A Workshop in Contemporary Dance

Piedmont Virginia Community College held a free Contemporary dance workshop January 24 for all dance levels.

A workshop is a chance to explore and provide extra training. The contemporary dance workshop gave time to refine techniques.  Faith Levine, the instructor, said, “Feel free, find yourself, modify.”

This workshop brought dancers of all levels together for a unique time to learn. Levine gave  instructions on various techniques which came alive when she said, “Dance for the next hour and a half. Take a walk around the space.”

The dance floor became magical as the students followed their instructor. You could hear Levine’s instructions: “walk, and count 1, 2, 3 then swirl,” “Keep the body straight, draw it,” “8 up and 8 down,”  “back knee into the chest.” They became a team of student dancers in sequential movement.

Contemporary dance is about using the body in relation to the floor. Levine instructs, “Now our bones and muscles can go down to the floor, connect your bottom, butt and hip.”  The teaching comes alive. At that moment, the floor,  gravity and the dancers’ bodies became one.