research or die.
summer | main event
running from the 1st to the 28th of july 2024
© Patrick Beelaert
© no credit // showing assistant Joel O'Donoghue
b12 summer main event
— // —location: eden***** studios
Lewis Wilkins
harmonious flight
this four-day contact improvisation workshop will delve deep into technical skills for supporting and flying. Various situations and ideas will be proposed to encourage the integration of these principles into our improvising in duets and group constellations. the sessions will likely start with somatic internal work, gently guiding the attention into the body and present moment, without judgment. this will lead into solo explorations and useful movement patterns as a preparation for meeting other bodies in space. with one or more partners, we will then work on listening through touch and the exploration of weight exchanges and support. This process of tuning in will enhance our physical communication, resulting in a clearer understanding of the intentions, directions, and energy of the other bodies encountered in space. technical skills and specific lifting techniques will be addressed in detail, and time will be given each day to playing with inversions and exit options in preparation for more acrobatic possibilities. through improvisational scores we will then practice freeing ourselves from some of the confines of learned technique and existing patterns, into relational dancing that is more personal, intuitive, and exciting.
please be aware of our early bird special offer for this workshop! you can apply for this offer up until the 24th of march 2024. after the 24th the regular workshop fee applies. applications are accepted up until one day before the workshops starts.
biography
Lewis TRAINED at London Contemporary Dance School. Since graduating in 2009, he has worked internationally as a performer with NUMEROUS companies and choreographers. These include Jean Abreu, richard alston dance company, riccardo buscarini, Bregenzer Festspiele, tom dale, Stephanie dufresne, The National Theatre (London), for Angels in America directed by Marianne Elliot, new adventures, Joel O'donoghue, John Ross, scottish dance theatre, léa tirabasso, TrashDollys, and James wilton. In his personal practice and teaching, lewis specialises in contact improvisation, solo and ensemble improvisation, floorwork, microbatics, and somatic approaches. He has taught for Lloyd Newson, rambert, and Scottish dance theatre, and regularly teaches on dance programs at london contemporary dance school, London Studio Centre, Rambert School, University of Limerick and, most recently, at Nuova officina della Danza. Additionally, he facilitates contact jams and teaches open classes and independent workshops as part of the contact community in London. Lewis has also taught at dance festivals, including agitart figueres es mou, b12 (2019 edition), and Pyrenees Danse.
assistant
joel o'donoghue
Joel has worked as a performer for a range of internationally renowned companies such as Luca Silvistrini’s Protein, Ben Wright’s BGROUP, and Hagit Yakira Dance. Joel also featured as guest artist for Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal during the company tour of the works, Masurca Fogo and Viktor. As a choreographer he has performed his own work at a variety of established venues both in the UK and abroad, such as Sadler’s Wells Lillian Baylis Studio, The Place, and L’Escaut. Joel was also commissioned to create a dance film work for Ballet Boyz in January 2020, which premiered as part of an online festival celebrating the life of Sir Ken Robinson. Joel has received Arts Council funding consecutively over the last four years for the research and development, rehearsals and touring for a trilogy of works entitled: GUT, HEART, and BRAIN. In 2016 Joel received a Distinction in Performance Design and Practice, at UAL, and later obtained his Level 1 City & Guild qualification in Carpentry and Joinery. Joel has since used these skills to design, source and construct sets and costumes for both his own works and other peoples.
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