With Ali Stockford
“We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.” Friedrich Nietzsche
How does the clown respond to the things that they witness or imagine?
By inhabiting and becoming the things that they see, imagine or feel the clown becomes a colourful storyteller and in the empty space we, the audience witness and experience the adventures the clown is living through. One of the ways actor-clowns can effectively tell story is with movement and physicality.
In this course we will be exploring principles of Mettler based movement improvisation (see below) as a tool for freeing our clown in his/her movement expression and physicality.
How free do you feel to move your body, to move into the dimension of dance, to use movement to inhabit characters, the elements or even objects on stage? Movement feels key in Clown Improvisation. Yet we don’t have to be trained, rehearsed dancers in the perfect body to experience how joyful it is to move in the body we have. The clown is free to move in their very own way -organically- just as they feel and with pure enjoyment. Movement that is beautiful – not in its perfection of form but in its authenticity, freedom and spontaneity.
On this short course there are no dance steps to learn. We will explore how the body moves with the elements of force, time and space and with different qualities. Then, playing freely as clowns, we can experience an enhanced readiness to use the body as a tool for animated story telling in improvisation.
This course also explores the way we can counter how we work in Zoom. How can we defy and use this space creatively, becoming unstuck from our screens yet still developing a sense of connectedness and refreshment from our sessions.
Course includes:
- Movement:
- Tune up and tune in : the body as instrument, movement as material
- Exploring the elements of Force, Time and Space and movement qualities
- Individual movement studies and pair/ group movement improvisation.
- Playful voice : the voice is movement too.
- Clowning:
- Playful clown and movement warmups and exercises.
- The clown – staying with the problem in movement
- Clown Improvisation in pairs / small groups
- Reflection on our clowning and movement experience for more learning.
ABOUT METTLER BASED DANCE
Believing that Dance is a basic human need, Barbara Mettler (1907 – 2002) explored new approaches to both the body as instrument and movement as the material of the Dance. Her way of working emphasised individual and group Improvisation as a means of cultivating the natural, creative movement resources which are in everyone. Mettler’s pioneering research, exploration and practice of large group Dance Improvisation is recognised as a ground breaking and unique contribution to contemporary Dance. https://www.barbaramettler.org/
More about the course:
Nose to Nose has planned this series of 4 online sessions to run on Saturdays for four weeks from 2.00 – 3.45pm GMT. Each session has different themes exploring particular aspects of both clown and movement improvisation. The series of 4 sessions is limited to 12 participants.
Each week you will be sent an email containing a session outline. The course also offers feedback adapted to your level of experience and designed to enable you to progress at your own pace.
Pre-requisites
There are no pre-requisites for this course. Both beginners and experienced clowns are welcomed.
Course dates:
- 07th November 2020
- 14th November 2020
- 21st November 2020
- 28th November 2020
Course Fee : £125
Click here to book this course or enquire
Note: On some IPADS or IPHONES you may need to “long press” the link above.
To book a course follow the link Click here to book… above. You will see on the form whether there are available places. Submit the form with your details and we will let you know how to proceed with payment of your deposit. Your deposit is REFUNDABLE MORE than 2 months before the start of the course. There is a £20 admin fee for refunds. If the course is cancelled your deposit will be refunded in full.
Deposits are paid online.
NOTE: Your place can only be confirmed after we have received your deposit.
Once your deposit has been accepted, we will notify you to confirm your place on the course.
You are booked on the course ONLY when Nose to Nose confirms your place.
If you have questions or problems, email us at mail@nosetonose.info
If full email us at mail@nosetonose.info to go on our waiting list. We’ll let you know when a place becomes available.
The group is limited to 12
Facilitator: Ali Stockford
Ali Stockford
Ali participated in her first Nose to Nose workshop in 2000 and fell in love with the work. Since training as a facilitator she has worked with Nose to Nose for over 5 years . She holds this work in high esteem as a perfect grounding for all creative work and the bigger picture of trusting ourselves and life. Alison is a qualified and experienced teacher of over 25 years having delivered Performing Arts workshops in mainstream and special schools and older peoples settings. Dancing since the age of four she is drawn to facilitating how others explore the dimension of movement in their clown.
Performing experience includes: tap dancing and comedy in café-théâtre with Les Amuses Gueules Lille, France; Street Theatre and Theatre in Education with Inside Out Theatre Company, Hastings. In recent work for Nose to Nose Ali has presented trainings for the Giggle Doctors – Theodora Foundation and for Lis’n Tell Speech and Language Practitioners, UK. Ali speaks both English and French.
MORE INFO CONCERNING COURSE FEE…
Q: Can I talk to someone? A: Yes, just send an email with your phone number to mail@nosetonose.info and we’ll call you as soon as we are free to do so.
Q: Are there still spaces available on the course? A: Just click on the link Click here to book… above. You will see on the form whether there are available places.
Q: Can you put me on the waiting list? A: Sure, just click on the link Click here to enquire and fill the form. We will put you on our waiting list and let you know when a place becomes available.