AUGUST 2021
SUMMER TRAINING
in-person + online option
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floorwork, improvisation, partnering, acting, dance theater research
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VIM VIGOR's SUMMER PROGRAM provides immersive research in contemporary dance-theater based education in the US. The program is anchored in VIM's commitment to activating the whole of the performer, from the extremes of virtuosic dance to the fluid awareness of emotion and experience.
VIM's program is focused on professional development with daily contemporary floorwork classes that improve dancers' athleticism to move with efficiency and healthy alignment, into and out of the floor, as well as their artistry to work with context, emotional impulse and the ensemble. Afternoons are dedicated to workshops focused on improvisation, contact partnering and momentum based mechanics, dance theater exploration, acting, creative practice with the company, and roundtable community discussions.
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This year feels particularly special as we navigate our collective effort to move back into the studio safely. As such we have subsidized our programming to reflect the grave financial situation all of us are collectively facing. Additionally we will offer two 50% scholarships for BIPOC movers interested in joining us.
We will invite a limited number of in-person participants to our first iteration of our satellite programming in ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN. We have partnered with a local facility and are thrilled to bring our hardcore immersive training to a city with so much nature.
We also understand that this time requires our patience and our creativity - as such will also be offering online programming as well. We will have teachers dedicated to leading classes for dancers working from smaller spaces.
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN
August 16-20, 2021
ONE WEEK
IN-PERSON SCHEDULE / MONDAY-FRIDAY 10am-6pm
ONE WEEK IN-PERSON - $500
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DUE TO ROBUST INTEREST IN OUR IN PERSON TRAINING
WE HAVE HAD TO CANCEL OUR ONLINE SCHEDULE
WE DO PLAN TO HAVE ONLINE CLASSES THIS FALL
AND WILL UPDATE WITH THOSE CLASSES SHORTLY
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In-Person Application:
To join us in-person, we will require proof of your vaccination. We are hoping that access to the vaccines will be available in time for our shared work in late August. We will still wear masks in the studio, but having been vaccinated will mean that we can work safely in proximity and in duration.
We ask that you fill out and email our Summer Program Form along with your resume and a video link of you moving. There is no in-person audition for this program, so please share footage that best represents you. Please note, that dancers must be at least 18 years old, but that there is no age limit. All participants should be advised that this is advanced professional training, and while we accept and value a range of experience, expect to be challenged every day. It's the best way to grow!
For in-person training the program runs 10am-6pm, Monday through Friday.
All materials should be emailed to: info@vimvigordance.com, with SUMMER 2021 APPLICANT in the subject line.
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Tuition:
Once you have been accepted, you will receive a personal invoice sent to your email from PayPal. This invoice is personal to you and will hold all payments received and balances due. There is a one time $20 processing fee to cover administrative costs.
Once your tuition is processed, you will be sent a confirmation email.
Please feel free to email us directly if you have any questions: info@vimvigordance.com
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Location:
VIM VIGOR is thrilled to bring the sixth year of our summer program to the heart of Michigan! As we climb back into the artistic world, it felt important to partner with a local studio here in Ann Arbor. We are thrilled to have access to a huge space where we can effectively dive into our collective research. The local address is: 2875 Boardwalk Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Our original intent had been to partner with the University of Michigan, though recent decisions by the Regents have barred access to any Michigan facility. We are hopeful with COVID restrictions easing this Fall, that future VIM VIGOR programming with be in direct partnership with the Dance Department.
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QUESTIONS CAN BE DIRECTED TO info@vimvigordance.com
No meals, housing, or transportation are included in tuition. Housing arrangements and travel arrangements are at the discretion of each student. We do however happily connect accepted participants looking for housing, so that they might find accommodations together. We generally advocate for Airbnb listings, as they are reliable and affordable in Ann Arbor and surrounding area.
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VIM VIGOR AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS
stay tuned for additional offerings
PARNTER PLAY
IMPETUS
Starting with the basics of a rolling point of contact through which both dancers give and share weight - participants will ride the wave together without judgement, prediction or independent control. Through a guided set of exercises and propositions, dancers will become mind reading daredevils that fall, fly, slide, pivot and support a shared practice. Culminating in a circle of support, dancers will join one another to explore and share; in the moment creative choices will form new pathways and raw material for future creative development.
A study of the body as a vehicle for storytelling. This workshop aims to source the impulses that create movement. In order to connect to our experiences and our ability to emote. Viewing movement as the epicenter for communication; we will train our sensitivity to the group mind. In an effort to create context for improvised scores. Working towards efficiency in our actions to create clarity in our narratives.
VIVID STATES / ALTER EGO
VIM VIGOR CREATIVE PRACTICE
I’m interested in raising the stakes and in doing so by thrusting performers into surreal and heightened spaces. I’m interested in physical and psychological triggers and portals. I’m interested in bringing characters to life that begin at our true natures and then breaking through into new and forbidden places. Working with improvisational and theatrical propositions we will look at: what happens when the floodgates of your inner world are opened? Who do you become when you believe in a fantasy? How do we move seamlessly between the surreal and the simple? The balance of listening and reacting will offer unprecedented access into the unknown territories of other people and ourselves. Meisner based acting exercises have been coupled with Gillen’s unique theatrical approach to assist dancers in accessing their ability to live truthfully. Monologue and scene study will also be explored.
Bring it all together inside composition research with VIM VIGOR.
We are excited to explore collaborative research methods that expand our toolkit for creative thinking and problem solving. We will dig into challenging prompts, generate many sketches, perform known and improvised scenes, and generally upend the creative practice together. Mind, body and inner life are going to get a work out.