Venue Accessibility Info Document
Acrobatics and Acro Dance Flow
With NATASHA PATTERSON, BRIN SCHOELLKOPF, and SABINE VAN RENSBURG of People Watching Collective
The goal of this workshop is to seamlessly move through the acrobatics. We will begin by teaching the mechanics of the acrobatic movements, allowing the students to familiarise themselves with the floor, the space and their relationship to it. The goal is to give the sufficient tools in order to use the acrobatics as an extension of any movement. To unlock this notion, we will guide them through exercises such as; choosing a body part from which to initiate a movement and exploring how this can transform the acrobatics. Then, using the weight of the body to fuel the movement while being conscious of the precarity of its balance.
We will guide the student into a performative state of mind, gathering the notions they have learned to apply them with theatricality. Through improvisation, they will sharpen their sensitivity and navigate through the situation they are creating by using the techniques mentioned above, acquiring an awareness of the dynamics and the relationships depicted through movement.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE:
Dance & acrobatic experience / formal training. Must be comfortable moving your body, rolling on the floor, and doing cartwheels and have comfort kicking up into a handstand. We can adapt the level if you are a beginner in regards to weight bearing - partner movement, but you must be comfortable with physicality and acrobatic movement in your own body.
Important info:
Please note that workshops are not included in artist or Hupstate Hero passes and require separate payment and registration.
Please be mindful of pre-requisites and only sign up for the workshop if you firmly meet the requirements. If you are not sure if a workshop is a good fit, please contact [email protected].
About the Teaching ARtists:
NATASHA PATTERSON was born in San Francisco. At age 10 she joined Cirque du Soleil’s show KOOZA as a contortionist. After 5 years of touring with the company, she left to pursue juggling at the National Circus School of Montreal, where she also completed a formation in hand to hand and floor acrobatics. Rooted in a multi-disciplinary approach to circus, she has since doven further into dance, theater, and music by taking various workshops and developing in an autodidact manner. Along the way, she has had the pleasure of working and collaborating with various international circus and dance companies such as Les 7 Doigts, Cirque Eloize, Circus Monti, Jacob Jonas the company, Nohbords, and more.
BRIN SCHOELLKOPF grew up in the green mountains of Vermont, spending much of his free time in the performing arts community. At thirteen he joined Circus Smirkus. Brin decided to further his passion for circus at l’École national de Cirque in Montreal, specializing in tight wire and acrobatic research. After graduating in 2018, he immediately started the four month creation for 'Passagers' with The 7 Fingers, and toured the show internationally for two years. During the pandemic, Brin continued to pursue his personal projects including the formation of a new acrobatic dance collective titled People Watching, with Sabine Van Rensburg, Jeremi Levesque and Natasha Patterson. Recently the collective went into a month-long residency at the 7 Fingers studios, supported by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
SABINE VAN RENSBURG is a Montreal-based circus artist. Having been born into a family of artists, she followed in their footsteps. She attended the National Circus School of Montreal where she specialized in Dynamic Aerial Silks & Acrobatic Dance. After graduating in 2018, she performed and toured with the contemporary circus company Les 7 Doigts de La Main (The 7 Fingers). Recently, she founded an acrobatic movement collective called People Watching. Sabine has ample experience teaching and giving workshops, from Moscow, Berlin, Santiago, Barcelona, Cape Town and now Ithaca.
She looks forward to collaborating and inspiring circus artists & aerialists all over the world.