Have you always wanted to learn actual dance choreography but felt too intimidated to walk into a dance studio?

This series was created for absolute beginners—no prior dance experience required.

This is a beginner-level modern dance class, building technique from the ground up. We’ll explore different ways of moving in & out of the floor through the lens of a simple warm-up phrase. Using our weight as inspiration and dropping the weight as an impetus for movement—how can we recycle this energy to spiral in and out of the floor? What is the right amount of energy / tone needed? How do we generate momentum? How do we control it?

We start standing with some spinal articulations and tai-chi inspired exercises, and then transition down to the floor--rolling, sliding, threading, spiraling, pushing—exploring different qualities of movement through the lens of a simple warm-up phrase.

We’ll spend time on all 4's connecting with our animal bodies, strengthening our upper bodies and firing up our centers. Moving in and out of the floor we explore off balances, riding waves of momentum, and visit some light inversions, using our weight as inspiration and dropping the weight as impetus for movement.

We'll have some technical exercises in center (plies, leg swings, big weight shifts, standing leg strengthening) building into a dynamic flow with expansive movement across the floor and jumps. The last 20-25 minutes of class will be dedicated to learning a choreography which we will build throughout the series.

This series is for anyone who’s ever dreamed of dancing but didn’t know where to start.
There’s no pressure to perform or “look good”—just a welcoming, no-judgment space filled with encouragement, exploration, and the joy of movement

Meet Your Teacher:

Tamar is a professional dancer, teacher, and movement lover originally from Lynchburg, Virginia.  She has a BFA in Modern Dance Performance from University of the Arts, class of 2013.  After graduating she performed with Kolben Dance Company and with various independent choreographers in Israel such as Ella Ben Aharon, Smadar Goshen, Shlomi Bitton, Shlomit Fundaminsky, Iris Erez, and Mami Shimazaki.  She has been practicing & teaching the Gyrotonic Method for the last 10 years.  She currently collaborates with Cardell Dance Theatre and teaches Modern Dance and Contact Improvisation in the Philadelphia area.