Please note: We ran this series of workshops in September 2019, and again in January - February 2020. We are planning to run it again in the future. If you are interested in learning about upcoming workshops, please fill out the form below to be added to our mailing list.
Dance from the Inside Out
Do you ever feel that you are struggling to take your dance technique to the next level? Or do you feel that you are pushing through pain or discomfort to execute a step?
“Dance from the Inside Out” is a series of five workshops exploring how the body works in dance. Our goal is to increase our body awareness, and join that awareness with a bit of anatomical knowledge. We will be discovering good alignment by sensing how it feels from the inside rather than how it looks from the outside. This approach helps us take our technique to the next level so that we can dance with more grace and ease, while reducing our risk of injury.
Sundays in January - February 2020 from 1:15 - 2:45 pm
The Studio DCFA, 82 Boylston Street, Brookline, MA 02445
January 12, 2020: Feet
Our feet are a fundamental part of dancing, but how much do we really understand about how they work? In this workshop we’ll look at the structure and function of the foot and how it relates to dance. We will incorporate exercises for strength, mobility, and release to help you improve your technique and reduce the risk of foot pain and injury.
January 19, 2020: Plié
Discover how a strong, aligned plié feels in your own body. We’ll be learning about how the bones of the pelvis and legs move as we execute a plié. By understanding and feeling these movements in our own bodies, we can create stronger and safer pliés.
January 26, 2020: Tendu
What does the body have to do to stand tall on one leg? By learning about how the bones of the pelvis rotate and counter-rotate to give us stability, we can work more efficiently in this foundational dance step.
February 2, 2020: Port de Bras
Explore how the arms connect to the torso and how this relationship affects our dancing. We will look at the movements of the scapula and clavicle and see how important these movements are in efficient, supported movement of the arms. We will use various props to discover which muscles we can activate to strengthen our port de bras and create beautiful lines.
February 9, 2020: Putting it all Together: Weight Transfer
Dancing is the transfer of weight—otherwise we are just doing a series of static poses. In this workshop we will practice experiencing the feeling of center by moving through it. We will use what we’ve learned about bone movements to see how we can maintain good alignment while transferring weight.
Created and co-taught by Sarah Giarrusso (ballet instructor) and Rachel Prabhakar (Pilates and Alexander Technique teacher), this series is appropriate for dancers of all levels. With 2 instructors and a limited workshop size, there will be opportunities for individual attention. Cost: $225 for the series. Pre-registration required.
We encourage dancers to attend the entire series of workshops. It is possible, however, to attend either the “Feet” or the “Port de Bras” workshop as a standalone. If you are interested in attending just one workshop, please contact info@integralpilates.com to check that there is space available. The cost for a single workshop is $50.
About Sarah & Rachel:
Sarah is an American Ballet Theatre® Certified Teacher who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. Rachel holds a Level 2 Instructor certification from the Australian Pilates Method Association (APMA), and completed her training as an Alexander Technique teacher with Tommy Thompson at the Alexander Technique Center in Cambridge MA.