just open the attachment).

 

THE LOWDOWN

1. I went to Europe! It was amazing. I am happy to be back, and also want to return to Europe (especially Berlin) for more dancing.

(more below.)

 

2. I will be performing in March in Music 'n Motion, an improvisational dance/music performance at Wellness Partners in the Arts, at 4 pm, Sunday, March 20th. For directions visit www.wpadurham.com.

 

3. I am making a new piece and need dancers. Come see us perform on April 15th! The piece is called Field Well and is based on writings of Haruki Murakami. I am looking for dancers who are interested in collaborative work. (Please email rachel_brooker@yahoo.com). We will premiere the piece at Wellness Partners in the Arts' New Deal on Friday, April 15th at 7:30. A donation of $5 is requested at the door. For directions visit www.wpadurham.com.

 

4. I will be teaching Creative Body movement workshops in the triangle this spring and summer.Creative Body is a movement technique that incorporates physical training, improvisation, and movement invention. They are open to folks with interest or experience in dance, theater or improvisation. The first two workshops of a series of four are:

Saturday, April 16th, 1-4 pm at Wellness Partners in the Arts, Durham

Saturday, May 14th, 1-4 pm at Stargrass Studio for Movement Arts, Durham

If you are interested in learning more, scroll all the way to the bottom of this email, or email rachel_brooker@yahoo.com.

 

THE DETAILS

I recently returned home from a few months of travel in Europe. Some highlights were September in Tuscany, a Sunday pub lunch and muddy walk with old friends in England’s Peak District, an intense and memorable Butoh workshop in Sweden, and lots of dance— modern, contact, ballet and other— in Geneva, Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Berlin. Berlin was in many ways my favorite place to be, particularly for the quantity and quality of dance going on, and I hope to return there for a longer visit. If any of you know folks involved with dance or bodywork in Berlin, please let me hear about them.

 

Back in NC, I have recently started a new job as a Staff Assistant at the Center for Human Genetics at Duke University. I am enjoying the work, having health insurance, and getting to work without getting in a car. I also enjoy being DONE when I leave! Though I miss my students from last year at Carolina Friends School, I don’t miss worrying about them after-hours.

 

I have been in a period of dormancy with dance from my homecoming in December until recently, but I have been doing lots of yoga. I attended an Anusara yoga teacher training in Washington, DC, this month, and will be going to more yoga workshops later in the year. I will begin offering yoga classes and Creative Body workshops in the next few months. Creative Body is a combination of technique, devising and performance skills that I’ve always wanted to teach, but never knew what to call (see below for more info). I've just started choreographing again, and will show work locally in April. I'm making a new group piece called Field Well, which came out of my time in Sweden, at Wellness Partners in the Arts in Durham. I’ve also been dreaming a bit about retooling—and eventually restaging— The Mirrorings Project, a dance theater work based on the life of Lucy Grealy that I first produced in 2001. I am interested to see what comes next.

 

Ilarion has accepted a Postdoc at the University of Chicago, so he and our beautiful and fierce kitten, Hamlet, will be moving there this fall. I look forward to spending time with them in the Windy City, and to more adventures in NC and elsewhere in the future.

 

I hope you are well and happy.

 

Rachel B

 

 

MORE INFO ON CREATIVE BODY WORKSHOPS:

 

Sensation and Memory: What the Body Knows

a Creative Body workshop, Saturday, April 16^th, 1-4 pm

Wellness Partners in the Arts, 319 W. Main St., Downtown Durham, info@wpadurham.com, 919-680-2562

In this workshop, we will do individual and group exercises designed to strengthen and warm the body and develop performance, partnering and movement-making skills. We will each develop a movement phrase from personal sources, using a combination of improvisation and sense-memory, and will develop these phrases as a group. Teacher Rachel Brooker draws on her experience in a variety of dance and bodywork techniques to create her supportive, transformative teaching technique.

$35 (Scholarships and work-study available).

For more information or to register contact rachel_brooker@yahoo.com.

 

Momentum and Meaning: Weight and Intention in Partnering

a Creative Body workshop, Saturday, May 14th, 1-4 pm

Stargrass Studio for Movement Arts, 3103 Pump Station Lane, Durham

In this workshop, we will explore the power of weight and momentum in solo and partnered movement, and will deal with both the mechanics and the poetics of partnering. This workshop is ideal for both the seasoned partner and the dancer who is uncomfortable with partnering and wants to learn new skills. Teacher Rachel Brooker draws on her experience in a variety of dance and bodywork techniques to create her supportive, transformative teaching technique.

$35 (Scholarships and work-study available).

For more information, directions, or to register contact rachel_brooker@yahoo.com.

 

Workshops can be attended individually or as a series. If you register for both workshops, the fee is $60 and includes a discount on future workshops.