Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main
The research team at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts comprised Lance Gries, workshop leader // Gabriele Wittmann, dance studies expert // Prof. Dr. Gerald Siegmund, Professor of Applied Theatre Studies // Sylvia Scheidl, dance educator, and students of the MA in Contemporary Dance Pedagogy and the BA in Contemporary and Classical Dance   

Lance Gries: aspects of release- and alignment-orientated techniques
This the working title for the research project about Lance Gries. The aim is to work with him to identify a contemporary training approach, something that has become indispensable in contemporary dance training. Lance Gries has been heavily influenced by Trisha Brown. He was a dancer in her company from 1985 – 1992. He has also proved to be an excellent educator and choreographer. He teaches, for example, at P.A.R.T.S. in Brussels, at the London Contemporary Dance School and at CND Paris.

The workshops were held from 6-10 July and from 12 October to 3 November 2009. The DVD was filmed from 30 October to 1 November 2009.

Quote from Anastasia Kostner from the student discussion
“Working with Lance Gries is a very good preparation for rehearsal processes and performances as it starts with your own body. The work with the body during the training process moves slowly outwards. I perceive myself first, then the space and then my connection to the world outside, which provides me with a rather good focus: mental as well as physical. This perspective could also be very helpful when working with other techniques.” 

Sylvia Scheidl said: “It is a form of body training that takes an economical approach and gives you the opportunity to organise yourself as efficiently as possible, and then you can do with it what you want. You can do ballet, flamenco or hip-hop – you can become a dramatic actor… you can use the tools you have learned everywhere.”

Tanzplan Deutschland

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