Teaching Practice
Floor-work and instant-composition sit at the heart of Irene’s teaching practice.
Irene’s students will start from the basics of the floor-work technique Flying Low, expanding outwards from a thorough exploration of the details to improvisation beyond learning and repeating pre-choreographed phrases.
Her strongest influences come from David Zambrano’s Flying Low and Passing Through techniques and Martin Kilvady’s exacting and considered approach to improvisation. Over the years she has spent a lot of time studying with both.
Irene is a guest teacher at MA Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, BA Northern School Of Contemporary Dance, Trip Space Studio London, Company Blu amongst many others.
Technique
Instant Composition
Video reference
FLYING LOW. This technique will teach you how to go into and out of the earth rapidly and efficiently. Based on the principal of the spiral, it encourages the practice of following pathways in a curve, enabling the body to master the art of travelling up and down from the floor. Each participant will learn the foundations, concentrating simultaneously both on their individual selves and their connection with the whole group.
Once connected, we practise fast and with loud music. Irene’s method of teaching this technique remains as true as possible to Zambrano’s original teachings. Focusing particularly on curves and spirals with Irene, you will become an expert in effortlessness and elegance. Students will be encouraged to understand and to develop their own strengths and performative qualities. Irene’s aim is to teach and guide the dancers to experience, develop and refine their abilities to honour their unique gifts.
PASSING THROUGH is an improvisation-based group practice in which we make instantaneous choreography. You will strive to master your own presence in the space through learning how to travel in small, medium and large pathways. We will dig deep into the nature of a pause, an arrival, a departure; an entrance and an exit. Whether in a group, in a couple or even solos, the practice has clear, consistent directions and few rules. Participants develop an ability to think with the mind of the whole group. Sharpening this lightening-quick response-ability allows the collective to be the star of the show. Dancers, choreographies, space, audiences, individuals’ pasts, presents and futures: all come together.
As with Irene’s approach to Flying-Low, she tries to stay as true as possible to Zambrano’s original teaching of the Passing through methods.
With the practise of this technique Irene aims to generate choreographic material in collaboration with the students. Where possible this practice is accompanied by a live DJ.
Please feel free to explore some visual of past workshop and videos by clicking on the links below: