Cool Classes Coming Up in October

Matthew Bourn'e "Swan Lake"

While daydreaming about all the classes I'm going to take when my foot gets better I've come across a few really cool special classes coming up in the rest of October...if you're in the city, you should go...

I love how great companies that are touring to New York are starting to hold master classes lately. It gives dancers as dancers more experience being seen by different choreographers, and it gives dancers as audience members more insight into the company's artistic process and vision. Love it.

*Sat. October 9

Free Class Day at DNA! Check the schedule here. I'm going to try to make it to one of the yoga/pilates classes just because it's free!

*Sun. October 17

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet is offering a workshop for $60 than includes a ticket to one of their upcoming performances at The Joyce. 10am-1pm is for Advanced, and 2-5pm is Advanced/Professional. The first portion begins with a warm-up and the second portion incorporates the principles and techniques of choreographers whose work will be presented at The Joyce. The workshop culminates in phrases of Artistic Director Benoit-Swan Pouffer's own work, which relates to the techniques that inspire him.

*Wed.-Fri. October 20-22

Matthew Bourne Repertory Workshop at Peridance! So cool! It coincides with the company's performances of his famous all-male "Swan Lake" at City Center. The class is open to both men and women.

*Fri. October 22

Master class with les Ballets C de la B at DANY Studios
10am-12pm.

*Mon. October 25

Master class with the amazing Wendy Whelan of NYCB! Sounds like a great opportunity offered by MMAC studios from 7:30-9pm. Oh how I'd love to go...MMAC is also offering a "Bring a Friend" discount to get your class free through December, though I'm not sure that applies to master classes.

*Fri. October 29
Another Cedar Lake class at DANY.

Fall Downtown = Cheap Dance @ DNA

The Lower Manhattan Arts League is hosting it's 2nd annual Fall Downtown Festival. That means dance institutions like Battery Dance Company and Dance New Amsterdam are offering cheap dance events and classes next week!

To celebrate and inaugurate the Fall Downtown 2010 season, each of the 11 participating cultural organizations will host a kick-off event at its venue(s) on Tuesday, September 21. Launch events include surprise performances, world premieres, workshops, happy hours, gallery openings, free giveaways, discounted tickets, and more.  The detailed launch events are listed here.
Some highlights I hope to get to:
Next Tuesday Sept. 21 is the kickoff! An excuse to schmooze...

*Looks like Battery Dance is co-hosting a launch event at Access Theater at 8pm, with free drinks and performance by company dancers.

*Dance New Amsterdam is offering $12 classes all day on Sept. 21 with promotional code FALL10. DNA offers a variety of techniques and styles, including Modern, Contemporary, Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, Flamenco, Pilates, Thai Massage and more.

*Later on October 7-8 DNA presents RAW Material - a juried performance series that encourages burgeoning artists to bring new work to a live audience, experimenting with new ways of crafting their work. Mentored by Artistic Advisor Gus Solomons, Jr., this season¹s artists include Randy Burd; Sumi Clements/Summation Dance; Moriah Evans and Sarah Beth Percival; Gorgas/PoMoMojo; Joanna Kotze; and Dawn Robinson.

*And on October 9...FREE CLASSES! DNA welcomes dance lovers from all over to take part in the organization's second annual FREE Class Day!, which provides a spectacular array of technique and wellness classes at a range of levels, from amateur to professional, for an entire day, free. Culminating the day of free classes, DNA will present a one-of-a-kind performance event showcasing the diversity of DNA's faculty.

A whole bunch more events and performances are happening downtown throughout the season as part of the festival. Check out their website (which doesn't seem to be updated yet...)