The School…Saturday Classes (May 14)
Each Saturday in May, throughout the run of the exhibition The School for the Movement of the Technicolor People, Houston members of WXPT will host free public classes in the gallery. No reservations are necessary, and all experience levels are welcome. Come move with us!
SATURDAY, MAY 4
Session I: 1–2pm
The Wellness and Joy of Modern Dance
Taught by: Adam Castañeda
This workshop will introduce the fundamentals of Modern dance, a form typically thought to be Eurocentric in origin, but which has African and other cultural dance forms at its roots. Geared to both beginners and more experienced movers, the class will begin with a warm-up, then transition to center combinations and end with movements across-the-floor. The purpose of this class is to reinforce the joy and inherent wellness of a Modern dance practice.
Adam Castañeda is a dancer, writer, and arts administrator. He is the Executive Director of FrenetiCore, and performs with Suchu Dance, Holding Space Dance Collective, Heather VonReichbauer, and Intuitive African Dance and Drum Culture.
Session II: 2:15–3:15pm
Step Up, Step Back
Taught by: Celestina Billington
This workshop will take up the question of ally-ship between people and groups. A key part of being an ally is knowing when to speak up and when to listen, and the phrase, “step up, step back,” choreographs this in activist and organizing conversations. Here we will try this within movement — when to step up and when to step back as an initial choreographic prompt that also takes up this important political question of solidarity, alliance, and movement building.
Celestina Billington is an interdisciplinary artist and activist from Houston’s East End. She is the recipient of the University of Houston’s 2016 Legacy Award, and is a regular performer about town at venues such as Notsuoh. Read more about her work online at Flamingfemme.com
Session III: 3:30–4:30
WXPT Company Collective Practice
(Photo: Meadow, performed by WXPT at the opening reception of “The School for the Movement of the Technicolor People,” April 30, 2016. Photo by Lynn Lane Photography.)