MAD Weekend hosts a variety of events, such as movement masterclasses, workshops, and panels.
Classes are $3 each for students with a Naz ID and $5 for the public, CASH ONLY. Admission is paid at the door. Classes are FIRST COME FIRST SERVE and spots are limited.
Nazareth University is featuring Kyle Abraham's Company A.I.M in a performance on Friday, January 24, at 7:30PM in Callahan Theatre. Go to the box office page to order tickets to the show now.
A.I.M company members will also be holding a workshop/movement class during MAD Weekend open to students and community members. Look at the schedule below to see the when and where this takes place.
Schedule:
9:00 am - 10:15 am
Dance Conditioning - Dr. Sarah Carlton, Location: George 154
Participate in a regularly scheduled semester dance class. Come dance with and learn from a Nazareth Dance Program faculty member.
Musical Theater Dance II - Jeff Shade, Location: Sands Studio (Arts Center)
Participate in a regularly scheduled semester Musical Theater dance class. Come dance with and learn from a Nazareth University Theatre and Dance Department faculty member.
10:00 am - 11:25 am
Ballet III - Beth Bartholomew, Location: George 102
Come participate in a regularly scheduled Ballet class. Dance with and learn from a Nazareth Dance Program faculty member.
10:30 am - 11:45 am
Contemporary Guided Improvisation - Chris Collins, Location: George 154, Level - Experienced
This contemporary class will offer the opportunity for the dancer to explore their quality of movement, floor work, musicality, learn new terminology, and technique.
Class will begin with a center warm up. Following the warm up will be progressions across the floor which will challenge the dancers creativity in their movement, unique floor work, and jumps and turns.
We will end class with a combination exercising what we have learned and practiced during our class time. We will start with larger group then break down into smaller groups.
11:30 am - 12:45 am
Contemporary Partnering - Heather Roffe, Location: George 102
A regularly scheduled semester class opened up to the public. Learn foundational contemporary/modern partnering skills to promote safety and efficiency when when moving intricately alongside other dancers
12:00 pm - 1:15 pm
Hip Hop Dance - Intro To Hip Hop - Miranda Martin, Location: George 154, Level - Beginner to Intermediate
The Hip Hop class is catered towards the beginner Hip Hop dancer, while still being informative and accessible to dancers of any ability or background. This class will include warm up, followed by introduction to Hip Hop basics, exploration of it’s distinct movement qualities, technique and the celebration of individualism in performance. During this portion of class work, there will be discussion of historical leaders and creators of the Hip Hop culture, as well as the discussion of the various styles of Hip Hop dance and the core elements and principles of Hip Hop culture.
Following center work, various progressions across the floor which will incorporate multiple styles including: House, Breaking, and current commercial style.
The final element of class will be a short combination which will then break down to smaller groups, with an emphasis on performance quality and participating actively in the performance regardless of position as dancer or spectator.
1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
Modern MOVES: Marisa Ballaro, Location: George 102, Level - Open
Modern MOVES is a high-energy, though-provoking class open to all learners. Inspired by early American modern dance fundamentals, the class explores spatial tension and resistance, the use of body weight as power to find suspension, being both on and off balance, body part articulation to locomote. Through use of breath and spatial awareness, dancers connect from the inside out, affecting and being affected by space.
Using biomechanics, the class is attentive to joint angles and bony landmarks to find efficiency of movement leading to injury-free, expressive, and athletic performance. Analyzing muscular actions, joint motion, and skeletal assessment aids in observation, class discussion, and building self-awareness. Working at various speeds and direction facings provides micro-challenges that test the core and develop strength. The class incorporates a “practice as performance” approach: technical exercises are developed to not only strengthen the body but to layer expression and attention from the start of the learning process. Peer-to-peer feedback is a cornerstone and students enter into a “classroom as lab” environment exploring concepts facilitated by the teacher, while self-guided, or through collaborative investigation.
1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
The Naftali Method: Softness - Brianna Lopez, Location: George 154
The Naftali Method is a contemporary dance approach centered on improvisation and the embodiment of softness and speed. This method works to develop a relationship with effort by categorizing it into three levels: light, fleshy, and thick. By creating clarity in these levels, dancers learn to embrace softness in the body, enabling them to perform multiple tasks with sophistication and precision. The goal is to achieve efficiency and ease of movement for extended periods.
We will focus on embodying softness in movement. A soft body is versatile and capable of performing multiple tasks simultaneously. We will cultivate this softness by differentiating effort levels, allowing for greater fluidity and adaptability in our dancing.
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Intermediate Ballet - Alexandra Insinga, Location: George 102
Participate in a regularly scheduled Ballet class open to the public. Come dance with and learn from a Nazareth University Dance Program faculty member.
3:00 pm - 4:15 pm
Hip Hop Dance 2 - Miranda Martin, Location: George 154, Level - Advanced
The Hip Hop class will be catered towards the advanced Hip Hop dancer but will be paced according to the flow of the room. This class will include warm up, followed by introduction Hip Hop basics and vocabulary, exploration of it’s distinct movement qualities, technique and the celebration of individualism in performance. During this portion of class work, there will be discussion of historical leaders and creators of the Hip Hop culture, as well as the discussion of the various styles of Hip Hop dance and the core elements and principles of Hip Hop culture.
Following center work, various progressions across the floor which will incorporate multiple styles including: House, Breaking, and current commercial style.
The final element of class will be a short combination which will then break down to smaller groups, with an emphasis on performance quality and participating actively in the performance regardless of position as dancer or spectator.
4:15 pm - 5:30 pm
Diversity and Access in Dance (Panel Discussion) - Mika Lior, April Biggs, and Rachel Daly, Location: George 102
Come participate in a panel discussion bringing together three incredible artists highlighting different disciplines/perspectives within dance surrounding diversity and access within the field.
4:30 pm - 5:45 pm
Beautiful Noise: Individual and Community Identity - Marisa Ballaro, Location: George 154. Level - Open
This session explores an existing composition structure that can be used to design new, innovative choreographic devices. Students will learn about and through the project, then use it as a launch pad for their own creative making.
The existing project explores identity through the lens of dance-making using two
professional works from the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive collection as inspiration. The project uses qualitative elements from Trisha Brown’s solo If You Couldn’t See Me and contextual themes in HairStories by Urban Bush Women to frame a composition study. This project aims to invite the uniqueness of each dancer into focus through self-investigation and an invitation to encounter vulnerability through community sharing. Beautiful Noise enables participants to reflect, brainstorm, respond, create, design, and share with others in a safe, supportive environment. By centering the voices of community, each person can feel valued, appreciated, and acknowledged.
The development of Beautiful Noise parallels themes found in two masterworks: If You Couldn’t See Me and HairStories. In If You Couldn’t See Me, Trisha Brown explored facing away from the audience in performance and maintaining a spatial restriction to find a new kind of expression. In HairStories, Urban Bush Women utilized personal stories, histories, and memories to generate a community-based work fueled by the individuality of each collaborator. These research themes are replicated in Beautiful Noise through the lens of identity; students involved in the project were encouraged to self-reflect and identify parts of them that may be visible or hidden. The creative process invited students to analyze and interpret their own experiences designing and communicating through their sense of self. Narrative inquiry honors these lived experiences while becoming a living artifact or history of the community members involved; in our case, they facilitate a unique community dance project.
6:00 pm - 7:15 pm
The Naftali Method: Multitasking - Brianna Lopez, Location: George 154
The Naftali Method is a contemporary dance approach centered on improvisation and the embodiment of softness and speed. This method works to develop a relationship with effort by categorizing it into three levels: light, fleshy, and thick. By creating clarity in these levels, dancers learn to embrace softness in the body, enabling them to perform multiple tasks with sophistication and precision. The goal is to achieve efficiency and ease of movement for extended periods.
We will explore multitasking within our soft bodies, prioritizing quantity over completion. Instead of focusing on finishing each task, we will aim to overlap movements, embracing the resulting chaos. Through this exploration, we will cultivate a playful and flirtatious relationship with spontaneity, allowing unique forms of expression to emerge.
7:30 pm
Kyle Abraham A.I.M Performance - Location: Callahan Theater
Experience A.I.M by Kyle Abraham perform on our very own stage in Callahan Theater, located in the Arts Center. This is the first time this world renowned company will be performing in the general Rochester area. You do not want to miss out on the opportunity to see Kyle Abraham's work in person. Go to the box office webpage to order tickets now
