ROOM to MEANDER
WITHOUT MEASURE
somatic dance and ecology
20th - 28th October 2018
Lansdown Hall, Stroud
Room to Meander is a celebration of the power of dance to enrich the way we live with each other and with the world around us....and even with ourselves.
Without Measure presents a week of somatic dance workshops and week-end performances with a daily Performance Cafe in Lansdown Hall and ending with a public discussion on Somatic Dance and Ecology
'Welcome to the island of small things where every movement becomes a dance...' Susanna Recchia
PROGRAMME
Performance
Tickets on the door or reservations on withoutmeasuredance@hotmail.com Performances are by donation.
Saturday 27th Oct
7.30pm - Oxford Dance Improvisers, Sally Dean and Somatic Costumiers and the Without Measure project.
Somatic Dance workshops
To book email withoutmeasuredance@hotmail.com All workshops are £12/£10 concessions.
Friday 26th Oct
7pm - 9.30pm: Sally Dean. Somatic Movement and Costume
Sunday 28th Oct
10.30am - 12.30pm Fiona Millward. Somatic Dance, informed by Rolfing and Franklin Method
(For full information see below)
Performance Cafe
Monday 22nd to Friday 26th Oct - Daily 2 - 5pm:
A very informal dance space. Bring your ideas or see others try theirs out. Or come for a cup of tea and a sit down. Visit the bring-and-buy Plant Stall, the Book Exchange and an Ideas/Thoughts board (postcards and pens provided).
Saturday Group sharing
Saturday 27th Oct - 4.15pm
Drop in to watch the latest ideas from the Saturday Group
Talk/Discussion
Sunday 28th Oct 3pm
'A Room to Meander' - A discussion about somatic dance and ecology with tea and cakes
SOMATIC DANCE WORKSHOPS
Workshops are £12/£10 concessions. For further information and to book email withoutmeasuredance@hotmail.com
The workshops are open to all levels and abilities.
Coming up.....
Friday 26th Oct
7pm - 9.30pm - Sally Dean: Somatic Movement and Costume
Wear, move and create in Somatic Costumes that generate specific body-mind experiences. 'Balloon-Hats','Feather Finger Extensions' and 'Heart Protectors' will heighten awareness, fuel creativity and imagination into subtle and wild movement explorations. All backgrounds and movement abilities welcome.
Sunday 28th Oct
10.30am - 12.30pm - Fiona Millward: Somatic dance informed by Rolfing and Franklin Method
The framework for this workshop is a curiosity around perception, pattern, and relationship, and how this may help us access greater freedom within movement. Drawing on a range of approaches such as Franklin Method ball work, touch, improvisation, and Rolfing principles, I hope for us to savour gravity, revel in space, and delight in dances alone and with others.
Previously.....
Sunday 21st Oct
10.30am -12.30pm - Sharon Gimpel: Feldenkrais into movement
'Awareness through movement' class in the Feldenkrais method, offers a unique and practical way to realise our potential more fully and to generate greater flexibility and connection of body and mind through mindful gentle movement. The class will integrate the embodied knowledge and awareness and explore moving in relation to the floor, space and people around us in a non stylised movement session.
Please bring a mat to lie on and warm clothes.
2.30pm - 4.30pm - Alex Howard: An Introduction to somatic dance informed by Alexander Technique and environmental practises
The afternoon workshop introduces somatic dance, its principles of releasing and practises of attention, movement and imagination. It is about cultivating a living-with yourself, each other and your surroundings, and it is about opening the senses.
‘How can we perceive the environment if we cannot perceive ourselves?’
With the apparently magical tools of dance and play and the subtle restoring of primary function brought by Alexander Technique, the environment that is Ourselves becomes re-vitalised and we recognise ourselves as part of the environment.
Saturday 20th Oct
7.30pm - Without Measure dancers and dance makers from in and around Stroud
All the dances for this evening’s programme come from simple ideas - touching the floor, or the play of gravity - performed by sophisticated dancers. The result is a template for the beauty of moving at its most communicative, insightful and playful.
With new works by Alex Howard, Fiona Millward, Mariana Camiloti and Sharon Gimpel.
Performers are as above with Mike Picknett (trombone), Petra Soor, Martha, and Poh Eng.
BIOGRAPHIES
Sharon Gimpel is a somatic movement practitioner, dancer and doula based in Stroud. As a Feldenkrais practitioner for 12 years, she works in both goup and individual settings. Sharon has a BA in Dance and movement notation from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and she trains with Helen Poynor (Environment movement programme 'Walk of Life')
Alex Howard is an Independent Dance Artist with several decades of experience in dance and in Alexander Technique. For six years she introduced Alexander Technique to students at the London Contemporary Dance School. Previous projects include New Dance Festival in Oxford (1980’s), the Curator’s Eggs (Stroud valleys, 1990’s), Botanic Dances, a series at the Bristol Botanic Gardens (2000’s), and Without Measure, a dance and the environment research and performance project, started at WWT Slimbridge (2014, ongoing).
Significant dance influences, and gratitude to, include Carolyn Carlson (Paris), Rosemary Butcher (London) and Mary Fulkerson ( Arnhem, Holland) and, for the past 5 years, the Without Measure dancers, Mari, Petra, Luke, Daniel, Tim, Fiona and Aifric.
Sally E Dean (USA/UK) - international, interdisciplinary performer, choreographer, teacher, writer and somatic practitioner for over 20 years throughout Europe, Asia and USA. A certified teacher of Skinner Releasing Technique (ongoing and introductory levels), Scaravelli Yoga, Javanese Amerta movement practitioner and founder of the ongoing 'Somatic Movement, Costume & Performance Project (2011)'- designing Somatic Costumes that enhance wellbeing and generate performances. Sally has been supported by the Arts Council England and the British Council and is an MPhil Candidate at Royal Holloway University, London. http://www.sallyedean.com
Fiona Millward is a dance artist, Certified Rolfing™ Structural Integrator, Rolf Movement Practitioner and a Franklin Method™ Educator. After 33 years of working as a dance practitioner, and more recently as a Rolfer, she continues to be inspired by the mediums of movement and touch, believing they offer an invigorating and intrinsic understanding of the world around us, as well as the world within.
Extra Info
Somatic techniques such as Feldenkrais and Alexander Technique are used by many performers, actors, musicians, dancers and athletes to improve their performance.
The techniques are also regularly practised by people for the benefits they may offer to health and well-being through considered use of body and mind.
https://ismeta.org
www.befriendyourbody.co.uk
http://healthmoves.org.uk/weekly-class/
https://www.alexandertechnique.com
DAYS of DANCE
WITHOUT MEASURE
11-13 and 18-20 August 2017
Lansdown Hall, Stroud
DAYS of DANCE Without Measure brings together a variety of dance events from company rehearsals to drop in on to performances to watch to workshops to come to as participants.
The dancers of the project are Independent Dance Artists who all trained at London Contemporary Dance School.
Over the 6 days at Lansdown Hall, we hope to share our enthusiasm for movement as a source of understanding, release of imagination and way of encountering our environment and each other.
Programme overview
FRIDAY 11 AUGUST
10.00 – 12.00 WITHOUT MEASURE COMPANY CLASS
12.00 – 18.00 OPEN REHEARSALS
SATURDAY 12 AUGUST
10.00 – 12.00 WITHOUT MEASURE COMPANY CLASS
12.00 – 16.00 NOTEBOOK EXPERIMENT
19.30 – 21.00 WITHOUT MEASURE EVENING PERFORMANCES
SUNDAY 13 AUGUST
10.00 – 12.00 WITHOUT MEASURE COMPANY CLASS
12.00 – 18.00 OPEN REHEARSALS
FRIDAY 18 AUGUST
10.00 – 12.00 WITHOUT MEASURE COMPANY CLASS
12.00 – 18.00 OPEN REHEARSALS
SATURDAY 19 AUGUST
10.30 – 12.30 EXPERIENTIAL ANATOMY WORKSHOP SUSANNA RECCHIA
14.00 – 17.00 SATURDAY GROUP
17.00 – 18.00 SATURDAY GROUP SHARING
19.30 – 21.00 WITHOUT MEASURE EVENING PERFORMANCES
SUNDAY 20 AUGUST
10.00 – 12.00 WITHOUT MEASURE COMPANY CLASS
12.00 – 17.00 OPEN REHEARSALS
17.00 – 18.00 TEA, CAKE AND CHAT
Full Programme Details
FRIDAY 11 AUGUST
10.00 – 12.00 WITHOUT MEASURE COMPANY CLASS
A physical warm up session led by one of the dancers drawing from a range of dance and somatic movement practices. This class is open for anyone to join for a donation. Please wear comfortable clothing.
12.00 – 18.00 OPEN REHEARSALS
The company will be working on their current research project and performance work. These rehearsals are free for anyone to drop in on and observe.
For more information and any enquiries:
withoutmeasuredance@hotmail.com
SATURDAY 12 AUGUST
10.00 – 12.00 WITHOUT MEASURE COMPANY CLASS
A physical warm up session led by one of the dancers drawing from a range of dance and somatic movement practices. This class is open for anyone to join for a donation. Please wear comfortable clothing.
12.00 – 16.00 NOTEBOOK EXPERIMENT
Do you have a notebook that you would like to share with someone? We invite you to bring along and share with the dancers any kind of notes or journal that you might have. Stay with us for a moment and experience the writings or unfinished jottings find their expression in movement and perhaps see what you brought from a different angle through improvised dances. Directed by Alex Howard.
This notebook experiment is free for anyone to drop in on.
19.30 - 21.00 WITHOUT MEASURE EVENING PERFORMANCE
A programme of short dance pieces including new work by Alex Howard.
To book in advance email: withoutmeasuredance@hotmail.com
Limited capacity. Donation on the door.
For more information and any enquiries:
withoutmeasuredance@hotmail.com
SUNDAY 13 AUGUST
10.00 – 12.00 WITHOUT MEASURE COMPANY CLASS
A physical warm up session led by one of the dancers drawing from a range of dance and somatic movement practices. This class is open for anyone to join for a donation. Please wear comfortable clothing.
12.00 – 18.00 OPEN REHEARSALS
The company will be working on their current research project and performance work. These rehearsals are free for anyone to drop in on and observe.
For more information and any enquiries:
withoutmeasuredance@hotmail.com
FRIDAY 18 AUGUST
10.00 – 12.00 WITHOUT MEASURE COMPANY CLASS
A physical warm up session led by one of the dancers drawing from a range of dance and somatic movement practices. This class is open for anyone to join for a donation. Please wear comfortable clothing.
12.00 – 18.00 OPEN REHEARSALS
The company will be working on their current research project and performance work. These rehearsals are free for anyone to
SATURDAY 19 AUGUST
10.30 – 12.30 EXPERIENTIAL ANATOMY WORKSHOP WITH SUSANNA RECCHIA
WORKSHOP TITLE: YOU ARE HERE
THEME: HEART
The main ingredients for the class will be experiential anatomy and improvisation. We will share space and time, energetic and restful dances to investigate the relation between heart, lungs and diaphragm. The underlining approach to the work is to play seriously, find joy, ease and flow in movement combining deep attention and lightness of spirit.
My current interests are imagination, perception and choice making; the relation between intellect, emotion and instinct while moving and dancing; the relation between sensation and form, between self and others; space as a source of inspiration and support; habits; acceleration and randomness.
Susanna’s practice shifts between performing, teaching, mentoring and researching both in academic, artistic and health contexts. She is currently working as a Rehearsal Director for Candoco Dance Company and doing a PhD in Dance at Roehampton University in collaboration with Siobhan Davies Dance and Independent Dance. For more info: www.susannarecchia.com
£10
Limited capacity – to reserve a place or for more information please email: withoutmeasuredance@hotmail.com
or leave a message on 07955 319458
14.00 – 17.00 SATURDAY GROUP WORKSHOP
This is a group of people interested in movement who meet once a month in Stroud to share and try out ideas. Come and see what we are doing at the 5 o'clock sharing and talk to us if you would like to join in in September.
17.00 – 18.00 SATURDAY GROUP SHARING
The ideas that have been explored in the Saturday Group workshop will be shared with an audience. To attend this session as an audience just turn up!
19.30 – 21.00 WITHOUT MEASURE EVENING PERFORMANCE
A programme of short dance pieces including
new work by Alex Howard.
To book in advance email: withoutmeasuredance@hotmail.com
Limited capacity. Donation on the door.
For more information and any enquiries:
withoutmeasuredance@hotmail.com
SUNDAY 20 AUGUST
10.00 – 12.00 WITHOUT MEASURE COMPANY CLASS
A physical warm up session led by one of the dancers drawing from a range of dance and somatic movement practices. Open for anyone to join for a donation or to come and watch. Please wear comfortable clothing and bare feet if you’re joining in.
12.00 – 17.00 OPEN REHEARSALS
The company will be working on their current research project and performance work. These rehearsals are free for anyone to drop in on and observe.
17.00 – 18.00 TEA, CAKE AND CHAT
An event to round up Without Measure – Days of Dance with tea, cake and conversations.
For more information and any enquiries:
withoutmeasuredance@hotmail.com