A two hour contemporary technique class which also contains improvisation and composition open to young dancers with and without disabilities. The description gives an example of the classes I teach for SpinnUnga, the company of young dancers that belongs to the Swedish inclusive company Spinn. The content is based on the methods of Candoco Dance Company where I used to work as a dance artist teaching their youth company and workshops amongst other things. 

The classes consist of a varied group of individuals with different background and functionality. Some of them have very little training, some are during their professional training, semi-professionals or recently graduated. We start the class with some time to settle in and talk about where we are today, how people are doing and what we'll do today. Followed by a little bit of dialogue around inclusive practice, things to think about or if there are any thoughts that have come up from previous classes or for example after having seen other work. 

Then we spread out across the room and I guide them through a mental scan of the body and some soft stretches and rolling through the joints. A moment to notice what the body feels like today without judging to prepare for working in the present moment. 

Floor exercise. Connective work to center, sense of weight on the floor as well as directions in the space. Here I make sure to give time to people who have a wheelchair time to transfer to the floor should they want to in order to feel the body on the floor and explore another movement vocabulary. If they prefer staying in their chair the movement can be adapted to stay up and still have the principles of connectivity and direction. We take time for each individual to find their adaptation. 

Back-exercise. Finding length and curves of the spine through twists, flat-backs and tilts. Legs can be parallell or turned out. To build onto the floor work in a more vertical position. Followed by preparation for traveling across the space based on leg and arm work depending on if the dancer is seated or standing up. Bends, stretches, elongagement, parallell and turned out. 

Traveling across the space we are trying to have a play and find momentum by doing a number of repetitions of each movement in order to move the focus on being present in the body, rather than overthinking what the movement is. I give a few different suggestions that can e adapted to each individuals body. For example slides, propulsions, swift changes of direction. We finish by moving across the floor improvising with shifting weight. Feeling our body and weight in transition and movement imagining our flesh as a container filled with sand. 

Short phrase of set choreographic material based on our current theme of not being overwhelmed by environmental destruction but being strong together to find possibilities. Followed by time for the dancers to work shortly in trios on their own material, lifting, supporting, each other physically within the movement, finding strength as a trio. 

Together with a partner we than find a space moving onto smaller shifts of weight starting with impulses. First just making contact with a body part, the person receiving the contact breathing into it. Then developing the impulses in to bigger movement and weight shifts in space. Feel the difference in effort and notice the impact on the movement occurring when the effort changes. 

Cool down. Connect to your partners center, staying in your duos, through touch. Could be hands or feet but also head or tail (outer limbs). Give smaller impulses into the center that will give the direction in space. Take turns in leading and the move onto both having the possibility to give impulses.