Falling into contact, Mirva Mäkinen
| About masterclass: | Nothing needs to be done, nothing is happening but possibilities are opening - this is the best state of awareness, relaxation and readiness, when I dance contact. Force of gravity and momentum is to dance with a senses so that we can communicate and meet the other person through dance. My aim is to find spirit of contact improvisation in classes. Not just exercises but more about finding the way of playing with different tones and senses from your body. Listening yourself and your partner can introduce skin and touch can lead to dancing. From light contact and softness we move towards more weight and intensity working with skin,
muscle and bones and using this knowledge as a structure to build dance but also to build connection to the other person.
We try to find safe and effective strategies of moving into and out of the floor; flying low and flying high.
There is lots of knowledge in the center of the body not only for contracting and tensing but also for releasing your center when needed. We will move from the center of the body towards the extremities. We will do exercises of reaching, folding and spiraling to find a natural and organic sense of movement. We will play with how to use balance and off-balance by recognizing body weight and momentum.
Through all these beautiful physical knowledge and skills I would like to reach the energy behind everything. I have lately been working with masculine and feminine energy in dance. Being aware, that both of these energies exist in me, has brought more spice in to my dance. I would love to share and play with this during this intensive.
| | About Mirva Mäkinen: | I am 33 years old professional dancer, choreographer and teacher from Finland. My friends from contact improvisation scene call me "White rabbit", which was my first CI name, after that I have been called "Jääkarhu" (polar bear) and latest one is "Mirvana".
I enjoy moving and I love to dance contact!
I have studied movement in different places. I have Masters degree in Art of Dance (Theatre Academy of Helsinki, Finland) and before that I made Masters of Physical Education (University of Jyväskylä, Finland). I have learned CI, dance and movement by studying, teaching, performing and practicing. I love to explore my body and I am curious for all the movement possibilities. I find other inspiration from contemporary dance (release technique), astanga yoga, meditation, aerial dance and acrobatics. I work as a dance teacher in Kallio high school which is special school for performing arts in Helsinki, Finland. I also work as a freelance dancer and choreographer. My most important teachers has been my dance partners.
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