Online WEEKEND WORKSHOP
A rare opportunity to work closely with the renowned Michael Schumacher, a brilliant artist who has worked internationally specializing in improvisation approaches involving sensory perception applied to compositional work.
Workshop description:
Improvisation and Collective Composition
This workshop aims to develop conscious presence while improvising within creative practices as well as daily life.
Each session begins with exercises that explore relationships between sensory perception and presence in any given environment. An increased awareness of sensory input empowers one to act simultaneously as participant and observer. This practice helps define and further develop a strong sense of self and artistic identity.
The session continues with movement analysis and compositional tools that are discussed in detail and practiced at length. Critical analysis and non judgmental discourse are strongly encouraged to allow for a more expansive network of interaction within the group. Practice is paired with theory, developing and deepening the group’s unique dynamic both in the studio and in communication online. Each session concludes with both free and structured improvisation scores in which participants collectively experience spontaneously created compositions.
Co-presented by SFU Woodward's Cultural Programs in association with SFU School for the Contemporary Arts .
Workshop description:
Improvisation and Collective Composition
This workshop aims to develop conscious presence while improvising within creative practices as well as daily life.
Each session begins with exercises that explore relationships between sensory perception and presence in any given environment. An increased awareness of sensory input empowers one to act simultaneously as participant and observer. This practice helps define and further develop a strong sense of self and artistic identity.
The session continues with movement analysis and compositional tools that are discussed in detail and practiced at length. Critical analysis and non judgmental discourse are strongly encouraged to allow for a more expansive network of interaction within the group. Practice is paired with theory, developing and deepening the group’s unique dynamic both in the studio and in communication online. Each session concludes with both free and structured improvisation scores in which participants collectively experience spontaneously created compositions.
Co-presented by SFU Woodward's Cultural Programs in association with SFU School for the Contemporary Arts .
BIO
Based in Amsterdam, Michael Schumacher is a performing artist with roots in classical and modern dance.
He has been a member of several groundbreaking companies, including Ballet Frankfurt (with William Forsythe), Twyla Tharp Dance, Feld Ballet, Pretty Ugly Dance Company, and Magpie Music Dance Company. A collaborative figure in several productions of Peter Sellars, Schumacher has appeared in Bible Pieces, Peony Pavilion, El Niño, Bach Cantatas, La Passion de Simone, and The Vimalakirti Sutra.
Working as dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Schumacher has developed a unique approach to the discipline of improvisation. Music is a fundamental element of his process, and he has collaborated with many pioneering musicians, including percussionist Han Bennink, violinist Mary Oliver, and cellist Alex Waterman.
As a choreographer, Schumacher has created original works with the dancers of Ballet Frankfurt, Netherlands Dance Theater III, The Dutch National Ballet, and Dansgroep Amsterdam. In recent years, Schumacher’s work has come to the forefront in several productions of the Holland Dance Festival. With Jiri Kylián, he created the hauntingly beautiful Last Touch First, which has been performed throughout Europe and the U.S. to great acclaim. Recently Schumacher created Queen Lear, a dramatic duet in which he and Sabine Kupferberg reveal Shakespeare’s epic narrative with striking simplicity.
In 2008, Schumacher was awarded both the Gouden Zwaan and the Jiri Kylián Ring, the first dancer/choreographer ever to receive the two awards at the same time.
Based in Amsterdam, Michael Schumacher is a performing artist with roots in classical and modern dance.
He has been a member of several groundbreaking companies, including Ballet Frankfurt (with William Forsythe), Twyla Tharp Dance, Feld Ballet, Pretty Ugly Dance Company, and Magpie Music Dance Company. A collaborative figure in several productions of Peter Sellars, Schumacher has appeared in Bible Pieces, Peony Pavilion, El Niño, Bach Cantatas, La Passion de Simone, and The Vimalakirti Sutra.
Working as dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Schumacher has developed a unique approach to the discipline of improvisation. Music is a fundamental element of his process, and he has collaborated with many pioneering musicians, including percussionist Han Bennink, violinist Mary Oliver, and cellist Alex Waterman.
As a choreographer, Schumacher has created original works with the dancers of Ballet Frankfurt, Netherlands Dance Theater III, The Dutch National Ballet, and Dansgroep Amsterdam. In recent years, Schumacher’s work has come to the forefront in several productions of the Holland Dance Festival. With Jiri Kylián, he created the hauntingly beautiful Last Touch First, which has been performed throughout Europe and the U.S. to great acclaim. Recently Schumacher created Queen Lear, a dramatic duet in which he and Sabine Kupferberg reveal Shakespeare’s epic narrative with striking simplicity.
In 2008, Schumacher was awarded both the Gouden Zwaan and the Jiri Kylián Ring, the first dancer/choreographer ever to receive the two awards at the same time.