Adult Summer Modern Dance Workshop / Intensive
JUNE 10-14, 2024
WITH CINCINNATI’S RESIDENT MODERN DANCE COMPANY, MUTUAL DANCE THEATRE
Formerly known as MamLuft&Co. Dance and Contemporary Dance Theater
YOU ARE VIEWING THE ADULT INTENSIVE: JUNE 10-14, 2024
000 days 00 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds
until the intensive!
REGISTER EARLY FOR A DISCOUNT
An immersive week of Modern Dance studies
A week of Modern Dance studies with Cincinnati's Mutual Dance Theatre and esteemed guests from notable companies.
18
courses
25
class meetings
13
faculty members
1
amazing week
Early Bird Rate
$369
Register by March 31st to receive this discounted rate
Regular Tuition
$419
Register between April 1-30 to receive this rate
Late Rate
$469
This rate applies when registering on May 1 or later
Day Pass
$129
5-Class Mix and Match
$129
MDT Tee
$20
REFUND POLICY
$50 of your registration fee is a non-refundable deposit and will not be returned for any reason, including withdrawal, illness, or injury.
In the case of withdrawals, a written request must be submitted no later than 14 days prior to the start of the intensive, sent to hello@mutualarts.org.
Refunds cannot be provided due to absenteeism, injury, illness, doctor’s appointments, or other reasons.
ADULT SCHEDULE
*Subject to change. Note: On a desktop, if course names are cut off, you may mouseover the block to see the whole name.
While it would be more cost effective to sign-up for the entire workshop, we have made most of the classes available as a drop-in. However, Monday morning Modern with Hannah Williamson is a 5-day commitment. If you wish to sign-up for individual classes without any kind of package discount, please click on the links in the schedule. Otherwise, click "REGISTER TODAY" below the schedule for the full package.
Monday, June 10, 2024
-
-
MODERN DANCE TECHNIQUE with HANNAH WILLIAMSON of Mutual Dance Theatre (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
MODERN DANCE MATERCLASS with ROSE SUNILA of Cincinnati Ballet Academy and Miami Valley Ballet Theatre (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
LUNCH BREAK - BYOL, ICE BREAKERS AND INTRODUCTIONS with JEANNE MAM-LUFT, Artistic Director of Mutual Dance Theatre
-
-
HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE IN A NUTSHELL with JEANNE MAM-LUFT Artistic Director of Mutual Dance (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
MODERN FLOOR WORK with ANA HART of Mutual Dance Theatre (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
REPERTORY with JASMINE SNELLEN of Mutual Dance Theatre
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
-
-
MODERN DANCE TECHNIQUE with HANNAH WILLIAMSON of Mutual Dance Theatre (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
MODERN DANCE MASTERCLASS with COUNTESS V. WINFREY of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
LUNCH BREAK - Optional Group Outing to Gabby's Cafe
-
-
YOGA VINYASA FLOW with ROSE SUNILA of Cincinnati Ballet Academy (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
INTRODUCTION TO LIGHTING DESIGN AND PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT with LARRY CSERNIK of Vincent Lighting Systems, Northern Kentucky University, and Mutual Dance Theatre (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
REPERTORY with JASMINE SNELLEN of Mutual Dance Theatre
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
-
-
MODERN DANCE TECHNIQUE with HANNAH WILLIAMSON of Mutual Dance Theatre (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
MODERN DANCE MASTERCLASS with TREZON DANCY of InPulse Dance (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
LUNCH BREAK - Optional, BYOL - Modern Dance Trivia (prize to the highest scorer!)
-
-
SKILLS WORKSHOP: PARTNERING AND WEIGHT SHARE with ANA HART of Mutual Dance Theatre (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
SKILLS WORKSHOP: INVERSIONS with CLAIRE DIERINGER of Mutual Dance Theatre (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
REPERTORY with JASMINE SNELLEN of Mutual Dance Theatre
Thursday, June 13, 2024
-
-
MODERN DANCE TECHNIQUE with HANNAH WILLIAMSON of Mutual Dance Theatre (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
CONTEMPORARY MASTERCLASS with IHAIAH MILLER UC Adjunct, formerly of Cincinnati Ballet Academy, North Florida Ballet Theatre Academy (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
LUNCH BREAK - Optional Group Outing to The Arepa Place
-
-
CONTEMPORARY REPERTORY MASTERCLASS with REGGIE HARRIS formerly of Ballet Austin, The Joffrey Ballet, and River North Dance Chicago (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
INTRODUCTION TO GRANT-WRITING with JEANNE MAM-LUFT, Artistic & Executive Director of Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
REPERTORY with JASMINE SNELLEN of Mutual Dance Theatre
Friday, June 14, 2024
-
-
MODERN DANCE TECHNIQUE with HANNAH WILLIAMSON of Mutual Dance Theatre (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
LIMON-BASED MODERN DANCE MASTERCLASS with ROWAN SALEM, Artistic Director of Synergy Series (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
LUNCH BREAK
-
-
Good-Bye Ice Cream Party
-
-
IMPROVISATION with LESLIE DWORKIN, MFA Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Winner (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL DANCE PHOTOSHOOT with JEANNE MAM-LUFT, Artistic Director of Mutual Dance Theatre (Single drop-in registration)
-
-
REPERTORY with JASMINE SNELLEN of Mutual Dance Theatre
-
-
END OF INTENSIVE SHOWING (open to friends and family)
2024 FACULTY
Click on the faculty member's name to reveal their bio.
COURSE: “INTRODUCTION TO LIGHTING DESIGN AND PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT”
Larry Csernik is a lighting designer for theatre, dance, and opera. Originally from Louisville, KY, Larry stayed in Cincinnati after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre at Northern Kentucky University. He has designed many shows for his alma mater including Mud Nostalgia, The Divine Visitor, The Wedding Singer, Birds, Years: A Musical, As You Like It, The Heidi Chronicles, Angels In America: Part I, and several dance concerts (DANCE ‘14/15/18/19). For the past four years he has designed for both The Commonwealth Theatre Company (The Games Afoot, The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee, Some Enchanted Evening, The 39 Steps, Burgertown, The Odd Couple, Churchgirls) as well as Contemporary Dance Theater (Performance and Time Arts Series, and ‘16/17/19/20/21 Area Choreographers Festival at the Jarson-Kaplan Theater). Other credits include Don Giovanni, La Cenerentola, Iolanta, Der Freischutz, Fidelio (Queen City Opera); The Full Monty, Willy Wonka, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Joseph…Dreamcoat (The Carnegie in Covington); the premiere performance of Soldier’s Christmas (Blueline Editorial); and numerous shows at Thomas More College (Almost Maine, Macbeth, Frankenstein, Godspell, Little Women, The Crucible, Urinetown).
COURSE: “MODERN DANCE MASTERCLASS (INPULSE TECHNIQUE)”
Trezon Dancy, who hails from Hartford, Connecticut, is a choreographer, performing artist, and educator. Dancy has worked with numerous artists including Travis Gatling, Kim Stroud, Nathan Andary, Earl Mosley, Ronald K. Brown, Kyle Abraham (A.I.M.), and many others. Dancy graduated high school from Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts in Hartford, Connecticut. He received his bachelor degree in Dance: Performance and Choreography from Ohio University in 2017. Upon graduation, Dancy accepted a first company position with the world-renowned Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. Currently, Dancy resides in Columbus and is the Artistic Director of InPulse Dance Company, as well as the Operations/Program Manager for OhioDance. InPulse Dance Co. is a freelance repertory company that upholds Dancy’s mission of self-expression through mind, body, and soul. The company’s vision is to support self expression through genuine and visceral movement, inspired by familiar life and human obstacles.
Dancy’s dance works have been presented at OhioDance Festival at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio (2015); Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, Harford, Connecticut (2015 – 2017); Battery Dance Festival, New York, New York (2017); West Fest Dance Festival at Martha Graham Dance Studio, New York, New York (2017); American College Dance Association, Kent, Ohio (2017); Project Jericho, Springfield, Ohio (2018); the International Conference and Festival of Blacks in Dance, Dayton, Ohio (2019); Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (first and second companies, 2017-2021); and the Ohio Dance Festival at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (2015-2023).
COURSE: “SKILLS WORKSHOP: INVERSIONS”
Claire Dieringer is a 2016 graduate of Kent State University, from which she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Magna Cum Laude. Claire also studied at American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina with numerous teachers in multiple styles from all over the world. Claire has worked professionally as the Director of the Dance Program at Lake Bryn Mawr Camp in Pennsylvania. In 2017, Claire joined Mutual Dance Theatre (when it was MamLuft&Co. Dance) after training in New York. She was hired full-time as the organization’s Education and Outreach Coordinator and now holds the role of Studio Director and Programs Manager. She recently performed in Géographie, a multi-week installation by French choreographers Annie Vigier and Franck Apertet (les gens d’Uterpan) at the Contemporary Arts Center, as well as in the Area Choreographers Festival (Contemporary Dance Theater).
COURSE: “IMPROVISATION”
Leslie Dworkin, MFA is an independent dance artist whose performance residencies include the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Joyce SoHo, Movement Research in NYC, and Jacob’s Pillow, to name a few. She is a two-time recipient of the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award in Choreography,, from both 2016 and 2024, and has received grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Pew Charitable Trusts, and a 3-year residency with the Susan Hess Choreographers Project. Leslie danced internationally as a member of the Melanie Stewart Dance Company and the Leah Stein Dance Company, and in the works of countless independent dance artists. She is an integrative bodywork therapist, a certified yoga and qigong instructor, and has been a guest artist in many dance departments throughout the U.S.
COURSE: “CONTEMPORARY REPERTORY MASTERCLASS”
Reginald Harris, MSW, LISW-S, CTP is a social work strategist, therapist, and arts educator. A former professional ballet dancer with ten years of professional performing experience, he danced with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Ballet Austin, River North Chicago Dance Company, and Dances Patrelle. Reginald’s teaching experience began in Ballet Austin’s Academy in 2003 and included a two-year stint as resident choreographer for the Ballet Conservatory of South Texas and four years as a company teacher for River North Chicago Dance Company. In 2009, Reginald was one of a small group of arts educators to open The Chicago High School for the Arts (Chiarts) – Chicago’s first and only public performing arts high school. In 2011, Reginald became the dance department chair at Chiarts and worked to build a comprehensive and intensive dance curriculum. For the past several years, Reginald has had the honor of serving as dance panel adjudicator for the National Endowment for the Arts. As a certified trauma practitioner (CTP) – Reginald has developed an arts-focused training that addresses trauma and its impact on students’ cognitive and emotional development and academic achievement and works closely with arts education organizations on becoming trauma-informed. He holds a Bachelor of Liberal Studies in Organizational Leadership from Roosevelt University and a Master of Social Work from Boston University.
COURSES: “MODERN FLOOR WORK” and “SKILLS WORKSHOP: PARTNERING AND WEIGHT SHARE”
Born in Osijek, Croatia, Ana Hart graduated magna cum laude from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts & Design with a concentration in Interactive Design. In the summer of 2019, Ana attended the American Dance Festival and studied with Shayla-Vie Jenkins, Ray Schwartz, Maayan Sheinfeld, Noa Zuk, and Ohad Fishof. She was also cast in work by international choreographer Chien-Kuei Chang. Ana has also performed in works by Matt Pardo, Ryan Corriston, Christian Warner, Gregory Dolbashian, Stephanie Liapis, and Darla Stanley. Ana danced with Virginia Repertory Dance Company from 2019-2021. Ana is passionate about dance in the community and has been a volunteer with JMU’s Dance for Parkinson’s Program, later completing Dance for Parkinson’s Professional Development Training from the Mark Morris Dance Group under a grant from JMU’s Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship.
COURSES: “HISTORY OF MODERN DANCE IN A NUTSHELL,” “INTRODUCTION TO GRANT-WRITING,” and “HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL DANCE PHOTOSHOOT”
Jeanne Mam-Luft is the Artistic and Executive Director of Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers, which she partly founded as MamLuft&Co. Dance in 2007 (later merged with Contemporary Dance Theater, founded by Jefferson James in 1972). Mam-Luft holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Texas Woman’s University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University. Mam-Luft studied at both American Dance Festival and Bates Dance Festival on full scholarships, as well as Carnegie Mellon’s acclaimed School of Drama, Pittsburgh Filmmakers, and Point Park University. Her training includes Sarah Gamblin (Bebe Miller Dance Company), Mary Williford-Shade (Dance Alloy), James Caton (Ballet Metropolitan), Melissa M. Young and Nycole Ray (Dallas Black Dance Theatre), Ming-Lung Yang (Trisha Brown Dance Company), Tatiana Baganova (Provincial Dances Russia), and many others. Mam-Luft was the Assistant Director of Contemporary Dance Theater for 4 and a founding member of Greater Cincinnati Dance Alliance. She is certified in Labanotation from the Dance Notation Bureau (NY) and is also a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional. As an artist-producer, Mam-Luft has produced 18 evening length and 61 shorter works (35 of which she was lead choreographer). She was the first and only dance artist to be named a Cincinnati Arts Ambassador Fellow in support of an original dance-for-camera she choreographed, filmed, and edited. She served on the board of OhioDance (the state-wide organization for dance) for 6 years. She has been a grant panelist for both the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. She was raised in Texas after her family escaped the Khmer Rouge genocide. Most of her works are inspired by her family’s experiences. As a choreographer, her interests lie mostly in human connections and how that is portrayed through spatial relationships. She has guest-taught and/or set work on students at Texas Woman’s University, University of Cincinnati, Wittenberg University, Northern Kentucky University, University of Kentucky, Tarrant County College, and Kent State, where she was an artist-in-residence in 2016.
COURSE: “CONTEMPORARY MASTERCLASS”
Ihaiah Miller is a native of Jacksonville, Florida where they trained at the Douglas Anderson School for the Arts and Jacksonville University’s Dance with Distinction program. In 2003, they graduated from the Joffrey Ballet/New School University with a BFA in Ballet and Composition Studies and in 2016, was a “Reaching for the Stars” fellowship recipient at Arizona State University where they were pursing their Masters of Fine Arts in Theatre, Performing Arts Management and Entrepreneurship.
As a professional dancer, Mr. Miller has performed with the Eugene Ballet, Ballet Idaho, the Dance Theatre of Harlem “Dancing through Barriers” Ensemble (DTH) Coastal Arts Project, the Florida Ballet, and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (Trocks) in soloist and principal roles. They have toured nationally and internationally, and have performed at prestigious festivals, in over 60 countries on 6 continents. They have performed many principal and leading roles in such ballets and works as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Taming of the Shrew, Cinderella, La Bayadere, Le Corsaire, Raymonda, Paquita, The Little Humpbacked Horse, Flames of Paris, and Giselle, Harold Lander’s Etudes, Gerald Arpino’s Italian Suite, Glen Tetley’s The Rite of Spring, Norbert Vesak’s Belong Pas De Deux, Spring Waters, Mark Bogaerts’ Full Circle, Arthur Mitchell’s Fete Noir, Septime Webre’s Shoogie, and Peter Anastos’s Go for Barocco. Ihaiah has been photographed, written up, and reviewed in numerous press articles such as the New York Times and the London Daily Standard. Amongst their most notable performances, Ihaiah has performed at the Guggenheim Works in Progress series with DTH, performing at the Folies Berger in Paris, the Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogotá in Colombia, performing for Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand in Bangkok, and my final performances at the Joyce Theatre in New York City with the Trocks.
In 2005 they founded a dance company, Diesel Dance, which later became Diesel | Fusion Dance Theatre (DFDT), and was based both in New York City and Jacksonville, Florida. Through DFDT, Ihaiah’s work has been showcased throughout Florida and New York, and has been performed at many festivals, benefits, and concerts including the 2005 and 2006 Downtown Dance Festival, the Women’s Professional Conference, the 2005 Black Expo, the 2005 Young Artist’s Festival, the 2007 Rhythms: Choreographers of NYC Showcase, 2008 Florida Dance Festival on Tour, the 2010 Emerging Choreographer’s Festival, and the Quigley House Benefit hosted by the Arts Edge School of Dance and Theater. In 2003, Ihaiah was privileged to create their ballet, Les Plaisirs Suite on the Manhattan Youth Ballet and in 2007, they choreographed the SDIII music video “1 Potato, 2 Potato, 3 Potato, Knish” for the Neoworld Productions Sketch Comedy Show. To date, Ihaiah has choreographed over 120 works throughout their career and looks forward to creating many more. In addition to this, Ihaiah has re-staged many of the romantic and classical repertoire including La Bayadere, Giselle, Les Corsaire, Raymonda, Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, and the Nutcracker.
Throughout their touring and performance schedule, Ihaiah has maintained strong ties to their home and the community of Jacksonville, Florida. When not performing or choreographing, Ihaiah actively teaches throughout North Florida and New York. He has taught at the Kingdom School of Dance, the acclaimed Studio Maestro in New York, Sandra Cameron Dance Center in New York, Jacksonville Christian Arts Center, the Episcopal High School of Jacksonville, Jacksonville Center for the Arts, La Villa School of the Arts, and the Florida Ballet Training center to name a few. Ihaiah was recently employed as the Principal Faculty for Contemporary & Choreography at the Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy for Dance from 2021 to 2023. Currently an adjunct faculty member at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music, Ballet and Contemporary dance Department.
In addition to their choreography and teaching, Ihaiah also maintains talents in design and has designed several posters, invitations and other publicity for The Joffrey Ballet School, Coastal Arts Project, The Cooper-Morgan Dance Theater, The North Florida Ballet Theater, and The Florida Ballet. They also regular designs and creates costumes for their ballets such as Melodic Noise, Stabat Mater, Stigmata, Rites of Passage as well as many others. their costumes designs have also been used in Coastal Arts Project’s Sleeping Beauty, Duane Cyrus’ Venus, and Jason William’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
COURSE: “LIMON-BASED MODERN DANCE MASTERCLASS”
Rowan Salem is a choreographer, performer, and teacher originally from Massachusetts. As an artist, her interests lie in compositional improvisation and philosophy’s links to movement. Her teaching is influenced by Humphrey/Limon technique, contact improvisation, and contemporary forms. Rowan earned a Masters of Fine Arts in Choreography and Performance as a Teaching Fellow/Gretchen Moran Scholar at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Her teaching affiliations include Amherst College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Rowan recently relocated from Denver, Colorado, where she held faculty positions at Colorado Ballet Academy (the official school of the Colorado Ballet), Aspen Academy, Colorado Academy, and Metropolitan State University of Denver. She has recently collaborated on and performed in the work of Chris Aiken, Angie Hauser, Kate Speer, and Tara Rynders. Rowan’s work has been presented at Redline Contemporary Arts Center, Counterpath Exhibition Space, Green Street Studios, and Art Gym, Denver where she was the 2017 recipient of the Create Award Residency.
COURSE: “REPERTORY”
Jasmine Snellen began her dance training at Louisville Youth Performing Arts School where she studied Martha Graham’s technique and classical ballet. Snellen earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Shenandoah Conservatory and University where she trained with equal emphasis in Ballet, Jazz (classical, contemporary, & commercial), Modern (Graham, Limón, & Horton), composition, and pedagogy. Snellen has had the honor of training with Alan Arnett, Tiffanie Carson, Ting-Yu Chen, Maurice Fraga, Elijah Alhadji Gibson, Erica Helm, Linda Miller, and Lisa Startsman among others, including mainstage features by Mike Esperanza of Bare Dance Company NYC, Company | E of Washington DC, and Brussels-based artists Katie Vickers and Albert Quesada.
Jasmine has performed at Peridance Salvatore Capezio Theater in NYC, trained with LA Contemporary Dance Company and Sidra Bell Dance New York, and presented work at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. Snellen is currently dancing, teaching, and choreographing as Company Director with Mutual Dance Theatre in her third season. Recently, she conceptualized, choreographed, and edited a five-part dance-for-camera entitled FFIFF (2020), which explores society’s rapidly shifting polarity, clashes of beliefs, and the tethers of groupthink.
COURSES: “MODERN DANCE MASTERCLASS” and “YOGA VINYASA FLOW”
Rose Sunila is a movement educator, performer, and choreographer who holds an M.A. in Dance from the Theater Academy of Finland. In addition, Rose is RYT500 yoga teacher, certified Prenatal yoga teacher and Breathwork facilitator. “My journey in life has taken me to living on three continents, and I have been collecting my craft of dance and movement from these corners of the world. Whether teaching dance in the rural school system in Northern France, studying in Amsterdam, experiencing Flying Low-technique with David Zambrano, or trying to grasp the cultural richness of Capoeira Angola in Brazil; all these experiences have formed me to be the mover and teacher I am today.”
COURSES: “MODERN DANCE TECHNIQUE”
Hannah Williamson, a 7th year performing member of Mutual Dance Theatre (formerly MamLuft&Co. Dance), is choreographer, Rehearsal Director, and performing member. She is a 2017 graduate of Wright State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance – Magna Cum Laude. She has performed in works by Dwight Rhoden and Clifford Williams of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and the Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre in Carmel, IN. Williamson is currently on the faculty of Wright State University.
Through her passion for choreography, she strives to communicate eternal truths where mere words come up short. Her prior works have been selected for such presentations as Columbus Modern Dance Company’s January 2018 Emerging Choreographer Residency, The Area Choreographers Festival (Contemporary Dance Theater), and Yes! Virginia Dance Festival (Richmond, VA). Williamson also received a commission from MDT for the creation of “Variations in a Brainstorm” (premiere 2021), which was heralded by many audience members as their favorite MDT work.
COURSE: “MODERN DANCE MASTERCLASS”
Nashville native, Countess V. Winfrey, currently serves as a performer, teaching artist, choreographer, and rehearsal director for The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. She began her training at the age of 11 at Wharton Arts Magnet Middle school, Dance with Stacey Dance Studio, and Nashville School of the Arts. She later attended the University of Memphis, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Health and Human Performance, and a minor in Dance. Post-graduation, Ms. Winfrey joined Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s pre-professional ensemble, which then led into a professional dance career with DCDC. Ms. Winfrey has danced professionally with DCDC and has also danced one season with ClancyWorks Dance Company (Washington, D.C.). She has performed nationally and internationally in Bermuda, China, Kazakhstan, and Russia. She has performed works by Ulysses Dove, Donald McKayle, Ray Mercer, Dwight Rhoden, Ronald K. Brown, Abby Zbikowski, Dianne McIntyre, Donald Byrd and more.
Nominate a future faculty member
Please use our Contact Us form to nominate a professional living near the Cincinnati area. Self-nominations welcome!
COURSE AND ACTIVITY DESCRIPTIONS
Click on the activity name for a description. Listed in alphabetical order.
Together, participants will explore compositional frameworks and experiments as used within the Modern Dance genre.
A unique opportunity to work with the first openly-gay Black Cincinnati councilman, Reginald Harris, who also just happens to be a former professional dancer with Ballet Austin, Joffrey Ballet, and River North Dance Chicago. Reggie will guide the class through learning contemporary choreography, whilst providing inspirational encouragement for their careers.
We strongly believe that dancers should have an understanding of Modern Dance history. Prompted by the startling realization of the limited knowledge of dance history among university and post-graduate dancers, this intensive seminar aims to provide participants with a concise and illuminating overview of Modern Dance’s origins, spanning up to today’s developments. Our goal is to instill participants with a deeper appreciation for the rich diversity within the field, reaffirming the plurality they may have previously perceived.
Workshop participants will work with Jeanne as she shares over 20 years of experience in photographing and staging dancers for exciting and flattering photography that captures emotional concept, technical facility, and motion. Students will be able to take turns in front of the camera while putting into practice various principles that will assist students in maximizing their precious time with photographers.
Investigate. Expand. Attune. The tools used to explore improvisation are endless. In this class, we’ll play with a couple of different structures, in solo and group forms, that will increase awareness, expand movement choices and qualitative range, and increase confidence in real-time choice-making and full-bodied exploration.
What can dance artists expects when it comes to grants and funding? How does one find opportunities? Or, write a successful grant application? Mutual Dance Theatre’s Director provides a helpful introduction to grant writing for dance artists and explains some of the common misunderstandings of grants.
What are your options? How does one develop an idea and articulate it to their lighting designer? What information does a lighting designer and stage manager need from a choreographer? These questions and more will be addressed during a quick crash course for dancers by MDT’s lighting designer-in-residence.
During lunch time, participants are free to do as they please! We encourage you to take a breath of fresh air outside on our 1.2 acres or to explore Cincinnati and the adjacent charming neighborhood of Wyoming. However, we have scheduled special activities for those who wish to partake! Dancers are to bring their own lunches OR they can purchase lunches where noted on outing dates. We do have refrigerator, microwave, hot water kettle, and toaster oven available for use.
Please see the schedule for the date of each activity.
BYOL: GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Bring your own lunch and get to know your fellow workshop mates in a fun hour led by MDT’s Artistic Director.
BYOL: ICE CREAM PARTY
A send-off on what will surely be a hot day: eat lunch together one last time followed by an ice cream party and exchanging information to stay in touch.
GROUP RESTAURANT OUTINGS
Sign-ups will be posted in the lobby. We encourage students to get out, carpool, and explore some local eateries. Each day will feature a different local restaurant.
BYOL: MODERN DANCE TRIVIA
Bring your bagged lunch and your Modern Dance history knowledge! (Oh, and a device to play the game on!) Participants will compete in a game of dance history trivia to win a prize!
The Masterclass Series features special guests with national repute, focusing primarily on Modern Dance with some additional Contemporary. Mutual Dance Theatre proudly shares with its workshop participants esteemed professionals from the field. Participants will experience a breadth of styles — both in the dancing, as well as the teaching style itself — in order to expand each dancer’s palette.
Please see the schedule for their assigned dates.
ROSE SUNILA’S MASTERCLASS:
This class evolves from floorwork to upright position. In the process it explores smooth inversions in search of a functional movement flow. Rose is interested in exploring a sense of weight and how it shifts, as well as relating to the three-dimensional body and breath. Improvisational elements are added to the technical material to embody individual expression. Expect to express yourself in a manner that feels most authentic to you.
IHAIAH MILLER’S MASTERCLASS:
Ihaiah Miller’s modern class is a blending of the Horton Technique the Paul Taylor Style and Ihaiah’s contemporary movement base. Rooted in strengthening, movement flow, and developing an emotional and narrative connection to the music and movement, the class is an energetic and fast-paced experience. The class has three sections, a lead-and-follow warm-up, progressions, and a final choreographic combination. Ihaiah hopes that you will enjoy their class and it will inspire you in your own movement and practice.
In this floorwork workshop, we will reimagine our connection with the ground, exploring groundedness and how we can sequence the edges of our own surface to create fluid transitions. Through this journey, we will challenge ourselves to interact with the ground in ways that redefine our spatial perception and body awareness. What if our movements could transform the very environment around us? Join as we embark on dynamic, energetic, and creative explorations of space in community. This class is grounded in skill-building, providing the essential foundation for you to reach new heights.
Through daily study with MDT’s Rehearsal Director, Hannah Williamson, students will gain intimate experience with the company’s pluralist approach to dance, seamlessly drawing from traditional and progressive Modern Dance styles to build a whole dancer.
Learn Mutual Dance Theatre repertory from Company Member and Choreographer Jasmine Snellen.
As the last gathering, workshop participants will perform in a live-streamed and open showing to which they may invite friends and family. Participants will share their Repertory work and a phrase from their daily Modern Technique class.
Struggling with being upside down or on your hands? No worries. This skills workshop will work on fundamental concepts to help you become more comfortable with inversions, using both Modern Dance and gymnastics principles.
Weight share is vastly important to Modern Dance performance. Strong partnering technique is necessary for safety and aesthetics, especially if performing non-traditional lifts. Through an exploration of dance partnering fundamentals, we’ll delve into the dynamic exchange of weight and momentum. Together, we’ll embrace the guiding principles of mutual trust and resistance.
Vinyasa yoga is a creative form of yoga where poses are linked together in a flowing sequence. The class starts with breath awareness to experience how the breath moves the body in a subtle manner. All movement grow from this awareness. There is no standard sequence in Vinyasa yoga, and the class explores a variety of movement passages challenging the balance yet experiencing groundedness. The class ends in a brief resting pose to practice stillness and silence in the body.
Mutual Arts Center
HARTWELL Location
8222 Monon Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45216
Convenient to I-75, Kroger (just a block away!), Country Fresh Market, charming small business district of Wyoming, and more conveniences. Located in a somewhat secluded area with pine trees and large yards on 1.25 acres, with plenty of free parking. Doors are locked at all times with video surveillance.
hello@mutualarts.org
513.494.6526
We also accept text messages
FAQs and OTHER POLICIES
Please scroll up for the refund policy.
This workshop/intensive is best suited for adults with prior dance experience. Many of the classes will move very quickly; however, we will never shame any dancer for having less experience. Most of the students are currently dance majors, recent graduates, or professionals.
Dancers with a foundation in Ballet or Jazz will also do well in our workshop! We highly encourage it for dancers who do not specialize in Modern: it is great cross-training.
There are no auditions! Like American Dance Festival or Bates Dance Festival, we do not audition students.
As an organization, we do not have a strict dress code, per se, for adult dancers. Individual instructors may vary in their opinions. In general, we encourage Modern Dancers to wear movement that assists in their flow and does not impede footwork. We ask for no mid-driffs and for full bottom coverage to at least mid-thigh. We ask dancers not to wear shorts other than “bike shorts” due to the amount of open-leg floor and inversion work we do. Chinese kneepads are encouraged. Floor work is extensive: please have coverage for backs, arms, and legs available at all times.
We are unable to provide housing. However, we have some trusted families in the area who may be able to host a student. Please email hello@mutualarts.org for an introduction. Be aware that we advise that students keep to certain hours and bring absolutely no guests to hosts’ homes.
For the summer of 2022, we can provide two partial work-study scholarships. Please contact hello@mutualarts.org for more information.
Many people reside in Cincinnati without a car and use the public bus system. It will add considerable travel time to many areas of town; we thus highly recommend staying as close as possible to 8222 Monon Ave, 45216.
If you are interested in auditioning for us, please consult mutualdance.org/audition. We also sometimes extend invitations to join the company when we see exceptional dancers.
We ask that you do not arrive at the Center earlier than 15 minutes before the first class of the day, as the doors may not yet be opened.
We advise you bring the following:
- Lunch if you don’t want to leave the Center campus. We have a microwave, fridge, how water kettle, and stove available. However, within walking distance are: Kroger, Wendy’s, UDF, and Gold Star. Within driving distance are: Dragon City, La Casita, Penn Station, Country Fresh Market, Wyoming Community Coffee, Half Day Cafe, Wyoming Pastry Shop, Station Family + BBQ, Pollo Shaddai, Amma’s Kitchen (all-vegetarian Indian), We do BBQ, Song Long (Vietnamese), and more.
- Reusable water bottle. The drinking fountains are out of commission due to COVID. We will have filtered water coolers available.
- Layered clothing. The studio may get warm, but we recommend items to cover legs, arms, and backs for floor work. All of our floors are Marley. The lower level studio is cushioned Marley.
- Chinese knee pads. You may find these helpful.
- Note-taking materials. Our seminars will contain great information. Writing it down helps you remember!