Open Adult Classes

Click the “+” sign to the right to learn about taking class with The Woods!

  • Hosted by The Woods Dance Project

    It’s Spring Session!

    When: Saturdays 10-11:30 AM January 3 through June 20, 2026.

    Who: Led by The Woods Dance Project artists and associates. Teacher bios and dates are listed below, as scheduled.

    Where: Performing Dance Center: 3310 S 2700 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84109

    Registration: All registration is in person. We’re so glad you’re here! Please check in with the class host upon arrival. Class will start and end right on time. New-to-class dancers, please allow at least 10 minutes to complete paperwork and to settle in. All dancers: To respect the community and the instructor, please arrive before class begins to complete check-in, payment, and to settle in. The hall door leading to the studio will be locked at 10:15 for security.

    Cost: Venmo, check, and cash are accepted.

    Venmo payments can be accepted at any time and will be applied to your next class or class card. A confirmation email will be sent within 24 hours if payment isn’t used the day it is received. Venmo: @the-woods-dance. Payments are non-refundable, but credit for drop-in classes can be used anytime during the session in which it is purchased.

    • Drop-Ins: $15. Please note that this price will allow us to sustain these classes into the future and to pay our teachers a meaningful wage. If this price is out of reach for you, please see more payment options below!

    • 5-class cards: $60 (You save $3/class!). Class cards expire 12 weeks from the first day of use**. Although cards may be purchased for someone else, classes are non-transferrable after the first use. New! Upon purchase, you will be emailed a link to a Google Doc where your class passes will be tracked, for your convenience!

      • **The non-expiration terms of class passes purchased in 2024 will be honored. If you have a class pass from 2024, it will not expire!

    • Special Sliding Scale Rate: For those in financial need, a sliding scale is available of $9-14. No questions asked.

    • Work Study: Work Study is offered for one to two people each season. Work Study exists to make class more accessible for those who need it, and is intended for those who will take classes regularly. Please contact us if you are interested in this opportunity. If the current season is full, you may be added to a waitlist.

    Any class changes will be reflected on the Calendar.

How to Stay Up-To-Date

All classes will be posted below, on the website calendar, and on Instagram. You can also plug our Google Calendar into yours! Follow us Saturday morning for last-minute changes to the schedule. Cancelation is rare, but it happens!

Sign up for the Dancer Mailing list

UPCOMING CLASSES

Teaching Next…

LUKE DAKOTA ZENDER is a non binary movement artist that values the art of story telling over technique and believes that movement is for all. “What we do as artists is represent what is possible with our bodies, our imaginations and our imperfections”. Zender has been dancing and choreographing in Los Angeles, New York, Jackson Hole and now Salt Lake City for the last twelve years. In that time they have come to prioritize equity and inclusion above all else. The dance industry and lifestyle has been a mirror for Zender’s world and has provoked an inner work that has been equally fruitful and challenging. They believe that dance, particularly dance education has the power to transcend and teach life skills valuable to anyone at any and every part of life. As a dancer Zender has had the privilege to study under David Dorfman, Bill T. Jones, Babs Case, Anouk Van Dijk, Debbie Allen and many more. They are currently dancing in their second season with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company and has worked for Sean Keylock Company, Bodyart, Contemporary Dance Wyoming, Invertigo Dance Theatre, Heidi Duckler Dance and performed works by countless choreographers. Zender was the choreographic fellow for the state of Wyoming in 2020 and has been voted best dancer of Jackson Hole 3 times, they also continue to create and share their work with the world.

Contemporary “Energetic Organization” w/ Luke Dakota Zender | May 2

As an educator, I place value on sensation, sequencing, curiosity and joy as opposed to shape or aesthetic. Class starts with simple movement pathways and a sense of ease, that way the nervous system can be accessed softly with care, and heat slowly builds within the body. As the body becomes warmer and more available, the movements become fuller and the pathways more complex. We continue to build on the complexity of directions and sequences and before you know it, we are moving fully with a sense of organization and ease. Class is informed by sensation and imagery-based improvisation, release, counter technique, floor work, breath work, and more!

Teaching soon…

FRANKIE HENDERSON is a multifaceted artist, choreographer, performer, educator, and, above all, a passionate advocate of movement in all its forms. She holds an MFA in Dance from the prestigious Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine. Over her career, Frankie has collaborated with esteemed artists including Laja Field, Victor Rottier, Leandro Damasco, Carley Conder, Kathryn Alter, Monica Bill Barnes, and Fabian Wixe.

Image by RanDee Madison.

Contemporary Floorwork with Frankie Henderson | May 9 + 16

Contemporary floorwork is a merge of acquired techniques that utilize breath work, core engagement, gravity and momentum, sufficient upper body strength, and explosive actions derived from the pelvis. In this class, dancers will use efficient movements that enable them to yield to the floor using their body weight while simultaneously using their strength to push the floor away in opposition. Dancers will maneuver their bodies with a combination of weaving/threading, creasing/folding, and expanding/collapsing to construct patterns on the floor. Dancers will take part in inversion work by pouring weight into the hands and upper body musculature with various manipulations of the lower body. Contemporary floorwork employs various levels of acrobatics and propelling spirals derived from teachings of flying low technique and soft acrobatics.

 
 

See the full class schedule on the calendar here.

More About Class in The Woods

Inclusivity:

If you are prepared for an advanced-level class, you are welcome here. Intermediate-level dancers will find a good challenge in the material—we are happy to invite you to class. Please check in with yourself to make sure you are taking care of your personal needs as well as supporting the safety of others in class. Class instructors are happy to work with those navigating injuries or other situations. Please feel free to speak with the instructor before class if there is anything you would like them to know or that they should be aware of. We aim to create a space that feels inclusive of the individual’s identity and experience and are open to feedback and dialogue about how we can create a more inclusive environment in The Woods.

What to wear:

Floorwork is explored to different degrees by the various instructors. Knee pads are encouraged but optional, and may make some feel safer and more comfortable. For a great non-bulky dance knee pad, check out: dancekneepads.com (we currently have these kneepads for sale at class for $20 while supplies last!). Please bring layers (t-shirts or long sleeves and leggings or loose-fitted pants) to protect the body during floor exercises and to keep the floor from picking up excessive body oils/lotions and becoming slick. Bare feet may be encouraged, depending on the instructor.

2025/2026

Teaching Artists

QUINCIE BEAN was raised in Utah and began dancing at the young age of three. She completed her pre-professional training at Provo Civic Ballet before relocating to Santa Fe to join Modas Dance’s year-round program under the direction of Layla Amis. In Santa Fe, she danced works by Robert Moses and Gail Gilbert. Her next move took her to Chicago where she danced for Cocodaco Dance Project, NOW Dance Project, and Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre. Quincie later collaborated on projects with LED and Project Flux, both in Boise. Notable performances include Treefort Music Festival, Festival Prisma Danza, and Dance for Life in Chicago. She has performed works by Lauren Edson, David Maurice, Alex Ketley, and Garrett Smith, among others. Quincie joined NW Dance Project as a dancer in 2021 and was promoted to rehearsal assistant and dancer in 2024. At NW Dance Project Quincie danced works by Ihsan Rustem, Joseph Hernandez, Sarah Slipper, Caroline Finn, Yin Yue, and Bryan Arias, among others.

Image by Clayton Cottrell

Quincie Bean

NATALIE BORDER is a lover of all things movement. With dance being a prominent movement form in her lifestyle, Natalie revels in the connection between the mind, body and spirit. Natalie calls the Utah mountains home, however, craves to live near the ocean someday. Natalie received her BFA from the University of Utah in 2015 and has since worked as a freelance artist where she has collaborated with choreographers Nick Blaylock, LAJAMARTIN, Satu Hummasti and Daniel Clifton among many others. Natalie participated in Snow College’s Juilliard Summer Intensive as well as Northwest Dance Project’s Launch program. She has guested in Repertory Dance Theatre’s Emerge show, and produced her own show, Nomad. Natalie danced for SALT Contemporary Dance in 2018 and had the privilege of working with artists such as Brendan Duggan, Penny Saunders, and Jenni Gordon. From 2019-2021 Natalie was a company member of Vim Vigor, a New York physical theater company, under the direction of Shannon Gillen. Returning to Utah, she has ventured into screendance-making and collaborating with artists, Rebekah Guerra and Megan O’Brien. Natalie looks forward to continuing to dance, create, perform, and explore the tender moments of being a human. Natalie is currently dancing for Nichele Woods and recently started teaching tango, her new-found love of partner dancing.

Image by Brad Simmons.

Natalie Border

 

MAEVE FRIEDMAN (she/her) is a freelance dance artist based in Salt Lake City,  originally hailing from Maryland and Maine. She trained at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts BFA program, SALT2 Contemporary Dance Company, and Bates Dance Festival, and has performed works by Courtney Mazeika, Constance Anderson, Noelle Kayser, Kellie St. Pierre, Nicole Von Arx, David Dorfman, Alex Ketley, Brandon Alley, Trisha Brown, Shen Wei, José Limón, Igal Perry, and others. As a maker, Maeve and her choreographic partner Mads Ward have presented work through Playground Dance Project, SLCPL’s series 12 Minutes Max, Monday Movement Lab, and Queer Spectra Arts Festival. Maeve’s screendance projects have premiered at LadyFest Charlotte’s Film Festival, Noori Screendance Festival, and American Dance Festival’s Movies by Movers. Maeve is passionate about building community and opportunities for training in the city. She manages marketing for SLC open-class series Dance Class For Humans, and teaches for The Woods Dance Project. Maeve is inspired by the boundless possibility of collaboration and improvisation, her favorite folk music, poetry, memories, + the body.

Image by Mylo Ornowski

Maeve Friedman

STEPHANIE GARCÍA is a multi-awarded Mexican artist, producer, arts administrator, and independent curator working in the USA and Mexico. Dance, video, choreography, film, and performance art are the mediums García intervenes in the audiences’ realities that witness her work. She is co-founder and co-director of Punto de Inflexión Dance Company and PROArtes México. She has worked with important Mexican and international choreographers, performed in relevant dance festivals and venues in Mexico, and 11 countries in America, Europe, and Africa, and created more than 30 original interdisciplinary pieces presented in the USA, Mexico, Cyprus, Ireland, Peru, Panama, Spain, and Cuba. Her work has received grants and funds from Mexican, USA, Spain, Netherlands, and Canadian institutions. In April 2025, Stephanie was appointed part of the 100th class of Guggenheim Fellows.

Image by Todd Collins.

Stephanie Garcia

 

FRANKIE HENDERSON is a multifaceted artist, choreographer, performer, educator, and, above all, a passionate advocate of movement in all its forms. She holds an MFA in Dance from the prestigious Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine. Over her career, Frankie has collaborated with esteemed artists including Laja Field, Victor Rottier, Leandro Damasco, Carley Conder, Kathryn Alter, Monica Bill Barnes, and Fabian Wixe.

Image by RanDee Madison.

Frankie Henderson

JONATHAN KIM (he/him) is a dance artist currently based in San Francisco, CA. Before relocating to California this year, he was a full-time company member with Repertory Dance Theatre and freelanced in the community. Originally from Southern California, he obtained his Bachelor's in Dance from California State University, Fullerton. Previously, he worked with SALT Contemporary Dance, SJDanceCo, and Lineage Dance Company. He has been fortunate to perform works by a diverse spectrum of choreographers and répétiteurs during his professional career including, but not limited to: Doris Humphrey, José Límon, Donald McKayle, Ihsan Rustem, Lar Lubovitch, Noa Zuk and Ohad Fishof, Mitsu Salmon, LAJAMARTIN, Joni McDonald, and Brendan Duggan. While not dancing, he can be found reading a good sci-fi/fantasy book or napping. 

Image by Sharon Kain.

Jonathan Kim

 

COURTNEY MAZEIKA is a movement artist, maker, and educator originally from Houston, TX. She received herBFA in Dance from the University of Texas at Austin; then trained under Summer Lee Rhatigan at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. As an independent artist, she has had the opportunity to perform internationally in original works by Tom Weinberger, Bobbi Jene Smith, David Harvey, Christian Burns, LoneKing Projects, Alex Ketley, Ben Green (Hind Legs), Megan O’Brien and more. Courtney has had the honor ofbeing on faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program, and served as director of the SALT Pre-Professional Training Company. She worked as a rehearsal assistant for Tom Weinberger’s original creations at Staatstheater Kassel (DE), SUNY Purchase, Arts Umbrella (VBC), Nuova Officina della Danza, and more. She has also served as rehearsal director at Oquirrh West Project,NWA Ballet Theatre, and SALT Contemporary Dance. Her independent choreography has been shared at the Rotterdam International Duet Choreography Competition (2nd prize), 801 Salon SLC, 12 Minutes Max SLC,Chop Shop Contemporary Dance Festival (WA), Austin Dance Festival, University of Texas at Austin, Utah Valley University, Westminster University, Oquirrh West Project, SALT Contemporary Dance, SALT2, and more. From 2018 to 2022, she was a collaborator and company artist with UNA Productions. She danced with Norrdans (SE) for the 2022-2023 season, where she had the opportunity to perform works by Or/Eller, RenaButler, and Ioannis Mandafounis. Courtney recently shared a new work in collaboration with Peter Farrow and Jonathan Starr at 801 Salon in July 2023, and an independent solo at 12 Minutes Max SLC in October 2023.

www.courtneymazeika.com

Image by Nir Arieli.

Courtney Mazeika

TARA McARTHUR is a dance artist, social worker and GYROTONIC® instructor, originally from Northern California. She was a member of the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company from 2008-2014, performing and teaching extensively throughout the U.S. and France. She went on to collaborate with Katie Faulkner, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, Hope Mohr, Gerald Casel, Risa Jaroslow, Tandy Beal and Keith Johnson, among others, across Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and New York City. Most recently she has performed with Repertory Dance Theatre, Joanna Kotze (NYC), Nichele Woods (SLC) and Andrew Merrell (SF). Tara holds a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Utah, and a BFA in Dance from California State University Long Beach.

Image by Allison McKinney

Tara McArthur

 

MORGAN PHILLIPS, originally from Mesa, Arizona is a freelance performer in the Salt Lake City area. She has performed with many local companies including RDT's Emerge, SALT Contemporary, Cat+Fish Dances, Wasatch Contemporary Dance, Myriad Dance, The Woods Dance Project, and SB Dance Company. Morgan is a full body mover with a focus in floorwork. Her work is mostly created through improvisation using complex textures, sensations, and imagery. Outside of working with contemporary companies in the Salt Lake area, she also is a pole dancer where she integrates her contemporary dance background with the apparatus. 

Morgan Phillips

KELLIE ST. PIERRE is a multidisciplinary artist, invested as a choreographer, performer, filmmaker, and educator, based in Salt Lake City, UT. Originally from Bakersfield, CA,  Kellie received her B.F.A. in Dance from the University of California, Irvine, and her M.F.A. in Dance and Screendance from the University of Utah–her research in embracing sustainable risk for transformative experiences.

As part of her performing career, she danced for Donald McKayle’s Etude Ensemble and spent five seasons with DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion, touring nationally and internationally. With DIAVOLO, she was featured on America’s Got Talent, Season 12. Independently, Kellie’s recent appearances guested in the works of Ballet Opera de Guerra, Jonna Kotze, Mitsu Salmon, and And Artists. 

Her choreographic work often integrates video projection, technology, or set pieces–reflecting object-human agency and influence, positioning environments as direct collaborators. Her work has been shared locally and nationally, including through Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, SALT Contemporary Dance, loveDANCEmore, 801 Salon, 12MM, ACDA Regional and National Conferences, Utah Valley University, University of Utah,  Ballet Conservatory of San Antonio, University of Central Oklahoma, Cal State University Los Angeles, and Regional Dance America where she was awarded RDA Pacific Monticello Emerging Choreographer. As a screendance artist, Kellie’s current engagements include presentations at Women in Dance Leadership Conference Los Angeles, Cinedanza International Festival, For This Earth Screendance Festival, Utah International Dance Film Festival, and Women in Dance International Dance Film Festival in Yokohama, Japan.

Kellie is currently an adjunct instructor at the University of Utah, Weber State University, and Utah Valley University, passionately continuing the education of dance as art and life. Additionally, she instructs dancer health and wellness through the teaching of somatics, yoga, meditation, and Sugarfoot Injury Prevention and Conditioning.

Image by Todd Collins.

Kellie St. Pierre

 
Portrait black and white image of Cody looking directly at the camera with a big smile.

CODY POTTER is a non binary dance artist newly based in Salt Lake City. They are a company member with Ririe Woodbury Dance Company. They began their dance and performance career in NYC, where they were a dancer and Assistant Director for In-Sight Dance Company, a nonprofit service and performance organization in Queens. Since moving to Los Angeles, they have had the pleasure of making live performances with WhyteBerg, Mollie Wolf, Heidi Duckler, Robin Conrad, Invertigo Dance Theater, Rosanna Gamson World Wide, Acts Of Matter (Rebecca Lemme) Iris Company, LACDC Choreo Lab, Summation Dance LA They have also had the opportunity to work within the commercial industry with Toogie Barcelo, William Ylvisaker, Reggie Watts, Amy O’Neal, Panther Modern, Ani Taj, Sam Pinkleton, Billie Eilish, Fyohna, Austin McKenzie, AJ Lambert and Teddi Gold.

Cody is also a fiber artist who is interested in exploring the place where fiber art and dance meet to open up new ideas and ways of thinking about performance as sculpture. They are also interested in how costumed movement can inform us as people in today’s world about our deeper connection to ourselves when we delete the human form under costume sculpture. They have worked frequently with/for and are always inspired by fellow artist Mimi Haddon. The combination of these two forms creates the artist that Cody strives to be currently. They have created costumes for music videos with artists Teddi Gold, Al-Qasar, Talk2Strangers as well as the Opera Company Orpheus Project with Mimi Haddon.

Cody Potter

NICHELE WOODS (she/her) is a dance artist based in Salt Lake City where she directs The Woods Dance Project and is a current Lecturer of Dance at Utah Valley University. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nichele worked as an artist and administrator throughout the Bay before relocating to SLC in 2016. While in the Bay, she had the honor of working with choreographers Christine Cali, Kristen Daley, Joe Goode, Nancy Lyons, Virginia Matthews, and Mo Miner, among others.

Since her arrival in Salt Lake City, Nichele has been actively engaged in the community. The winner of Repertory Dance Theatre's 2017 Regalia competition, Nichele was honored to receive the opportunity to create a new work for the company's 2017-2018 season. Nichele was also thrilled to spend the summer of 2017 studying with Doug Varone through his DEVICES4 mentorship program in New York City, through which she premiered Stranger Kin at Gibney Dance Center (NYC). Stranger Kin was reset for the ACDA Northwest Region conference in 2018, where it was selected for the Gala concert and as the alternate selection for the National Conference.

In December 2018, Nichele premiered her first evening-length work, The End of Sisyphus, and in 2019 was awarded her M.F.A. from the University of Utah alongside the School of Dance’s L. Scott Marsh Mentorship Award, acknowledging her outstanding leadership and mentorship of others through example and encouragement. From 2019 to 2023, Nichele taught on faculty at Ballet West Academy, where she developed and served as the inaugural resident choreographer for Current, the academy’s contemporary performing group. Recent commissions include new creations for Westminster University, Sonoma State University, and Utah Valley University, where she has served as a Lecturer since Fall 2024 and is currently Co-Director of both Contemporary Dance Ensemble and Synergy Dance Company. In February 2024, Nichele founded The Woods Dance Project and premiered two new works through the company’s first production, REDUCER, presented by RDT’s Link Series.

Nichele is a student of Body-Mind Centering® through Sonder Movement Project and Moving Within in the Somatic Movement Educator program. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in Arts Administration through Southern Utah University.

Image by Marissa Mooney.

Nichele Woods

 

MELISSA YOUNKER (she/her) is an artist with a multifaceted dedication to dance; directing, choreographing, teaching, learning, performing and designing costumes. Her experimental approach combines her multi-disciplinary experiences to create and collaborate in solo, ensemble, site-specific, video, and theatrical performances. She is driven by curiosity: engaging in processes that are intimate and unrestrained.

Originally from Southern California, Melissa received her BFA from California State University, Long Beach in 2014. From 2014-2020, she was a full-time dance artist with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. During that time, she toured throughout the US and France performing dance works by over 20 internationally acclaimed choreographers including historical repertory by Alwin Nikolais with Nikolais Dance Theatre. In 2018, Melissa traveled to Mongolia and South Korea as a cultural ambassador with DanceMotion USA℠, a cross-cultural exchange program of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administered by BAM ® (Brooklyn Academy of Music). Melissa is a founding member of Heartland Collective, a multi-disciplinary collective with collaborations in dance, visual arts, music, and performance that has produced 8 evening length works since its inception in 2019. Additionally, she collaborates with project based movement groups And Artists (Utah), Ballet Opera de Guerra (Utah), Brolly Arts (Utah), Keith Johnson/Dancers (California), and Oriantheate Dance Company (Paris, France) with whom she recently toured to Croatia. Since Fall 2020, she has served as Co-Artistic Director of Utah Valley University’s Contemporary Dance Ensemble, where she was honored with the School of the Arts Dean’s Award of Excellence, for Adjunct Faculty. As a dance artist, she has worked with choreographers Adam Barruch, Jonah Bokaer, Ann Carlson, Daniel Charon, Mehdi Farajpour, Rebekah Guerra, Molly Heller, Tzveta Kassabova, Raja Feather Kelly, Stephen Koester, Joanna Kotze, Andrea Miller, Mitsu Salmon, Doug Varone, Netta Yerushalmy, Yin Yue, among others.

Melissa’s work is always always an exchange of ideas - a sharing of wonder. 

Image by Marissa Mooney.

Melissa Younker

LUKE DAKOTA ZENDER is a non binary movement artist that values the art of story telling over technique and believes that movement is for all. “What we do as artists is represent what is possible with our bodies, our imaginations and our imperfections”. Zender has been dancing and choreographing in Los Angeles, New York, Jackson Hole and now Salt Lake City for the last twelve years. In that time they have come to prioritize equity and inclusion above all else. The dance industry and lifestyle has been a mirror for Zender’s world and has provoked an inner work that has been equally fruitful and challenging. They believe that dance, particularly dance education has the power to transcend and teach life skills valuable to anyone at any and every part of life. As a dancer Zender has had the privilege to study under David Dorfman, Bill T. Jones, Babs Case, Anouk Van Dijk, Debbie Allen and many more. They are currently dancing in their second season with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company and has worked for Sean Keylock Company, Bodyart, Contemporary Dance Wyoming, Invertigo Dance Theatre, Heidi Duckler Dance and performed works by countless choreographers. Zender was the choreographic fellow for the state of Wyoming in 2020 and has been voted best dancer of Jackson Hole 3 times, they also continue to create and share their work with the world.

Luke Dakota Zender

Recent
Classes

 

  • In this class we will use a combination of communal free dance expression and progressions through the space and in/out of the floor to warm up our bodies. We’ll finish with a combination to explore range of motion and coordination.

  • As an educator, I place value on sensation, sequencing, curiosity and joy as opposed to shape or aesthetic. Class starts with simple movement pathways and a sense of ease, that way the nervous system can be accessed softly with care, and heat slowly builds within the body. As the body becomes warmer and more available, the movements become fuller and the pathways more complex. We continue to build on the complexity of directions and sequences and before you know it, we are moving fully with a sense of organization and ease. Class is informed by sensation and imagery-based improvisation, release, counter technique, floor work, breath work, and more!

  • We will move through class searching for aspects of play in improv, conditioning, and phrasework. We will move to expand limitations, explore sensations, and bring awareness to habits. Searching for joy and embracing the beauty of each other in the space. 

  • This class focuses on two core principles: awareness of the three-dimensional spine motion as the primary source of movement and the natural spiraling mobility of our bone structure as a healthy pattern to draw on our body.

    Through safe movements, breath and softening work, we will flow organically and with ease from and to the floor through efficient and instinctual biomechanics which will build up into fluidity and momentum, with special attention to functional anatomy, points of support, and weight transfer to maximize movement potential.

  • Class will consist of both improvisational tasks + structured phrasework to embody ideas of release, falling, inverting, + energy modulation, exploring a blend of organization and wildness. We will start simple and grow more complex in our movement as we sweat, smile, navigate changes in direction, and find expansive movement through weighted release. Music will be moving us as we see the space around us and find joy in dancing soft and wide, together! Class is informed by counter technique, floor work, and more. As a teacher and mover, I value using what is available in our bodies, moving deeper towards pleasure and curiosity as a way to unlock greater freedom in our minds and joints alike.

    Class will then become more structured through standing, across the floor, and center phrases that encourage expansive movement through weighted release. Music will be moving us as we see the space around us and find joy in dancing soft and wide!

  • This class will begin with guided movement improvisation and score structures, and finish with workshopping a phrase of material. We will move in connection with our sensations, imaginations, the space, objects, and other people in the room. The class will provide ways to dive into our own bodies and develop a practice together that values play, listening, virtuosity, and curiosity.

  • This class explores functionality and articulation of anatomy for greater expressivity, and the play of/between release and clarity. My approach is particularly informed by my postmodern / modern lineage, with personal study in various somatic modalities. Class begins with a guided somatic experience, improvisation, and guided movements to warm the body and tune into an internal, sensorial experience. After this, class often gets more structured, with phrasework of varying lengths to a curated playlist, building toward dynamic material that will take you off center, upside-down, and encourage both specificity and interpretation.

  • Contemporary floorwork is a merge of acquired techniques that utilize breath work, core engagement, gravity and momentum, sufficient upper body strength, and explosive actions derived from the pelvis. In this class, dancers will use efficient movements that enable them to yield to the floor using their body weight while simultaneously using their strength to push the floor away in opposition. Dancers will maneuver their bodies with a combination of weaving/threading, creasing/folding, and expanding/collapsing to construct patterns on the floor. Dancers will take part in inversion work by pouring weight into the hands and upper body musculature with various manipulations of the lower body. Contemporary floorwork employs various levels of acrobatics and propelling spirals derived from teachings of flying low technique and soft acrobatics.

  • Contemporary dance class that emphasizes dynamic movement, fluidity, floorwork, and sustainable training practices. We will build the body’s awareness and connection through anatomical and functional movement designed to efficiently fire up major muscle groups. Kellie believes preparing the body in this way can allow for uninhibited expression. We will move big yet gently, celebrating community atmosphere and individual aesthetic. Let’s get groovy!

  • This contemporary class begins with a grounding exercise, using breath to activate and organize the body. Drawing from yoga and Gyrotonic principles, we’ll prepare for greater range of motion, coordination, and internal awareness. As we move into phrase work, we’ll build a spherical, multidirectional sense of movement, relishing transitions and tapping into our inherent musicality. With attention to space, sensation, sound, and the surrounding environment, dancers are encouraged to explore personal expression within shared material—developing both technical precision and creative freedom.

  • This contemporary class incorporates improvisation and momentum-building sequences that explore efficiency, gravity and individual expression. Melissa believes that nothing the body does is wrong and that the practice of dance is the process of awareness and intention. Class will offer geek-out details as we look at functional anatomy, dive into curiosities and celebrate our unique dance approaches. Music matters in this playful class that moves through a curated playlist that gets our hearts pumping and bodies jumping.

  • This contemporary class will focus on developing the dancer's comfort, skill, and understanding of inverted positions. Informed by contemporary release technique, anatomy, and yoga, the class is designed to help dancers develop efficiency and alignment in various ways, including inverted positions. Dancers will be guided through a warm-up to prepare the body to be upside-down, specifically warming the core, shoulders, and wrists, and honing in on weight-sensing (upright and inverted) and spinal articulation.

    This workshop-style class is designed to be approachable for intermediate through professional-level movers. Dancers will get the most out of this class if they are already comfortable putting weight into their hands and have some experience with inversions. Touch will be used among participants to help dancers hold positions, find alignment, and/or for spotting. Alternative options can be provided for those uncomfortable with partnered assistance/touch.

Banner image by Samantha Stone