Overview
In this one-hour workshop, participants will be introduced to dance practices in which dancers relate to each other through movement and mutual consent. Through dance, relationships are developed through four key pillars:
- Following
- Being with a partner
- Copying or transposing a partner’s action
- Finding inspiration between each other
Our stories will begin to live in the movement we share through this simple structure. Kathleen Rea of REAson d’etre Dance Productions teaches in consideration of assistive devices, like wheelchairs, as an extension of the dancer’s body and an integral part of the dancer’s expression. She is well versed in audio describing movement and creating adjustments to exercises for those who are Blind or who have low vision. Having Autism herself, she also selects music and arranges her classes in a way that is often accessible to others who have Autism.
About Kathleen Rea
Kathleen Rea danced with Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, National Ballet of Canada and Tiroler Landestheater (Austria). She fell in love with Contact Improvisation (CI) 21 years ago and has been involved in the CI community ever since. She has choreographed over 40 dance works and has five nominations for DORA awards. Rea has a learning disability that has meant that writing takes four to eight times longer for her than for the average person. It is one of life’s great surprises and mysteries for her that despite this struggle she developed a love of writing and is a published author of The Healing Dance, as well as a blog and academic writing. With a Master in Expressive Arts, she has a passion for functional movement and is a teacher of the Axis Syllabus. Rea has been on the faculty of George Brown Dance program for the past twenty years and is also the Director of REAson d’etre dance productions, a not-for-profit contact improvisation-based dance company that produces weekly dance jams in Toronto. Being on the autism spectrum, she also identifies as being neuro-atypical and works to educate the world about neurodiversity.
Accessibility Notes
- The Brigantine Room in the Main Building is wheelchair accessible. Volunteers and Harbourfront Centre staff will be available to assist patrons with getting in and out of the venue from the building entrance 30 minutes before and after the workshop and can provide sighted guide to patrons who require ‘Curb-to-Seat’ support, as well as assistance on the ramps in the building.
- ASL Interpretation available upon request. Audio description will be integrated in the workshop After registering for the workshop, please contact Accessibility Coordinator Katherine Hale at khale@harbourfrontcentre.com by April 29 to request ASL Interpretation.
Dates & Times
May 1
12pm
60 mins
Venue
Indoors
Wheelchair accessible
235 Queens Quay West
Toronto ON M5J 2G8
Canada