Frey Faust is the originator of the Axis Syllabus, which he describes as ‘an open-source platform for the cross-correlation of stories and points of view concerning historical and current human movement habits and practices’. His talk sets out to present how his research process has led to some startling discoveries that challenge some commonly held beliefs and traditions. Notions of a constant centre of gravity and of ‘neutral’ positioning are amongst the beliefs he examines, as are the claims that imagination is better than science or that more mobility is necessarily healthier.
This talk was part of Crossing Borders 2014 and was presented in partnership with London Contemporary Dance School.
Frey Faust began training through primary discipline and essential experience under the tutelage of his mother from ages 8 to 15, Frey then went on to accumulate an eclectic skill-set including contact improvisation, pantomime, capoiera, aikido, percussion, voice and several modalities of dancing. He traveled across the US, and then to Europe to augment his own artistic study and practice through collaborations with choreographers such as Gina Buntz, Donald Byrd, Merce Cunningham, Nita Little, Ohad Naharin, Meredith Monk, Janet Panetta, David Parsons, Randy Warshaw and Stephen Petronio, to name a few. A two-year stint as artist in residence at the Werkstaat e.V. Duesseldorf (now the TANZ HAUS NRW) allowed him to set the foundation for his pedagogical and artistic vision. Since then he has travelled the world, teaching and collaborating with like-minded artists. He is the founder and spearhead of the AS International Research Community, the author of the book and the originator of the Axis Syllabus; a scholarly, comprehensive reference system for the use of the human body, through which he aspires to assist his students to deepen their understanding and responsible use of nature’s ingenious gift.
