INTRO TO FLOORWORK WORKSHOP SERIES
Wednesdays 6-8pm
January 15, 22, 29 + February 5
at Fremont Abbey Arts Center
4272 Fremont Ave N, Seattle
REGISTRATION IS NOW FULL! Stay tuned for our next, coming late spring.
Workshop Description
Undercurrent Intro to Floorwork Workshops offer thoughtful, sequential skill-building in our floorwork technique. Over four consecutive weeks, we will collectively build a solid foundation in movement vocabulary essentials, focusing on strength, safety, and progression toward the confidence and familiarity to support participation in our intermediate class flow.
Our fundamental tools: repetition, joy and ease, choosing efficiency over muscling through, clear verbal and physical cueing, one-on-one workshopping attention, and community curiosity and mutual aid.
What will each session be like?
We prioritize learning by doing, keeping our muscles warm, finding the flow in the body and in the room, and moving with clarity and ease. With these goals in mind, the structures of each session are continuous and playful, while also allowing ample time for questions and individual workshopping. Together, we will move through repetitive action to practice and integrate, and finish with a short sequence of movements where we tie some ideas together for a sense of flow, play, and dance.
With two guides in the room, Hilary Grumman and Alethea Alexander, we do our best to be sure that no one ever feels lost or left with questions or needs unanswered or unaddressed. Every session will build from simple sequences that begin low to the floor, and work towards applying the same tools and pathways towards mid-level space (and everything in between).
Level
All are welcome, no prior dance or movement experience necessary!* These sessions are a diving-off place for those who do not have any floorwork experience, have never taken a dance class, have a limited movement practice, or simply want to reexamine their technique from the ground up.
*Please note that this practice does move in and out of the floor. Though we prioritize physical safety and longevity in this form, we also recognize that being in contact with the floor can be uncomfortable for some. Feel free to reach out directly if you have questions about whether our floorwork practice will feel exciting and comfortable for your body.
About Undercurrent
Undercurrent classes investigate the vigor, mechanics, and efficiency of floorwork with care, curiosity, and precision. While exploring fluid ways of moving low to the floor, practitioners use the architecture of their bodies to make challenging movement smooth, strategic, and strengthening. Undercurrent believes in the longevity of dance and aims for this method of floorwork to be as physically sustainable as it is innovative in its vocabulary. The practice supports movers of diverse backgrounds and skill sets in balancing and conditioning their bodies while adding versatility to their movement toolsets.
Undercurrent was initially developed in 2017 and draws from training rooted in geographically and stylistically diverse practices, including Piso Móvil, Flying Low, Psico-Físico, RUBBERBAND, Jorge Crecis, Adam Barruch, Ihsan Rustem, Moving Air, Duela-Cemento, A Surprised Body, CONTINUUM, Austrian Parkour, and 13 years of independent research. It is a technique developed and taught by femme leaders and bodies, offering biomechanically safe, researched, accessible, and inclusive entry points into complex tricks and physical strength.
Safety for All Sessions
⤷ Wear soft layers that are comfortable to move in and cover your whole body, especially shoulders, torso, shins, and feet.
⤷ We ask that you sign a liability waiver upon arrival for the first session.
Have questions? Reach us at divein@danceundercurrent.com
This workshop is made possible by the generous partnership and support of Fremont Abbey Arts Center. Check out their concerts, community events, rental spaces, and more, or make a tax-deductible donation at www.fremontabbey.org
