Contemporary Dance from 5 years
We swing and jump, fall and float, romp and rage or rest in motion. We spin, roll, wriggle and glide; we dance on the floor, in the air and in between. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes tight, sometimes wide. Delicate, wild, angular, round, very light or heavy - across all qualities of movement.
With arm, leg and upper body swings and by playing with tension and relaxation we explore the use of gravity and centrifugal force. We dance "off-balance" or completely centered. We listen to our body, get to know it better, find our breath and trust to be ourselves. Which movements are ours? How can we express ourselves? And what do we want to express? Sense? Nonsense? Stories, feelings, dreams? No matter what - all hopefully with a lot of joy in movement.
Creative children's dance
In Creative Children's Dance, children are introduced to various aspects of dance in a playful way.
Coordination, perception of the own body and motor skills are promoted. In addition to a sense of rhythm and musical experience, awareness of spatial forms and orientation in space are trained. Working together in a group with mutual consideration and attentiveness is practiced. Within the structure of clear rules, space is created for the individual and the children are encouraged to express themselves in their own way, with their own movements. Self-confidence is strengthened.
During the lesson, movement-intensive phases alternate with quieter moments of relaxation and bodywork.
The class includes fixed dance exercises on a simple level as well as dance improvisation. Rhymes and language games support the rhythmic training and help to remember movement sequences more easily.
In improvisations, the children can give free rein to their imagination and joy of discovery, express feelings or create stories. The older ones also practice creating small movement sequences themselves.
The main focus is on the joy of movement and dancing together. The level of difficulty is adapted to the age and the level of the group and goes smoothly over to modern dance/contemporary dance. It is possible to join at any time.
Modern Dance / Contemporary Dance
For the older children, the lessons flow smoothly from Creative Children's Dance to Modern Dance/Contemporary Dance. Here, too, improvisation is as much a part of the class as exercises in basic modern dance technique, body work and choreographic work.
During the class, quiet and lively phases alternate. Fixed exercises on dance technique, coordination, strength and flexibility are followed by group or partner work, free movement or improvisation. Exercises in the square alternate with movement through the room.
Improvisations, as well as dance technique exercises, become more complex over time. Depending on the age and level of the group, the exercises are expanded into longer and more technically challenging sequences, with emphasis on a basic understanding of anatomically sound execution of movement. In modern dance we make use of centrifugal force and gravity, there are many swings (of the legs, upper body, arms) and we use both parallel and outward leg positions. Unlike ballet, there are also thrown and falling movements that are not evenly guided and sequences where we slide, crawl and roll on the floor.
Small, given choreographies are practiced, but the children also develop their own short choreographies from their own movement material, which is created in improvisations.
Here, too, the children are encouraged to find their own movements, to accept themselves, to find their own ways of expression, and not to always want to conform to given norms.
Beatrice Kruschke
Trained as a stage dancer at the ETAGE, School for the Performing Arts in Berlin, Beatrice worked as a freelance dancer from 1998 and soon began to teach dance in addition: since 2000 teaching adults and young people, and from 2002 also children. Numerous advanced trainings and workshops on dance pedagogy and children's dance led her, among others, regularly to the Iwanson School in Munich. 2005-09 extra-occupational training as a certified dance pedagogue at the Remscheid Academy. In addition, further training in gyrokinesis, yoga, Pilates and children's ballet. Collaboration in projects with other art forms: acting, live music, visual arts, light performance.
Teaching in dance studios, music school Pankow, elementary schools, projects of independent children and youth work.