thursday morning viewpoints

This year I’ve been fortunate to delve back into the Viewpoints system of movement with two separate post-secondary groups. Building from the ground up: I relish pairing down movement to its basics and building it up again with specific focus, concern and intention. Tasks and movement. Listening to and trusting your impulses. Relationships onstage between performers and space, between action and time, between audience and performer. I love investigating the different aspects individually, interrogating them, exhausting them only to then add another on top. This deconstruction to layering is complex and insatiable. Leading this work, I am pleased to realise how deeply ingrained it is in my own practice: oftentimes focusing on one of the nine viewpoints over others to help craft a character, or, unconsciously playing and adjusting the dials to explore a whole vocabulary.

Which is why I’d like to open up a community jam on Thursday mornings. I want this training to keep going. I know there are many actors, dancers and other performers who have crossed paths with Viewpoints throughout their training. I know there are others who have never experienced it before but have heard its name.

If you fall into any of these categories, I invite you to join me at hub14‘s new Artscape studio @ 910 Queen Street West on certain Thursday mornings, from 9 – 10am, to come jam and explore this movement for yourself. Space will be available from 8:45am for personal warm-ups.

In an effort to make cross-disciplinary training more commonplace and low-risk, all of these drop-in sessions will be offered at no cost. All you have to do is send a message to afieldofcrowns(at)gmail(dot)com (there’s a form here) so I can come and get you.

*note: unfortunately, hub14 is not an accessible venue, as it is located in a basement without access to a public elevator.*

Upcoming sessions will be:

March 7th, 21st & 28th, April 4th, 18th & 25th

Collective Creations

collective creations

Collective Creations
@ hub14 (14 Markham St., Toronto)
Mondays, April 18 & 25, May 2 & 9
6:30 – 9:30pm
$10 / class
$35 for all 4

Collective Creations will focus on two main areas of theatrical exploration: (i) physical training, and, (ii) collective creation techniques for material generation. The goal of this session of classes is to provide an affordable and accessible space for artists to continue their individual training as well as challenge their understanding of what it means to work in a collective.

Throughout the four weeks, we will, as an ensemble, create a common vocabulary and challenge each other to push past our defaults. These classes will combine vocal improvisation techniques and various movement forms, including aspects of Viewpoints, clown, contemporary dance improv and archetype work. Using the exquisite pressure of time, we will create new, imperfect works destined to fail and find success in the jewels hidden amongst our rubble.

To reserve a spot send an email to afieldofcrowns@gmail.com