2008 ClassGet To Work!
 
SOTA Choreography class, 2010

Download the class syllabus here

"(Ceres is) riding an important trend: giving students the tools to choreograph their own work!"
—Rachel Straus, Dance Magazine

Cowell Theater

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SF School of the Arts Dance Department, Under the direction of Elvia Marta, is a pre-professional level program for high School age students. www.sfsota.org

Comp Shop: after school continued study program Fridays 3:30-4:30pm

–Want to work on a piece of choreography but need an outside eye?
–Have an idea, but don’t know how to start?
–Comp shop meets for 30-60 minutes after each class to review new material, dissect phrases, discuss composition and assist student choreographers at all stages of development.

Choreography Class: Fridays 1:30-3:30
Taught by brittany brown ceres, this class meets each Friday for investigative studies in choreography. Class includes an annual field trip to the SF performance of Epiphany Productions' Trolley Dances and culminates in a 10 week rehearsal of a new work for all 45 students together on-stage.


Dear Friends,
I wanted to let you know about the annual SF School of the Arts performance. In watching these young artists articulate visions and define material for their own works, I have just been beside myself in the mist of their depth and integrity. This is not the same band of sex-crazed, superficial teen-agers you might come across. These are incredibly hard-working, smart and thoughtful young adults. I wanted to openly express the joy and humility that I feel in being a part of their lives. They are not only talented - they are soulful. With the passion, artistic-clarity and commitment of which they are already capable, I would be so honored to live in a world where these guys become our leaders.

So, if you like dance and you'd like to experience something truly hopeful and inspiring, come take a look – every May at the Cowell Theater, Fort Mason, SF! Come support our youth in what has been an incredible challenging time for educational programs and funding!

Thanks so much for reading and for your consideration.
Sincerely, brittany
Questions? contact me at: brittanbrown@hotmail.com
 SOTA Dancers

DANCE COMPOSITION
prepared mindset for creativity- Spring 2010
Goals of the Performing Arts Classroom:
Brittany Brown Ceres

-to abandon surface, subjective judgments in order to instill trust and safety while pursuing an honest environment. This open environment provides a stable foundation from which the student is encouraged to take risks in order to gain knowledge of themselves as a multi-leveled individual.

-to respect art as a discipline, with the definition that art is a celebration and therefore the appreciation of life and  its lessons.

-to strive to understand the history of the chosen art form, as well as complimentary disciplines to view each intersection as a potential for collaboration. Knowledge of the history of dance, music, visual art, film, stage/prop craft all add to deepen the journey to the stage and the stage experience itself. This knowledge also assists and supports choices that the artist makes within each discipline.

-to find the satisfaction that comes with accepting the process of learning as a journey without demanding or expecting a definitive final product. Maintaining humility is essential; knowing that acquiring skill in any field requires time, interest, focus and energy.

-building character should be a part of every lesson (again- encourages risk taking) and therefore laughter and failure should be present every day to experience. Awareness of spontaneity and flexibility are of key importance.

-to awaken all the senses through a thorough awareness of the body, in communication with the mind. Neither is shut off, nor should either carry more daily weight, instilling the idea of a whole functioning being: Alive and Passionate.

warm-ups

What did you see?

QUESTIONS to ask yourself while watching a performance—and when making your own choreography. These questions should be answered or discussed within your writing —and when putting your own movement together.

1. Depth of the dance- the dimensional space, Did I see everything clearly?
2. Emotional Content and the dancers' relationship to eachother?
3. Spacing and facing?
4. Dynamic quality and flexibility
5. Musicality
6. Pedestrian vs. Technique
7. The Build or relax of intensity
8. Motivation behind the movement
9. Transitions-why the next section happens next?
10. Repetition? Too much- not enough
11. Reference to the theme, art, structure, emotion
12. Variation / A-B-A / Asymmetry
13. Did it move? Cover space?
14. Beginning / Middle/ End
15. Gestures
16. Syncopation/ Counterpoint and Canon

QUESTIONS to ask the Choreographer:
1. What were you trying to accomplish through your choreography?
2. Did you succeed?
3. How did the music serve your choreographic intent?
4. How do you assess your communication with your dancers regarding your choreographic intentions and movement?
5. During a restaging, what would you change?

 


Going to Trolley Dances

WORKING TECHNIQUE for ASSIGNMENTS (both in class and homework):
General outline to be adapted to the needs of each dancer within each assignment.

  • hour 1- Exploration time to connect to the newness of the assignment: physical experience/ organize your movement
  • hour 2- Thinking time to reanalyze it for the assignment- make adjustments based on the rules of the assignment
  • hour 3- Rehearse it and get it into your body-
    embody the choreography and PERFORM it