Body Shift: Year in Review and February Elements Teacher Profiles

Hello, friends! Olivia O'Hare, Body Shift Project Coordinator, speaking to you from the VSA Texas offices. 2016 was an amazing year for the development and expansion of Body Shift's programming. We began offering the Elements class twice a month, got the choreography lab under way, and had a variety of performances around town as well as guest artist Heidi Latsky's movement installation, On Display, in honor of the International Day of People with Disabilities. There is no sign of things slowing down in 2017! In additon to our on-going classes we are happy to share that Nina Martin will return to work with us in March and April. We will also be hosting StopGap Dance Company from England for a two week residency in the end of July! For more information and updates about the calendar of events, please check out our new and improved Body Shift website here.

One of the things we hope for in the new year is that you will consider coming to dance with us in our all level, all abilities dance improvisation class Elements in which we practice the DanceAbility method (click here for more information about our Elements class). Classes have grown since this time last year but we still have plenty of room for more of you all to join us. No dance experience, no problem. Professional dancer? I encourage you to join us as well. The cool thing about the DanceAbility method is that the more diverse the group, the more effective and enriching the experience is for everyone involved. We hope for a broad spectrum of abilities and backgrounds to come together to dance and have fun. Instead of imitating prescribed movements, improvisation offers the opportunity to discover the full potential of your body, as you are.

Since Body Shift hosted the month long, 150 hour DanceAbility teacher certification course back in 2015, we now have an awesome team of instructors in rotation to teach the Elements class. Included below is a little more info about the folks who will be co-teaching on February 11th and 25th – save those dates 'cause Errin and Dany always teach an awesome class!

Errin, Andy (Townlake YMCA employee) and Dany together after the Body Shift informance at the YMCA Abilities Expo

Teacher Profile – Errin Delperdang

Errin always knew she wanted to dance and, at the age of 5, she finally convinced her parents to sign her up for classes. She studied and performed ballet, tap and jazz throughout her childhood and teenage years and decided to pursue dance at the collegiate level after high school. In 2003 Errin graduated from UT with a BFA in dance. After school she moved to New York and worked with many inspiring dancers, choreographers, musicians and artists. Errin returned to Austin in 2009 and began making work. Her choreography has been produced by Fusebox Festival, Ready Set Go!, Co-lab, Dance Umbrella and others. In addition to her artistic endeavors, Errin began taking classes taught by DanceAbility trained teachers Olivia O’Hare and Silva Laukkanen. She became interested in the improvisational techniques and the unique movement generated in these classes so when the opportunity to become certified in the DanceAbility method arose, she signed up and became a teacher herself.

Learning the DanceAbility method and dancing with Body Shift consistently opens up new possibilities for movement that Errin didn’t know existed. The experience of dancing with a diverse group of movers is empowering and educational. Errin is constantly amazed by the ability of dance to connect people with one another in a unique and meaningful way. Errin also teaches Pilates and is fascinated by human movement potential in many applications. Body Shift is different in that there is no prescribed or codified movement, as there is with Pilates and most other forms of dance. There are no steps to learn or a “correct” form. All movement is appreciated and included, allowing for creativity to be the guiding principle.

The next endeavor for Errin is to become a physical therapist. In June she starts the physical therapy doctoral program at Texas State University. Her goal is to bring the benefits of improvisational movement to a physical therapy practice in the hopes of helping people achieve their full movement potential. When she isn’t dancing, teaching or studying, Errin loves to see live performance, take her dog on greenbelt hikes and go camping when she can get away.

Tanya Winters, Errin and Dany in rehearsal for last summer's Body Shift performance directed by Olivia O'Hare, "Your Way of Thinking"

Teacher Profile – Dany Casey

Dany Casey loves to dance. She earned her B.A. in Dance from the New School University (NYC) and bounced around the country before landing here in Austin. After starting a job at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI), she became wildly interested in accessibility and the unique perspectives and experiences gained by a diverse and inclusive population. By chance, a few months after starting that job, a DanceAbility teacher training came to Austin. It was the perfect marriage of movement, inclusion, collaboration, creativity, and teaching. Dany loves to persistently explore new possibilities with others, which is a cornerstone in the DanceAbility method. She has found that through working in groups where there is sensory diversity, one can open doors of perception that would otherwise be invisible.

In addition to working at TSBVI and working with Body Shift, Dany is also pursuing her Sign Language Interpreter Certification through Austin Community College (ACC). It is another lens through which to approach accessibility, and she has immensely enjoyed interacting in the Deaf Community (which is totally CHAMP here in Austin!). She has a particular interest in working with the Deaf-Blind community.

When she is not being delighted by her students or signing in an interpreting class, you might find her tending to her army of plants or throwing a stick for her pup. She looks forward to dancing with you!

Dany, Errin and Susie Angel performing in last summer's Body Shift performance directed by Olivia O'Hare, "Your Way of Thinking"

If you are new to dance or perhaps have always loved to dance but are interested in a new way of moving, the Elements class is for you. Come shift your perspective! Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month at the Townlake YMCA in Austin from 2:30-4:30 PM. Cost is on a sliding scale of $5-$20 and no membership to the Y is required.

Adventures in Choreography

(All photos by Camille Wheeler)

To be perfectly honest the making of this dance was a first for me. It was so full of energy and rich with possibility that the hairs on my arm stand up when I think about it. You’d think with that kind of inspiration this blog post would be a piece of cake. However, I have spent the last couple of weeks playing ping pong with my thoughts trying to make sense of it all. Then it hit me! In 1997, Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich wrote a column entitled “Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young.” The piece became so well known that Australian film director Baz Luhrmann used the essay to create his hit song “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen).” Besides being a clever piece of writing and a personal manifesto I try to live by, the words: “Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own. Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your own living room. Read the directions even if you don't follow them.” perfectly describe how I feel about what Silva and I casually call Together and Apart.

“Encountering Balance.” Silva and I find a moment of balance as we sit side by side on the bus stop bench while holding hands. My crutch dangles from my arm as we pull away from each other. We are together and apart.

From studio to pavement and everywhere in between Together and Apart reminded me that dance is fun and that the panic I feel when I try to make work is all in my mind. What else did you notice, you ask? Well, I’ve done a lot of work outdoors but this is the first time I have gone from place to place. As improvisers, we are taught to connect with ourselves first and then relate to our environment. With this work, I had to dare myself to move differently. There was so much to take in! I had to process it all before I could see where I fit. I discovered I could use all my senses. While I found it challenging to push beyond just using my eyes and skin for inspiration, it was so freeing. In fact, right before we called it quits, Silva and I were dancing on a sand-kissed concrete courtyard. I will never forget how that sand vibrated throughout my body or how the sound felt as it cascaded over my eardrums. It was like the sidewalk was saying, “May I have this dance.” Now I understand what dance teachers mean when they say things like, “The floor is your dance partner too.” It was beautiful.

“Hello sand! Shall we dance?” Our dance becomes a trio as Silva and I find ourselves doling with the sand that has blown across a concrete court yard. We stand facing each other, about 2 feet apart. Silva strikes a modified warrior pose as she lounges forward. Her chest is low to the ground as one leg bends in front of her and the other extends behind. She stretches her arms out wide to either side. She is looking down as if she is going to kiss the sidewalk. I respond by bending both knees and crouching as low as I can while extending a crutch out in front me. I am looking down like a bull ready to take on her matador.

Tell me more, you say? Your wish is my command. Unlike other on-site pieces I’ve been in, we never rehearsed in the space for this piece. It was a true adventure. Eat your heart out Dora the Explorer! Before you trade in your ballet tickets for safari tickets, let me tell you what I think made our adventure possible. First, the score or movement “rules” for this piece were short, simple and sweet. If our movement was any more complex, I’m pretty sure our adventure would have turned into a disaster. Second, we had no official audience. As with any performance, whether in a studio; on a stage; or somewhere in the community an audience is a given. Basic expectations have been set before you take your seat. The performers are “on” way before the curtain rises. But, like a polka dot on a striped shirt, Together and Apart dared to be different. I never felt like I was performing! You’d think our matching outfits would have been a dead giveaway. Yet, I was stunned when barely a head turned as shoppers passed at Wheatsville Co-op. Plus; I’m always hyperaware of cameras during a performance. However, with Camille and Rey it was different. They were adventurers too. This experience would not have been the same without them. For those of you who have ever taken an Elements class or attended a DanceAbility training it was “One Mover, One Watcher” at its finest ☺  Silva and I had the freedom to focus on our relationship. I’m so glad we had each other’s backs because for the first time ever the risk taker in me didn’t mind taking a back seat. I was happy when Silva started climbing tables and lying on the ground because it helped me conserve my strength for the journey ahead. And, believe me I needed all the energy I could get. I have never been more present and more authentic in my life. I felt awesome! By the way, we did build a little bit of an audience. By the end of the day, people were definitely wondering if they should cross our path.

“Peek-a-boo. I see you.” Silva and I see each other in a whole new way as we sit side by side on a bus. Our torsos twist toward each other and our eyes meet. We take a moment to acknowledge one another through the finger telescopes we made with our hands.

But, wait there’s more. The bus, there’s no way I’m ever going to forget dancing on a bus! Seriously friends, this is tombstone material. It was thrilling to feel the motion of the bus as it moved forward. I loved how the up and down movement of its shocks and struts affected the quality of my movement. The space was so concentrated you could feel a pin drop through the sound of steel and motor oil. Truly a fantastic lesson in how gravity moves through the body, pure fun. Again, I felt like the bus was dancing with me. I felt like a sponge again. I had to take in before I could make a move. I felt completely taken care of. The best part was hearing the bus driver tell us how much he enjoyed our dance and that he hoped his driving was okay. He played a dual role of audience member and performer. I have always wanted to make a piece that explored this concept. I finally got my chance. Capital Metro you haven’t seen the last of me.

“Movement meets inertia.” As we sit side by side on the bus, our arms swing out in front of us as they complete a spiral that came from above. The palms of our hands grow wider as they face the floor. Our fingers grow longer as they pull away from each other. We are waving goodbye to the old and welcoming the new. It’s time for a new dimension of on-site choreography.

Well friends, I’m just about out of words. But, before I sign off let me leave you with this: GET OUT THERE AND EXPLORE THE WORLD AROUND YOU. Be a sponge and soak in the inspiration. Then, move the furniture in your living room, introduce yourself to the nearest sidewalk, or star in your own personal dance party during your next commute (remember safety first, of course ☺) Just get out there and move! Your environment is waiting and it wants to dance.

With love and gratitude,
Tanya

Click here to see Rey Barrera's video of the Together and Apart performance!