Feminist Dance Workshops
Our bodies carry the memories of very diverse experiences, depending on the combination of the gender, class, race, physical ability and many more factors. But it is still one single body - a powerful and approachable vessel, which we can heal and strengthen by offering more care to how it moves. This is where intersectional feminism and musical theatre jazz come together as a method: moving bodies and minds alike.
Method
The workshops are based on my academic research and performative practice. For every pop-up, I prepare a Feminist Libretto (short theatrical stories). These stories are deeply intersectional and loosely inspired by adrienne marie brown’s Pleasure Activism, bell hooks and her writings on love and masculinity, and Mona Elthahawy’s Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls. Each session, you will be falling in love with a new character, mirroring their controversial behaviour and observing how your own body chooses to build these new connections through a joyful and simple choreography.
Process
With storytelling and dance practice at the heart of each session, we approach character exploration through guided physical movement, social observation, reflection and listening. The process is centred on fun, safety and keeping our inner judges at bay. We are creating beautiful shapes, sweating and stretching to the sounds of well-known masterpieces, some of which have been loved through decades and some are delightfully newsworthy. Expect pleasant surprises, discovering how your favourite songs and the lyrics you rarely paid attention to help you turn into a completely new persona.
Packages
I currently run open-level pop-up Feminist Dance Workshops in Vienna and will be gradually rolling out more formats and cities. These pop-ups are designed for those entirely new to musical jazz or even dance altogether and also for experienced dancers, who’ll enjoy mastering the nuances of every shape and musicality of movement.
Leave me a note if you’d like to be the first to hear about the next pop-up announcement or explore the other formats I offer for teams willing to take a deeper dive into their collaborative environments.
Libretto highlights
“…In the swirl of what-ifs and hell-noes, Jenna's hand takes on a life of its own, launching the pie through the restaurant and straight into his stunned face. Everything around her freezes, and she hears her own voice in the lowest register, spitting out slurs so shocking they seem to come from another universe. The rest is a glittery blur, but we’ll see Jenna awaken from the fog of this disappointment, my dear feminists. For this is a story about intimacy, profanity, and disco balls.”
Jenna the Fearless
“…Although Ben is really good at beach, catching the waves of his own emotional landscape does not come easy to him. With Marbie’s attention at the core of his self-worth, that last “I’m just Ben” text message to her is as hysterical as it is hopeful and empathetic. Whether she’ll see the man behind the tan is irrelevant, because this low tide has nothing to do with Marbie carrying Ben’s surfboard for him. But as the cathartic enlightenment hits the shores, be sure that we’ll be holding his strong hand.”
Ben the Beach
“…This is a story about queerness, science and magic. Instead of showing up to the party as Princess Jasmine, Alice chops the ‘-ss’ and the ‘-ce’ off his new persona. Prince Ali is a great costume but Ali’s gender is not. Seated atop of Albertina, who is gracefully shaking its rabbit hips to the rhythm of joy, Ali lets the crowd notice his arrival - taking a brief moment for an imaginary photo-op right beneath the grotesque ‘Wonderland’ banner. He is reborn, riding the immense power of being who he was truly meant to be. But will the guests find this act convincing? This is where the curtains open and we come to the rescue, my dear feminists.”
Ali in Wonderland
