The Franklin Method is a somatic approach that blends embodied anatomy, mental imagery, and movement exploration to deepen awareness and expand possibility in the body. Designed for professional dancers/performers and highly attuned movers, this two-part experiential series invites participants into a nuanced exploration of breath as a source of support, adaptability, collaboration, and expression.

Across both sessions, we will journey through the inner landscape of breathing anatomy by imaging and sensing the movement of the diaphragm, ribcage, sternum, spine, pelvic floor, and surrounding organs - using guided imagery, movement investigations, anatomical models, Franklin Method ball rolling, and playful props. Rather than approaching the body through correction or diagnosis, these classes center sensation, curiosity, and an invitation to notice. Practice is a sort of recalibration of attention, so that we can inquire how imagery and breath influence movement quality, effort, dynamic range, and nervous system regulation.

As awareness of the breath expands, habitual holding patterns may begin to soften, allowing movement to become more fluid, responsive, and spacious. Through simple yet layered explorations, we will investigate how diaphragmatic breathing relates to posture, coordination, mobility, grounding, and artistic presence — both in stillness and in motion.

Part I will focus on mapping the primary structures of breathing and developing embodied awareness of the diaphragm, ribs, sternum, and lungs through sensation-based movement explorations and imagery practices.

Part II will build upon these foundations by exploring the relationship between breath and the pelvic diaphragm as well as the abdominal and pelvic organs.

Expect proposals for practice that focus on subtle shifts in perception which can open new pathways for efficiency, expression, and ease. This series is not about fixing the body, achieving ideal alignment, or prescribing a “correct” way to breathe; instead, it offers tools for listening more deeply to the intelligence already present within the moving body.

This somatic class will focus on the connective tissue of the body, the fascia, which is highly innervated, so it's a great system to tune into when looking to kinesthetically listen to one's own body. We will pandiculate (imagine a yawning cat, or stretching dog). In other words, we will engage our muscles while elongating, which applies force to our fascia to help us feel into it, soothe it, and heal it and the other systems of the body that the fascia wraps (like muscles, lymph, organs, and more!). Fascia Flossing (TM Bonnie Crotzer) is a somatic movement technique that increases mobility, health of our tissues, ease in the body, and the capacity for strength and flexibility. In both the Tuesday and the Friday class, Loren will lead us through full body class with the Tuesday class having a focus on the dynamic alignment of the pelvis, the fascia and muscles that pass through that region. The pelvis is link between upper and lower body, contains our center of gravity, and powers much movement, so is often an area that dancers benefit in attending. For the Friday class, Loren will finesse the plan based on what kind of movement and needs arises over the rest of the intensive, but is leaning towards a focus on opening the heart and freeing the shoulders. Loren Groenendaal is a Level 3 Certified in Fascia Flossing and is a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies. She will be drawing on both fields as well as her career as a somatic, improvising dancer to lead these classes.

Fascia Flossing is informed by both Western medicine, anatomy, physical therapy practices and East Asian knowledge of yoga and Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM). The movements of this class will be directed, but with significant opportunity for students to personalize their movement with varying size, amounts of force, angle, and more to get the most benefit and/or desired sensation for themselves. Fascia Flossing is an adaptogenic process-giving the participant what they need. For someone tight, it can help them become more flexible, but for someone hypermobile, it can support them in being more stable! Opening up the fascia creates more capacity for the muscles to build strength. While it's fine to drop in to these classes, they will support folks highly engaged in the intensive warm-up for that day and recuperate from earlier movement exertion.

Please bring the following supplies to support this practice:

1) yoga mat (or, bring/wear grippy songs or prepare to go barefoot for friction if you don’t have a yoga mat)

2) pillow (or bring a puffy coat or cushiony sweatshirt and/or knee pads to protect your knees and make other bolsters/cushions)

3) 2 yoga blocks (or waterbottles or hardback books of a similar size)

If you don't own these props or its very burdensome for you to bring, there are some objects in the space that we can use (spare yoga mats, chairs, books, couch cushions)

In this class, nnennia will offer the space to pump, spiral, and e x p a n d; to bring buoyancy through the arches of the feet, and the knees, the diamond of the pelvic floor, the lungs, the heart space, the vocal folds, and the soft palate, and the head. This is a place to be seen and heard! we explore the voice and use breath and rhythm to let love in AND encourage the body to feel safe making sound, sending vibrations to every cell of the body. Structure of the class: welcome>gentle pranayama (cultivation of the breath) and asanas (postures)> stoking the fire (bringing energy up, down, and around with sound)>learn a song together>share>goodbye.

In Vogue Femme, students will learn the 5 elements: Hands Performance, Catwalks, Duckwalks, Spins+Dips, and Floor Performance. Students will explore these elements through drills, freestyle, and choreography. History and cultural contexts about the Ballroom scene will also be discussed in class. Suggested but not required: Knee pads.

Join me for an energizing and fun-filled Jazz Dance Technique class that will help you build strength, refine your musicality, and push your limits in jumps, leaps, and turns. Whether you're a beginner or have some dance experience, this class is designed for all levels who are eager to improve their technique while having fun!

In this class, we will focus on:

• Strength & Stability: Building the core strength and balance needed for powerful, controlled movement.

• Musicality: Learning to move with the rhythm and emotion of the music to express yourself fully.

• Jumps & Leaps: Improving your air time, form, and fluidity in all your jumps and leaps, adding dynamic energy to your dancing.

• Turns: Sharpening your spotting techniques and increasing your ability to sustain turns with grace and control.

Throughout the class, we’ll emphasize collaboration—working together, supporting each other, and growing as a group. We’ll also explore ways to add performance quality to every movement, so you can dance with confidence and charisma.

This class is a chance to try new things, challenge yourself, and refine your skills while focusing on retention and improving your overall technique. Come with an open mind, a positive attitude, and get ready to sweat, learn, and have a blast!

Soft Acrobatics & Floorwork is an all-levels movement class exploring the intersection of contemporary floorwork and capoeira-influenced acrobatics.

Guiding Questions: How do we distill highly technical skills into accessible principles? What is potent about the intersection of discipline/rigor, play, and artistry? How can fear be a fodder for perception, patience, and agency?

Through breathwork, mobility, and progressive movement research, students investigate principles of swings, spirals, curves, push/pulls, and off-axis trajectories as accessible foundations for acrobatic technique. By breaking complex skills into recognizable patterns and scalable forms, the class encourages adaptability, creative choice, and embodied confidence. Expect guided exploration of cartwheels, rolls, inversions, aerial variations, and floor transitions. A mix of personal research and choreographic phrases will develop strength, coordination, and agency through repetition, rigor, play, and experimentation. Some floorwork or cartwheel experience is helpful.

DRAMATURGING DANCE is an experience in integrating postmodern dramaturgy practices into our dance making! We'll write, move, think, talk, read, breathe, and make together. Students will come out of the experience having made one short vignette with a narrative or non-narrative arc, as well as having dramaturged another's work. Madeline (@madelineshuron) will facilitate participants to think bigly, boldly, and in many different shapes and containers!

Steeped in experiential research, this improvisation dance workshop will explore modes of moving, making and performing alongside somatic practices and Contact Improvisation. Participants will collaborate together in real time developing work with the entire class as well as creating in small groups or alone to develop more intimate compositions. Together we will explore and make structures and scores for performance. Participants will work as both directors and performers, leading at times and at others time being part of the union.

Each session focuses on three basic objectives to reach this goal. The first is solo investigation to encourage risk taking in order to broaden movement choices, style, and theatrical motivation and to instill the ability to perform in the moment. The second is Contact Improvisation, to heighten awareness of oneself in space among other dancers and expand movement choices vis-à-vis another dancer. The third section is focused on ensemble dancing to hone new skills while perceiving the stage and what is unfolding, creating a collaborative approach within groups of dancers making choices in real time.