Touching the Space - Dance | Architecture | Landscape

TOUCHING THE SPACE

DANCE | ARCHITECTURE | LANDSCAPE
A collaborative dance event facilitated by Pedro Prazeres and Benjamin Jarrett


In honor of, and in the spirit and tradition of the decades of fruitful collaboration between legendary landscape architect Lawrence Halprin and avant garde dance pioneer Anna Halprin


Hosted by the Czech Technical University in Prague: Faculty of Architecture


May 5-6 and 7-8, 2011

Thursday 10:00 to 15:00
Friday 9:30 to 17:30

Saturday 9:30 to 17:30
Sunday 10:00 to 15:00


Both workshops will be unique but complimentary, and may be taken separately, or as a complete four-day experience.

* Instruction will be in English with available translation into Czech, Portuguese, Spanish, Hungarian and Croatian – Serbian


This workshop will have two parts:

- Theoretical discussions led by Pedro introducing subjects on Landscape, including an approach to what Landscape is, ecologically and culturally, it's complexity, it's movement, Landscape Evolution and the role of Man in Landscape.
- Utilizing the resources gathered from Pedro’s discussions, Benjamin will facilitate dance explorations in the studio and in the environment, focusing on sensory work, developing imagery in the body, blind work, and partner and group stretching, and developing individual and community dance in the environment.


Location:

Czech Technical University in Prague: Faculty of Architecture (FA CVUT)
Thákurova 9, Prague 6 – Dejvice (New Building atrium)
- Studio, surrounding open spaces of CVUT, and natural environments


Registration:
- 1000Kc (40€) Weekday or weekend workshop
- 1750Kc (70€) Combined workshops
–> Save 250Kc (10€)

* Limited to 30 participants


To register contact:
- Pedro Prazeres (Portugal/Czech Rep.) prazeres_pedro@yahoo.co.uk
+ 420 7761 835 92
- Benjamin Jarrett (USA/Serbia) jarrett.benjamin@gmail.com
+ 381 63 11 76 786


What to bring:
- Comfortable clothing to move in (indoors and out-of-doors), and as needed, an extra change of training clothes
– Also be prepared for variety of weather (i.e.: sweats and hat) and terrain (i.e.: shoes) as we will be working outside
- Notepad and pen for writing
- Water and light but nutritious food for lunch (nuts, fresh fruit, etc.)



Description:

This indoor/outdoor workshop will occur at multiple locations inside and outside of the New Building of the Czech Technical University in Prague: Faculty of Architecture (FA CVUT), including the Vltava river, and Divoká Šárka natural reservation, where we will explore, through dance, our place within the landscape and the environment, ecologically and culturally, in their complexity and changeability.

Creative body movement awakens the senses and enables us to more vividly perceive our surroundings. We become sensitive to fluctuation – change – not only within our own bodies, but within and between others’ – whether human, animal, tree, water, rock, cement, or steel. This sensitivity enables a broader experience of space and its contents, and by that a more accurate expression of the identity of a specific place, a specific locus. We can then begin to interact in more meaningful and satisfying ways with our environment, whether as architects, builders, dancers, workers or whoever.

These events will be conducted in an atmosphere of collective exchange and creativity. We will share our experiences and view points during the workshop, both in theoretical discussions led by Pedro, and in direct bodily communication, i.e.: dance, led by Benjamin.



Inspiration:

The themes explored in this workshop are nothing new. Lawrence and Anna Halprin began experimenting with environment and community in the 1950s, giving rise on Anna’s side to a whole new perspective and practice of dance and performance, as well as healing through expressive arts. On Larry’s side, his work with dancers gave him a keener sense for creating landscapes wherein people would feel invited to move about and interact; so that his works became living choreographies.

Our aim is to provide an approach to Architecture, to Landscape, and to Space in general, not just through the eyes and thinking brain, but through all the senses.



Participants:

Students and professionals of Dance, Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and anyone interested in deepening their relationship with the environment.


All experiences welcome!



Facilitators:

Benjamin Jarrett (Culture of Movement) has been a student of Anna Halprin since 2005, working and performing as a member of her Sea Ranch Collective, and assisting during bi-weekly classes in Northern California. In his workshops, Ben utilizes Halprin’s methods as well as that of Body Weather Laboratory, which he’s studied under Sherwood Chen since 2004, and lessons learned from Butoh dancer Tadashi Endo. Since moving to Serbia in 2008, Ben has taught numerous workshops in Subotica, Novi Sad and Budapest for professionals and non-professionals alike, young and old. For more information go to: brjarrett.blogspot.com

Pedro Prazeres is interested in exploring the Dancing Landscape and the Dancing Body. How they relate, in which levels, under which principles, are the questions motivating him through is life. He studied Landscape Architecture at Lisbon Technical University and Helsinki university of Technology and Contemporary Dance at the Scottish school of Contemporary Dance and the Duncan Centre Conservatory. Through workshops he is exploring other fields of dance like Butoh (Sumako Koseki), Voice and Body (Viliam Docolomanský), Body Mind Centering (Mariko Tanabe), Body Weather (Frank Van der Ven and Oguri), Gaga Technique (Caroline Boussard), Improvisation and composition (Davide Sportelli and Martha Moore) He is now an independent artist creating Landscapes and creating Dance