Modern Basics & Creative Expression

45 minutes | Ages 4-6 | Monday | No experience necessary

Our aim is to create a positive and supportive environment where children feel safe to use dance as a social-emotional learning tool, explore their physicality, and work on creative expression through movement. In Modern Basics & Creative Expression, we will work on the principles of Modern and improvisation. This class is intended to give individualized attention to each student and to allow for the trajectory of the class to be based on the specific needs of the group. Students will experience the social fun of camp, learn the basics of multiple styles of dance, engage in a live and individualized class, and exercise their physical, mental and creative fitness.

A video “mosaic” of learned dance combinations will be provided to students & guardians at the end of the session.

The class begins with a full-body warm-up to increase body awareness, bring rhythm and coordination into the body, and prepare the body for a larger movement. Students will be led through guided dance steps and combinations. The class is encouraged to widen their artistic lens, and give their unique voice to the work.

This class will take place over 4 weeks.

CLASS SCHEDULE: May 3, May 10, May 17, May 24

NO CLASS ON: May 31 (Memorial Day)

Amy Ashley attended the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program from 2013-2015, and while there worked closely with and performed works of Alonzo King, Maurya Kerr, Gregory Dawson, Sidra Bell, and Kara Davis. Originally from Oregon, she teaches ballet & modern/jazz for PreK-12, and has freelanced professionally in Portland OR, San Francisco, and New York. Living in New York since 2016, she has performed classic works by José Limón, worked closely with Shannon Gillen and Colin Connor, and danced with Kathryn Alter. She joined Ariel Rivka Dance in 2018, and during lockdown, has begun pursuing and editing dance films