PLAYFUL PRACTICE
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
CONTEMPORARY (BEGINNING-ADVANCED/PROFESSIONAL)
Class starts on the floor with breath, connecting to the core and building strength. Drawing heavily on flow and momentum, dancers are challenged to shift weight quickly; isolate body parts; and move bigger, stronger, and faster. Focus is placed on understanding and maintaining healthy alignment while exploring fall and recovery, rebound, suspension and spirals. This class flows through traditionally structured exercises and guided improvisations incorporating ideas from laban/bartenieff fundamentals as well as release and countertechnique principles. Solid technical practice is paired with individual exploration. The dialogue between work and play is important. Increased spinal mobility, range of motion, articulation, and physical prowess are the goals. Class culminates with fun, challenging phrases that emphasize rhythmic dynamics and artistic expression. This class is geared toward dancers with a solid movement background.
INTRO TO MODERN
Are you interested in dance but not sure where to start? Have you taken a beginning ballet or modern class and wondered if there was a MORE beginning level? Are you intimidated to drop into an ongoing class? Learn basic dance vocabulary used in many contemporary and modern classes with other students who have no previous dance experience. You will learn basic class etiquette and dance technique while developing body awareness and comfort dancing in a group. We will also explore tactics to remember choreography by learning and building on phrases each week. Intro to Dance sets you up to continue exploring contemporary dance classes, other dance forms, and to simply feel more comfortable on any dance floor.
As an educator, Maya has extensive experience working in both public and private sectors. Whether teaching in a high school, university, an outreach program or a summer intensive, Maya works to cultivate meaningful relationships and motivates students from all walks of life. She offers an upbeat, energetic teaching style that embraces all people. Maya teaches weekly contemporary modern classes at Velocity Dance Center. At the Northwest School, where she is on faculty, she works with middle and high school students to develop a passion for movement. She joyfully teaches a variety of courses ranging from contemporary jazz and dance for musical theater to composition and improvisation. Driven by a strong belief in the power of arts outreach, Maya has also worked as a teaching artist for Seattle Theater Group - Disney Musicals in Schools program and the EMP Museum. From 2006-2013 she created and directed the dance program at the Arts and Academics Academy in Highline School District. While working for the Highline School District, she served on the Arts School Leadership Committee, Superintendent's Council for the Arts and OSPI's GLE Arts Team. She is currently Board President for the Dance Educators Association of Washington and has completed teacher training programs through City University and Seattle University.
