Katie Faulkner; photo by Alvaro Ponce
Over the past three years, 100 working artists have shared their stories and career paths on this blog. One of the biggest themes to emerge is about teaching - as an opportunity to explore our movement choices and curiosities, as an income source, as a means to find dancers, and as an opportunity to develop our audiences. This summer, we will repost writing from the 100 artist profiles about teaching as well as offer you reflection questions related to your own work. Click on any name below to read an artist's full profile.
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From Katie Faulkner (Oakland, CA):
I find deep satisfaction these days in the creative process of generating movement material, images, and ideas for choreographic work and for teaching. To do either of these things well, I find that I am in constant dialogue between the outer, shifting world of performance, (with its evolving technical and aesthetic values and cultural commentary), and my own internal world – my evolving artistic concerns and the actual nuts and bolts of my own anatomy. My aging and growth require deeper and often different physical and expressive possibilities. Bringing this reality into the classroom asks me to think about movement (whether choreographically or technically) in a way that is both rigorous and flexible. I don’t profess to know how to do all of it well. I only hope I can model a practice of curiosity and change that encourages my students to find ways of training that nourish and challenge them.
From Melecio Estrella (Oakland, CA):
Teaching has been an important piece of my dance pie. It’s a good way to make money, and it is a great way to stay inspired and practice communicating movement ideas. I am excited by the arrival to the body and alchemy of movement that happens in a class setting. It is really beautiful to me. I am inspired by teachers who can cultivate a rigorous, detailed environment for dancers to take chances and grow in. I like teachers who encourage friendliness, togetherness and a non-competitive atmosphere.
From Doug Gillespie (Brooklyn, NY):
I love teaching. I love being in class, I love having a good time in class, I love learning. Kathleen Hermesdorf has been an inspiration for my pedagogy. Kathleen's classes are very informative, well structured, push boundaries, and are always a blast. In my classes I strive for those qualities as well. I believe teaching is a privilege and I hope, at the very least, the students I teach will learn something about themselves, each other, and have a good time.
From Annie Rosenthal Parr (Mill Valley, CA):
I taught myself how to teach, which I do not recommend. It takes years and years to become good at it and you shouldn’t waste your time wondering what’s wrong with your class when someone who knows can train you. My strengths as a teacher are that I am able to improvise exercises successfully to keep the class alive. I also really get into problem solving and giving specific feedback about how to take movement in and express it out. I take class a few times a year and see lots of shows to freshen up. I hunt for good music that inspires me to move different ways. I continually re-invent my approach to movement and teaching. I get bored with myself otherwise and hate repeating myself.
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