Connection, Sensation, Exploration
This session will start with a warm-up exploring principles found in many African dance styles – low centre of gravity, complete shifts of weight, engaging the spine in the production vibrations, rotations, and undulations through the body. The warm-up will provide a starting point for improvised dancing, alone and with others, drawing on the values of interaction and sociality we encounter in social dancing. Funmi will share her experience of the Yoruba social dances she grew up with – Juju and Fuji and there will be space for participants to share their dance experiences. Creative tasks will explore the interaction – between movement and sensation, the space, and others, in circles and traveling the room.
Access
Independent Dance is resident at Siobhan Davies Studios. To find out more about accessibility and the amenities available within the building please see here.
If you have any questions about the accessibility of our programme and would like to discuss any specific access requirements, please feel free to reach out to us via email info@independentdance.co.uk or by phone on 0207 091 9665, to speak directly to a member of the Independent Dance team. Alternatively, you may phone the main reception at Siobhan Davies Studios on 0207 091 9650.
During class, all participants are welcome to take breaks, observe, exit and enter the space as they wish. Lounge areas are available on the first and ground floors of the building. Yoga mats, blocks, cushions and ear defenders are available for use. We also welcome you being in contact if you would like to discuss the option of bringing your access support worker. Please speak to a member of the ID team if you require any assistance.
Cancellations and refunds
Prices for classes are kept very low and are subsidised by ID in order to support artists to attend. To keep admin manageable for our small team, we don’t offer refunds if you cancel or can’t attend a class, and we can’t transfer your booking to a different class/event. We hope this is understandable. If a class is cancelled or changed by ID however, we do offer refunds/transfers to everyone who has booked.
‘Funmi Adewole Elliott (she/her) is a dance practitioner with a background in African dance drama, improvised dance and movement research. She began her career in performance when she relocated from Nigeria to Britain in the 1990s. Her credits include tours with Horse and Bamboo Mask and Puppetry Company, Ritual Arts, Banner Theatre, Adzido Pan-African Dance Ensemble, and the Chomondeleys. She holds a masters degree in Postcolonial Studies and a PhD in Dance Studies. Presently, she is a Senior lecturer in the dance department at De Montfort University, Leicester. Her research interests include dance and cultural politics and choreography and dance of Africa and the Diaspora. She continues to perform and also works as a dance dramaturge, mainly with choreographers who draw from social dance forms or work in a cross disciplinary context.
