Physical Theater: Storytelling for Dancers

Class Description: In this class, we use a psychophysical approach to movement to change the dancers' relationship to time, space, ensemble, and audience. Deeply inspired by years of working in physical theater, film, and immersive theatre, we will be working with ensemble-based exercises, character exploration, and ensemble improvisation. The dancers will be exploring techniques based on Michael Chekhov’s, Sanford Meisner's, and Jacques Lecoq’s schools of thought. I use exercises that help form trust with partners, the director, and ourselves. A highly physical class that will ask the dancer/actor to be vulnerable and explorative.

Level: Open

Purpose: Through my years of performing, creating, casting, and teaching, it has become clear to me that our dance industry is falling short in offering lessons in acting and embodiment. It has taken me most of my professional career to seek outside acting classes and vocabularies to understand what has been missing in the performance of physical theater and professional creative processes that protect the artists as well as enhance the quality of performance. I want to inspire the present and future generation of artists to dig deeper into developing a character and a story so that we can connect our audience to the story and maybe inspire change and a sense of “awe” along the way.

Currently offered:
Mondays, 2pm-3:45pm
Gibney Dance Center, NYC

*Due to the nature of this class, I do not allow filming or photography. I find this helps the dancers/actors in the room to have a non competitive environment while also feeling safe to go further into imaginary worlds and play*

Environmental Activism for Dancers

Class Description: The class provides improvisational tasks that embody dynamic shifts of our planet. Deeply inspired by physical theater, we will practice mirroring global struggles through the play of our relationship through space and how distance is covered, action and reaction, embodying the human, animal, and geological character. Every class will be an invention of the students own theater. The work will then be layered with tasks that help the movers mirror human life experiences (ie breakup, death of a loved one, job promotion, a reunion) with environmental events (ie tsunami, summer rain, tornado, blooming sapling, sinkhole)

Level: Open

Purpose: As we continue to remove ourselves further from nature, and our political house advocates against making environmental changes, we have become ignorant to our role and relationship with our planet. Our species is the only species that has the cognitive ability to measure influence and the capacity for larger change, yet we ignore scientific data and the Earth’s reaction to our presence. We have the understanding to know we are harming the environment and we have the ability to do something about it.

Therefore, we should inspire one another to make change where change is necessary. I believe this is the time to merge the artists with the scientist to create a deeper understanding of what exactly is happening to our environment - the science behind this shift, the social repercussions, and our emotional aggressions. I believe improvisation is at the heart of the educational process. In a time that is so overwhelming and where I have personally felt paralyzed in how to help the system be better, I believe fostering collaboration in groups is where magic, play, laughter, and solutions are able to bloom.

Testimonials

"Kelly Ashton Todd’s  Physical Theater class has offered me various tools to activate and revisit new states of being. It has strengthened the muscles of my imagination and has been the key to my journey of integrating storytelling into movement. Whatever endeavors you embark on, the principles of this class can be carried with you. Kelly has a gift for cultivating community and creating a class environment that releases judgment while allowing you to fearlessly test your edge. I think many performing artists have been hungry for a class like this."
- Truth Colon

“This class is a thrilling addition to the NYC dance offerings. Kelly is a powerful and compassionate steward, and masterfully creates a truly safe space for us to delve into the unknown together. In this class, success and failure are treated as equal learning opportunities, and if you are willing to commit and explore, Kelly will be there for you every step of the way. I feel like I am investing in gaining new skills and deepening my artistry, rather than just my ability to achieve technical articulation or complex dance phrases, and in a world where dance theater environments often feel difficult to access (and therefore have experience in), this is a true gift.” 
-Piper Dye

“Kelly’s challenging and therapeutic classes build community through the inclusive and engaging environment she creates. She offers so many helpful tools that allow us to take care of ourselves within each exercise while she navigates the room offering support and catering to the goals of each individual. I’ve learned so much already through my own experience and watching the choices that other people make, but what causes me to keep coming back is feeling safe enough to step outside my comfort zone and grow in a judgement free space.” 
-Emily Jerant-Hendrickson

“Kelly’s storytelling for dancers class excites and inspires me every single time. I believe it’s one of the most beneficial classes in the city. She creates an extremely safe environment to explore a wide range of emotions. I can confidently say that I feel more comfortable telling stories through movement/acting because of her class.”
-Brayden Singley