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kira kirsch & frey faust in 'blind faith'
photo by kwai lam

The Axis Syllabus is a precise system of orienting the body internally and externally. Applied anatomy, physics and biomechanics are considered in the creation of spiraling and undulating movement material. Safe falling reflexes, fluid transitions and kinetic efficiency are some of the characteristics of this approach. Essential motion principles are proposed in looping cycles to encourage a flow-full practice. More dynamic phrases towards the end invite the challenge of surprise and will accelerate into spinning, inversions, higher falls, staccato and jumping. With dedication to detail and research this training aims to protect, prepare and empower the precious instrument of the dancer.

Axis Syllabus Class Themes: 

T H E  A R T  O F  F A L L I N G

Finding flight in the state of off-balance and landing with grace and resilience are the topics of this week.  By learning how to fall, we are disarming a primal fear and are generating potential of our physical abilities. Especially for movement artists, safe falling management is vital to ensure a healthy and injury-free career. It empowers us to take more risks when creating new movements, dancing with partners or fulfilling a choreographer’s vision. We will explore receptive body pathways, the chronological skeletal architecture and the physics and dynamics of low, high, vertical, transversal, spinning and other kinds of falls.

 

T H E  A S C E N D I N G  S P I NE

The dance, ritual and discourse of this series begins in the multi dimensional and undulating spine. The spine in constant flux is a wise receptor and transmitter of information and forces. We will work towards the cultivation of subtle articulation and a deep sensing spine. A spine which virtuously distributes and recycles kinetic impact through itself, into pelvis, periphery and space. Continuous flow and sophisticated phrases will highlight the effect and function of the dynamic spine. The practice of endurance will accompany this series accessing light trance and meditative states as learning tools.

T H E  C - S T A R

The C-Star is the most basic falling study in the AS vocabulary. Through the study of this movement, the student will be able to transform the floor from a dangerous obstacle to a trampoline, allowing for less inhibition when learning more demanding or risky movements. The C-Star develops all-round support, stretches and strengthens the rotators of the hip and stabilizers of the knees.

W A L K I N G  - POETICS & MECHANICS OF AN EVERYDAY MOVEMENT
Optimal use of the foot, knee, hip, spine and arms to harness gravity. Analysis and restructuring of individual walking/running patterns using Axis principles. Prepare to leap, study foot mechanics and optimal anatomical jumping architecture, learn to harness gravity and inertia to fly. Walking well is a preparation for life, for everything we will do with our bodies. Our walking patterns form the base of unconscious reflexes that serve as a starting point for learning any other coordination, such as sport and dance or any kind of active work. If the knees are not aligned, if the curves in the spine are not adjusted for optimal rebound, if the feet are not actively supporting the arch and ankle, the repetition of minimal gestures that compromise the integrity of these structures will cause a gradual or even sudden deterioration.

On the average, the human being takes about 80 to 90 steps a minute, that is about 5000 steps every hour. Each repetition of a faulty coordination sets the stage for potential injury.

Walking well includes understanding and supporting the side-bending principles, the involuntary internal and external rotations of the knee, Q-Angle and Hip-axis arcs, foot structure and disposition, as well as finding and applying the motions of individual spinal curves to the different cases of locomotion. The healthy motion of walking includes continuous tri-axial undulations in the axial skeleton, a rotary under-curve swing in the pelvis, diagonally angled arcs of the extremities as they swing and receive the weight of the body falling through space. Each body has an optimal walk and personal rhythm. This workshop is designed to assist the participant in breaking the code of the habits that are potentially dangerous, ultimately finding their own walk, a walk that optimalises the structure of their bodies.

Contact Improvisation

With a strong focus on technique, namely the Axis Syllabus, this workshop extends to find the bridge to the practice of Contact Improvisation. Efficient lifting mechanics; appropriate weight distribution; counterweight; the Art of Touch; and sensory integration are common subjects of my study. Research of ‘Into the Bones’ will be around the multidimensional and undulating spine as a wise receptor and transmitter of impulses and forces.  We will also look at the architecture of our extremities and our bones as supports for ourselves and of our partner.  Understanding the three-dimensionality allows us to really comprehend the non-linearity of our skeletal architecture and the chaotic complexity of our movements.

photo by lori halliday