Spring Series: The Baroque “Mouvement”
Gregory Youdan and Meggi Sweeney Smith
Come join in this three-part workshop, taught by Meggi Sweeney Smith, soloist and teacher for the New York Baroque Dance Company (NYBDC), and discover the movement of your Baroque dancing body.
Whether you are a
* Dancer looking to expand your stylistic range and understanding of where our modern forms began, a
* Historian, costumer, or archivist looking to bring your interests to life, or a
* Musician, actor or teacher hoping to experience the music of the body and enhance your own form,
…this class will offer a look at the Baroque culture and society and how its ideologies were embodied through the art form of dance.
Dates: March 15, April 26, and May 10
Time: 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Location: Moving Visions Dance Studio 19 Murray Street, 3rd Floor (between Broadway and Church Street) New York, NY 10007
In Tribeca near 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, R, A and E trains
Cost: 3, 2-hour class Special – $60 for the full workshop ($20 per class reduced price)
Drop in price – $25 per class
(Pay by check or cash on first day)
Clothing: Please wear clothing that you can comfortably move in and bare feet or soft-soled shoes.
Day 1: Baroque Ideologies through the Dancing Body (March 15)
This introductory class will explore the foundations upon which this form was built, while using the other art mediums of the time to enhance our views of the movement. Participants will learn the most common Baroque steps and arm gestures and discover the rhythmic beauty when paired with Baroque music. We will explore the various social settings in which this form existed and finish with a joyous contra dance for all.
Day 2: Baroque Ornamentation and Spatial Architecture (April 26)
This second class will include a review of the foundations and then introduce the numerous variations that ornament the dance of this period. The second portion of this class will become an investigation of the spatial architecture of our Baroque body, both in the breath and space within the performer, as well as the external floor patterns and relationships that are so clearly refined in the beauty of these forms.
Day 3: Couple Dancing and Courtship in the Baroque Period (May 10)
This final class will begin with a warm-up of the dancing body and introduce some figures from the couple dances of the time. We will then shift our focus to the minuet steps and embrace the flirtatious courtship of this dance when it is paired with the secret fan and handkerchief language.
Questions about this workshop? Please contact Meggi Sweeney Smith at dance@meggisweeney.com
