Improvisation Music Dance winter course Dartington

The improvisation music dance winter course Dartington is a three week study period designed for musicians and dancers who wish to develop their experience in the collaboration of music and dance composition using improvisation sessions as the main practice. Dartington grounds is set in the Devon countryside of England with an extraordinary background of visiting artists since the beginning of the 20th century setting a perfect atmosphere to question in practice experimental art. The course can accept eight musicians and ten dancers.

Website design Ilaria Honsinger.

Content

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The content of the course involves exchanging music and dance educations supported by a staff of music, dance, and performance artists who have had extensive practice with improvisation performance and research. The artistic director Katie Duck has a career spanning 35 years of improvisation performance projects with musicians and dancers from all over the world. She has designed this course so that musicians and dancers can use improvisation as a means to practice while exchanging dialogue, languages and aims as part of how the collaboration can lead toward composition and improvisation performance. The teaching material is aimed toward different ways to analyse and explore the workings of the body, brain, mind and creativity. Improvisation sessions merge with lecture materials and individual feedback allowing for time, direction and reflexion while keeping a focus on how practice is the way the artist learns. Each week a new teacher will lead the sessions using their experience in the practice of live performance alongside their research material. The schedule contains 28 hours per week of sessions leaving morning hours three days per week for research and individual tutorials with the teachers.

Katie Duck (artistic director music and dance) Alfredo Genovesi (Electric guitar and electronics) Vincent Cacialono (dance) Sharon Smith (performing arts) Alan McDermott (Feldenkrais)

Course Timetable

The primarily timetable is improvisation sessions by the artist student group with feedback, advice, lessons and scores offered by the artists teachers. Outside of this timetable, tutorials are scheduled for music sessions, individual movement lessons and individual research support. Warm ups are conducted by the artists teacher in relationship to their research material.
All sessions take place in the Hexagon space Dartington Hall. Research and tutorials take place by appointment on the Dartington grounds.

Mondays 10:00- 12:00 sessions / 12:00- 13:00 break / 13:00- 17:00 sessions

Tuesdays 10:00-12:00 research + tutorials / 12:00- 13:00 break / 13:00- 17:00 sessions

Wednesdays 10:00- 12:00 sessions / 12:00- 13:00 break / 13:00- 17:00 sessions

Thursdays 10:00-12:00 research + tutorials / 12:00- 13:00 break / 13:00- 17:00 sessions

Fridays 10:00-12:00 sessions / 12:00- 13:00 break / 13:00- 17:00 sessions

Alongside the five day a week three-week course there is a workshop series held each weekend by the teachers of the course. The course members can take part in the weekend workshops at half price.

How to Apply

In order to apply for the improvisation course you need to contact Katie Duck with your CV and a letter of motivation and/or a personal recommendation from artists whom Katie is associated with. We are able to offer an invitation from Magpie Umbrella with Stichting Magpie (a non profit organization in the Netherlands) for all national and international students for this winter course as an apprentice, as part of your professional work, as part of your further education or as part of your stage placement within your education. If accepted on the course you will receive an official invitation to then use to apply for funding and visas.

Katie Duck is accepting 10 dancers (performers) and 8 musicians for this program. We recommend that if you are going to be in Amsterdam (where Katie is based) that you try to set a live appointment with Katie.

Costs

The total costs for the improvisation winter course Dartington is 500 Euros (435 pounds). Payment needs to be placed no later than February 29, 2011 into the Magpie stichting account. If you plan to pay on arrival in cash or cheque you need to let us know in advance.

The 500 Euros (435 pounds) does not include the weekend workshops offered alongside this course. The students on the winter course can register for these workshops at half price.

Internet banking: Magpie Stichting Bank - ING Amsterdam / Name - Stichting Magpie / Bank number - 9476524 / IBAN - NL 71 PSTB 0009 476S 24 / BIC - PSTBNL21

Housing
Dartington grounds is located in the countryside surrounded by small villages and farms. There are several options and prices for housing either on the grounds or in the neighbouring villages. The Dartington grounds housing is more expensive than what is offered in the neighbouring villages. If you would like more information about housing on the Dartington grounds go to: Clare Parker by e-mail: c.parker@dartington.org To book your housing in neighbouring villages click here.

History of Dartington grounds

In 1925 the 800-acre estate was bought by Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst, to become the basis of their joint venture in rural regeneration. When the Elmhirsts bought the estate it was badly run down and much of the Hall was in ruins. During the first few years of their ownership of the Hall, the Elmhirsts spent much time and money restoring the estate and building new properties on it. They used the grounds to create alternative education schools and as a base to invite visiting artists from dance, theater, visual art and architecture. During the 2nd world war they gave refuge for artists such as Kurt Joose and Laban. For more information about how to access the Archive, click here.

Photo by Katrina Hurford