Poetry in Motion
Poetry/Movement Workshop
January 9, 2021 2-4pm (EST)
online
$20
Pay through eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poetry-in-motion-with-dagmar-spain-tickets-135401141459
Poetry/Movement classes
Starting June 6, 2020
4 class series (June 6, 13, 20, 27)
Saturday, 11-12:30pm (New York time),
Saturday, 17-18:30 (Berlin & Prague time)
Bringing the world together through Poetry…
$15 (€15) per class or $45 (€45) for all classes
Limited to 8 participants
Language: English
online
“Everywhere in the world, self starts with body.“
(BAUMEISTER, 1999, p. 2, The self in social psychology, Psychology Press).
The body is inspired by imaginative language to move, as the moving body inspires our imagination to create its words.
In my many years of conducting Poetry/Movement classes and workshops (at times with fellow choreographer Maxine Steinman) I realized the use of poetry and imagery for generating movements is a very successful one, for professional dancers, aspiring professional dance students and non-professional dancers alike. Through the immediate response to poetic imagery and meanings the dancer can tap into his/her inherent qualities of executing improvised, as well as choreographed dance phrases without the burden of outside expectations and its inhibiting effects. Poetic imageries open our hearts and souls to a different cognitive body response.
My Poetry/Movement classes are designed for dancers, writers, actors and anyone who is interested in combining the language of their bodies with the spoken and written word. In daily life we use our bodies and language exchangeably. Yet to truly become conscious when our bodies send impulses to our thoughts expressed eventually in words and vice versa, and how we can use this constant interaction creatively is the main focus of this 1.5 hour class. The participants are asked to bring a few lines of their favorite poem or the one that has made a true impact on them, including their own poetry to the class. This is the starting point.
After a short warm-up each participant presents their poetry within the group and improvise to it. The others build another group and become the observers and commentators through spontaneous writing. The original poetry of the movers is compared to the lines of the observers. In this part of the workshop the dancers become highly aware how movements are “read” by others and create images and emotional resonance. Many of my participants are often surprised “how much” they can feel and understand the movements of others, and once they feel comfortable in writing, the words just flow out of their pens. The observers become now the movers.
The culmination of my workshops is the selection of life themes by all participants. All of us have very specific topics in life which will become always apparent in creative processes, to use those topics with full awareness can be a further step in diving into our own creativity. Based on these topics each participant is asked to write a spontaneous new poem in which they can use the writings they just created before and then eventually put it into movements. The participants will watch each other in 2s on the screen and if time permits we give each other thorough feedback. I will videotape the final presentation, if you ask me too and send them to you via wetransfer.
Reflecting on these past years of conducting these classes/workshops nationally and internationally, it is truly wondrous how much words have the power to bring about unexpected physical response which can even surprise the dancers themselves. Poetic imagery is a great tool to go beyond a learned to an imaginative artistic and creative environment. As much as movements have to be taught repetitively to strengthen the muscles and to develop stamina, imagery can help to set the bar higher to execute moments with qualities such as flow, release, gravity and expansion. Emotional qualities can be tapped into more easily as well and their creative execution by each dancer. Poetry can be compared to movement phrases with their own rhythmical unfolding and unique timing.
Through the use of words the content, not the form becomes highlighted and defends its own unique expression. This process happens on a subtle level without the necessary knowledge of the dancer. In reflection after class discussions the dance students can be made aware of its function in his/her body and its use for fuller movement expression without the constraints of technical execution, rather than an embodied one.
While finishing my Master degree at Tisch School of the Arts in New York the following quotation by Martha Graham hung in capital letters on the wall in its office:
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.”
With the profound experiences I have made with many of my Poetry/Movement classes/workshops’ participants, I can wholeheartedly say that this life force that Martha Graham speaks about can be kept alive through poetic imagery and empowered writing which leads to greater ownership of the body and its vast expressions.
Even, if space – most likely at home – might be limited in these Zoom Video classes, I am sure that we can create the roam for joyous and authentic movement expression. Looking forward to meet you all! Let’s dance, express and enjoy ourselves together.
Feedback of participants in New York, December 30, 2018:
“Dagmar Spain & Maxine Steinmann’s Poetry/Movement Project was a wonderful experience–not only for the purpose of generating new movement, words, and experiences–but also for the deeply trusting atmosphere they create amongst a group of strangers. The workshop is an opportunity to release words in our heads into movements in our bodies–something both profound and simple, exciting and just the right amount of scary. I loved it.”
“Thank you for the exciting workshop. We were a lucky group of diverse movers. I loved the way you structured and developed the material. I am nursing a cold so I didn’t go out after but enjoyed my witnessing and moving so much.”
© DanceImprints/Dagmar Spain
Ballet classes
May 20, 22, 24 from 2-4pm
Marameo, Berlin
Wellness Tag
May 19, 2019 10 – 7pm
Lakestudios, Berlin
https://www.lakestudiosberlin.com/workshops
Poetry/Movement Workshop
December 30, 2018 & April 13, 2019 1-6pm
92nd St. Y and Lori Belilove Studio, New York
This is a workshop designed for dancers, writers, actors and artists or anyone interested in exploring the creative connection between the language of the body and the spoken and written word. After a thorough warm-up, participants will explore and create movement sequences inspired by lines of poetry, followed by spontaneous poetic writing while watching others move.
Reiki/Movement Workshop
October 7 (5-7pm) & November 25 (3-5pm), 2018
at Lake Studios, Berlin
https://www.lakestudiosberlin.com/upcoming
REIKI with Dagmar Spain chakras/ flow/ movement This workshop is about learning to incorporate our chakras’ energy fields into generating movements. We will learn basic hands-on Reiki healing positions and with intuition and creativity improvise to its gentle impulses in our bodies. In our body’s chakras we store often untapped energies woven together from our emotions, memories and desires. With gentle exercises – alone or with a partner – we open our bodies and hearts to a deeper resonance within ourselves and share this together in movements. For all levels and ages. This workshop is also very supportive for professional
dancers to “uncondition” his or her body.
Poetry/Movement Project
June 8, 16:30 – 21:00 in Berlin (Lake Studios, Scharnweberstrasse 27, https://www.lakestudiosberlin.com/upcoming)
June 10, 10:00 – 16:30 in Prague (Crock Studio, Zborovska 22, Prague 5)
This is a workshop designed for dancers, writers, actors and artists or anyone interested in exploring the creative connection between the language of the body and the spoken and written word. After a thorough warm-up, participants will explore and create movement sequences inspired by lines of poetry, followed by spontaneous poetic writing while watching others move. The workshop will also include live accompaniment on the violin. Each participant is asked to bring lines from their favourite or most impactful poem (your own poetry is good as well). The workshop will culminate with a performance by all. At the end of the showing, Maxine and Dagmar will perform solo works created for each other inspired by original poetry. Maxine and Dagmar encourage authentic creative expression in an atmosphere of openness and acceptance and we welcome you to dance with us. We will speak English and German. RESERVATIONS: danceimprints@aol.com
Berlin:
Costs: 45 Euro (35 Euro discount price for students and seniors) Performance only: 5 Euro
Prague:
Costs: 1200kc,- (1000kc,- for students and seniors)
Performance only: 150kc,-
Feedback of participants in New York, December 30, 2018:
“Dagmar Spain & Maxine Steinmann’s Poetry/Movement Project was a wonderful experience–not only for the purpose of generating new movement, words, and experiences–but also for the deeply trusting atmosphere they create amongst a group of strangers. The workshop is an opportunity to release words in our heads into movements in our bodies–something both profound and simple, exciting and just the right amount of scary. I loved it.”
– Jay DeYonker (actor in New York)
“Thank you for the exciting workshop. We were a lucky group of diverse movers. I loved the way you structured and developed the material. I am nursing a cold so I didn’t go out after but enjoyed my witnessing and moving so much.”
-Nancy Zendora (choreographer in New York)
Maxine Steinman, performer, teacher, and choreographer spanning over 25 years, has presented her choreography in numerous festivals and theaters in the US and abroad. She has traveled to Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Japan, Italy, and Cyprus to teach, choreograph, and perform her work. Jack Anderson and Jennifer Dunning of the New York Times have called her choreography “ingenious” and a “jewel” and in 2009 and 2011, she was awarded grants from the O’Donnell-Green Foundation for Music and Dance. Maxine has created works for Montclair State University, Hofstra University, Marymount Manhattan College, the Ailey School, Institute del Teatre, Centro Andaluz de Danza, and University of Colima. Maxine has performed with many NY companies and was a soloist with the Eleo Pomare Dance Company for 12 years. She also performed with the José Limón Dance Company in the LINKs project. Maxine holds a BFA in dance from Adelphi University, an MA in Dance and Dance Education from Teachers College Columbia University, and an MFA in Dance/ Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts. Maxine is an Assistant Professor of Dance and Program Coordinator of the BFA Dance Division at Montclair State University. Maxine has collaborated with Dagmar on numerous creative projects as an invited guest with Dance Imprints and likewise, Dagmar as been an invited guest with Maxine Steinman & Dancers.