TEACHING
TEACHING PRACTICE
Zoi has been developing her movement and teaching practice over 20 years, informed by principles of Klein TechniqueTM, Alexander TechniqueTM, Bartennief Fundamentals, the work of Gill Clarke and her own personal understanding of movement and dance. Through her practice she wants to cultivate values such as readiness, alertness, curiosity, individual enquiry, collaboration, tuning to one’s skills of attention and the ability for precision and choice-making.
Zoi is a dance lecturer and research fellow at TrinityLaban in London, and has extensive experience teaching internationally for Impulstanz International Dance Festival in Vienna, Sasha Waltz Company, Independent Dance, National Academy of Dance in Rome, the State School of Dance in Athens (KSOT) among others. Since March 2019 she is part of the Teachers Certification Programme in Klein Technique™ .
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING COURSES / WORKSHOPS
The training begins simply by focusing on our skeletal structure and breath to access the power of the deeper supporting muscles, improve the body’s connections and find greater ease, efficiency, and expressiveness in our movement. Concepts and aspects of the body are introduced through anatomical and pictorial imagery and partner work exploration. Central themes are the skeletal system, handling of weight, the perceptions and ordination/co-ordination. Through the experiential knowledge of anatomical principles, patterning connections and by obtaining an alert and heightened sensory awareness, the work develops into complex movement phrases cultivating precision and energizing the dancer’s directional use of energy throughout the body.
Daily work is approached thoughtfully and deliberately with the understanding that each individual is responsible for their personal discovery and path of integration. At the same time, the nature of the daily work encourages a group collaborative energy and mutual support in the learning and application of the principles. This method of training focuses on kinesthetics rather than aesthetics, in order to re-discover how we move, are moved and to deepen our personal connection to our responsive nature and choices. It is for those who desire movement that has clear intention, is energetically releasing and reveals a deeply connected sense of mind and body.
CHOREOGRAPHIC
WORKSHOPS
The choreographic workshops focus on subjects such as time, image construction, appearance/disappearance, context both in the concept forming and making, as well as the ability to have a refined awareness and intention when making choices. Through scoring and formal devices, we set up the environment in which we can devise and appropriate material before proceeding in any other manipulations and dramatic configurations, that can give freedom for the performer to play.
With a particular interest in processes of transformation and interference we invite collectivity and collaboration as a way for organising and reflecting on what we ourselves and others create and how they come into dialogue with the current artistic and socio-political contexts.
Workshops on creative methodologies of specific company works are offered upon request.
LABORATORY IN FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF MOVEMENT
‘As human beings we want to be fully present, embodied, as we live our lives. We want to communicate who we are and what we stand for in action, so that our message reaches out to others. As we move, whether in dance, theatre, or simply in being with others, we want to connect. In order to do this we need to find means to connect inwardly, both to what we want to say and to how all parts of the body relate to each other to support our statement and purpose. To do this, we need to know something about the fundamental nature of making connections. This ability to make connections, to create relationships, is a skill which begins 'at home', within our own bodies, before it ripples outwardly into the environment and others’. Peggy Hackney
In this laboratory Zoi Dimitriou will introduce Fundamental Principles of Movement inspired by the work of Irmgard Bartenieff and use improvisation and movement explorations to develop them further in the context of dance and within a group situation. Bartennief Fundamentals is an approach to basic body training that deals with patterning connections in the body according to principles of efficient movement functioning within a context which encourages personal expression and full psychological involvement.