CONTACT IMPROVISATION: THE HEALING ART -- A ONE DAY WORKSHOP
Led by John LeFan
Teacher of Contact Improvisation since 1974. Student of Hellerwork, Rolfing. Graduate level anatomy and
kinesiology. Guest lecturer Performing Arts Medicine Association. Private body work practice since 1986. U.S. Navy
Vietnam Era Hospital Corpsman with E.R. and O.R. experience
In 1984 three doctors (one an insurance doctor who started out trying to prove me a fraud) told me I would never
dance again and, without a spinal fusion, I might lose my ability to walk. I didn’t have the surgery. I still enjoy a
productive dance career. I can’t show you how to avoid all surgery but I can make you much much better at working
on your own health through improvisational movement. I can help you in your quest for optimal use of this body in
this life. I’ve spent twenty years helping those who want to help themselves.
In this lab we will focus on individual problems and Contact Improvisation as an intelligent, heartfull way of helping
yourself. This isn't a bunch of esoteric theory on body fluids or some rigid pedagogy on "the right way". We will use
my forty years of dance and bodywork plus your own knowledge (more than you realize) to improvise into clarity.
You will leave this workshop with solid, individualized tools that will serve you the rest of your life.
Led by John LeFan
Teacher of Contact Improvisation since 1974. Student of Hellerwork, Rolfing. Graduate level anatomy and
kinesiology. Guest lecturer Performing Arts Medicine Association. Private body work practice since 1986. U.S. Navy
Vietnam Era Hospital Corpsman with E.R. and O.R. experience
In 1984 three doctors (one an insurance doctor who started out trying to prove me a fraud) told me I would never
dance again and, without a spinal fusion, I might lose my ability to walk. I didn’t have the surgery. I still enjoy a
productive dance career. I can’t show you how to avoid all surgery but I can make you much much better at working
on your own health through improvisational movement. I can help you in your quest for optimal use of this body in
this life. I’ve spent twenty years helping those who want to help themselves.
In this lab we will focus on individual problems and Contact Improvisation as an intelligent, heartfull way of helping
yourself. This isn't a bunch of esoteric theory on body fluids or some rigid pedagogy on "the right way". We will use
my forty years of dance and bodywork plus your own knowledge (more than you realize) to improvise into clarity.
You will leave this workshop with solid, individualized tools that will serve you the rest of your life.
Contact Improvisation & Physical Theater
with John LeFan
Contact Improvisation as well as concepts of artistic inspiration by Erick Hawkins,
Martha Graham, the Marx Brothers, Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook, and other masters
of the performing arts.
These classes are designed for anyone with a strong desire to create art through
performance. Tricks are nice but the mastery of an art form is in the discipline and in
the heart.
"Improvisation requires great skill on the part of the actor in all aspects of theatre. It
also requires specific training and also great generosity and a capacity for humor."
Peter Brook "The Shifting Point"
John LeFan is considered one of the pioneers of the form Contact Improvisation.
Contact Improvisation consultant for Royal Canadian Ballet, Houston Ballet, Val
Caniporoli, Joe Goode, Whoopi Goldberg and thousands of people who just love to
dance. His company, Mangrove, performed and taught Contact Improvisation
throughout North America and Europe. He has won Bay Area Critics Circle,
Hollywood Dramalogue and National Endowment for the Arts awards for
choreography. Film work for History Channel and Alex Neil Collective, New York.
Board of Directors Awassa Children's Project sponsoring an Ethiopian
orphanage/theater company performing the AIDS Education Circus and the Sherkole
(Sudan) refugee's theater company performing the Land Mine Awareness Show.
with John LeFan
Contact Improvisation as well as concepts of artistic inspiration by Erick Hawkins,
Martha Graham, the Marx Brothers, Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook, and other masters
of the performing arts.
These classes are designed for anyone with a strong desire to create art through
performance. Tricks are nice but the mastery of an art form is in the discipline and in
the heart.
"Improvisation requires great skill on the part of the actor in all aspects of theatre. It
also requires specific training and also great generosity and a capacity for humor."
Peter Brook "The Shifting Point"
John LeFan is considered one of the pioneers of the form Contact Improvisation.
Contact Improvisation consultant for Royal Canadian Ballet, Houston Ballet, Val
Caniporoli, Joe Goode, Whoopi Goldberg and thousands of people who just love to
dance. His company, Mangrove, performed and taught Contact Improvisation
throughout North America and Europe. He has won Bay Area Critics Circle,
Hollywood Dramalogue and National Endowment for the Arts awards for
choreography. Film work for History Channel and Alex Neil Collective, New York.
Board of Directors Awassa Children's Project sponsoring an Ethiopian
orphanage/theater company performing the AIDS Education Circus and the Sherkole
(Sudan) refugee's theater company performing the Land Mine Awareness Show.
Classes
photo by Christine Federici
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Class/Workshop Descriptions
Modern Dance
with Anna Dal Pino
This modern technique class begins with floor exercises designed to warm the body
core, investigate range of motion, deliberately place the pelvis, free the legs, and open
the back, and practice entry to and exit from the floor. Class progresses to include
concepts such as strength and release, focus, spatial awareness, rhythm, or changes in
movement quality. Dance phrases will be drawn from exploration of ideas in dynamics,
space, gesture, phrasing, and breath to practice communication through movement.
Anna's modern technique is influenced particularly by her studies with Joan Lazarus,
and also by the many other artists with whom she works and studies. Threads of
Hawkins, Horton, and ballet principles are evident.
Anna Dal Pino received her dance training in England and the US and has performed
in diverse forms from ballet, modern, and dance theater to contact improvisation.
Recent projects include art design & co-choreographer for "Cassandra at Mission
Creek" (director John LeFan), design/choreography/actor in The Tempest (director John
LeFan), choreography for "Los Once" at the Aurora Theatre (director Tom Bentley), and
Dig It Physical Theatre with John LeFan, Bob Ernst and Kim Fowler. She has danced for
many companies and choreographers including Nancy Karp + Dancers, Nina Haft &
Company, Joan Lazarus, Dana Lawton, Dance Naganuma and Chingchi Yu and film
work for Rebecca Salzer Dance Theatre. Anna has been teaching in the Bay Area since
1998, and has taught on the faculty at ODC in San Francisco and Shawl Anderson in
Berkeley.
with Anna Dal Pino
This modern technique class begins with floor exercises designed to warm the body
core, investigate range of motion, deliberately place the pelvis, free the legs, and open
the back, and practice entry to and exit from the floor. Class progresses to include
concepts such as strength and release, focus, spatial awareness, rhythm, or changes in
movement quality. Dance phrases will be drawn from exploration of ideas in dynamics,
space, gesture, phrasing, and breath to practice communication through movement.
Anna's modern technique is influenced particularly by her studies with Joan Lazarus,
and also by the many other artists with whom she works and studies. Threads of
Hawkins, Horton, and ballet principles are evident.
Anna Dal Pino received her dance training in England and the US and has performed
in diverse forms from ballet, modern, and dance theater to contact improvisation.
Recent projects include art design & co-choreographer for "Cassandra at Mission
Creek" (director John LeFan), design/choreography/actor in The Tempest (director John
LeFan), choreography for "Los Once" at the Aurora Theatre (director Tom Bentley), and
Dig It Physical Theatre with John LeFan, Bob Ernst and Kim Fowler. She has danced for
many companies and choreographers including Nancy Karp + Dancers, Nina Haft &
Company, Joan Lazarus, Dana Lawton, Dance Naganuma and Chingchi Yu and film
work for Rebecca Salzer Dance Theatre. Anna has been teaching in the Bay Area since
1998, and has taught on the faculty at ODC in San Francisco and Shawl Anderson in
Berkeley.
photo by Daniel Dal Pino
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? Contact and other forms of Improvisation
Workshop with John LeFan
Rigorous and joyous techniques applicable to physical theatre, improvisational performance, modern dance and
ballet.
Bring your notebooks, drawing pads, works in progress, memorized poems.
"There's a lot of people who are willing to suffer for their art but not many are willing to learn to draw" Banksy
Preregistration is required.
Workshop with John LeFan
Rigorous and joyous techniques applicable to physical theatre, improvisational performance, modern dance and
ballet.
Bring your notebooks, drawing pads, works in progress, memorized poems.
"There's a lot of people who are willing to suffer for their art but not many are willing to learn to draw" Banksy
Preregistration is required.
PHYSICAL THEATRE, IMPROVISATION and DEEP MYTH -- A TWO DAY WORKSHOP
Led by John LeFan
Martha Graham said her dances came from “blood memories”, remembrances carried in the body from the
beginning of time. All theater is physical.
A lab for dancers/actors/artists/writers/musicians to reach deep for source material.
Bring your notebooks and sketch pads.
Preregistration is required.
Led by John LeFan
Martha Graham said her dances came from “blood memories”, remembrances carried in the body from the
beginning of time. All theater is physical.
A lab for dancers/actors/artists/writers/musicians to reach deep for source material.
Bring your notebooks and sketch pads.
Preregistration is required.
Workshops, Private, and Group Lessons available by arrangement - call 415-861-4330
(See class & workshop descriptions below)
(See class & workshop descriptions below)