EDUCATION FOR CREATIVE DANCE ARTISTS

As regards the content, the orientation of the education is unique in Germany

Our aim is to lay the foundations for the development of an independent, empowered artistic personality with our range of classes. Our orientation is holistic and individual and is based on a fundamental attitude whose principles are derived from our decades of experience in dealing with improvisation on all levels of our work. We focus on awareness of the present moment, openness on all sensory levels, integration of physical, psychological and mental processes and permeability within and between these levels.

We understand individuality as a possible elaboration of universal principles of order, whether in the realm of personal development or in creative expression. Through the joint exploration of one’s own physical, psychological and mental processes, we convey the vastness of the field of expressive possibilities in order to then locate one’s own note, one’s own personal area within this field we share. Individuality is thus not understood as contrary to and distinct from others, but as a special expression of everything possible. Similarly, we work with the idea of expanding one’s own possibilities through the process of self-exploration, thus gaining access to more and more areas of the creative field of expression. The goal is not to break through boundaries, but to expand them.

Our view on the artist’s personality, that participants might aim to become is a holistic one. We understand human beings as an interactive and complex non-hierarchical organized structure in which physical, emotional and mental processes happen simultaneously and without any prerogative to one of those constituencies. So the training we offer works on all layers which influence each other. Therefore, for example, permeability is one of our most prominent goals to achieve, again on the physical, emotional and mental level as well as inbetween them. In enhancing the understanding of these correlations we support the development of an mature, original and manylayered artist’s personality.

With our approach we want to enable participants to get in touch with that agent of themselves that acts before concepts, value judgements and patterns of interpretation have influenced – even inhibited – the creative flow. Hence the strong focus on improvisation, which enables this access both as a form of exploration and as a stage art. Once connected to this agent, a broader understanding of creative processes opens up. Following on from this experience, compositional principles are then classified, learned and practised.

In order to meet the demands of this work, a high degree of selfcare and of discipline is required in the sense of commitment to oneself, the subject matter and the learning community. We demand this in order to make the research and learning processes deep and sustainable. First and foremost, we expect absolute priority to be given to the educational process. In the work setting, participants are bound to ensure continuity of attendance, physically prepare for class in a timely manner each day, start together at designated times, and refrain from distractions. They ensure that they are well cared for physically, emotionally, and mentally.