Melissa Kieffer

Contemporary for Dancers

27.11. – 01.12.2022, 12:00–13:30

Training for Dancers

Bio

Melissa Kieffer is a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher working internationally with a focus on Berlin and Switzerland. In 2018 she completed her Bachelor of Arts in contemporary dance at “La Manufacture” in Lausanne. Since 2022/23 she regularly collaborates with Sasha Waltz & Guests, Mirjam Gurtner and Victor Rottier. After her studies she also performed in works by choreographers such as Johannes Wieland, Sebastian Zuber, Fleur Darkin (Scottish Dance Theatre), Tamara Gvozdenovic, Michael Schumacher, Breeanne Saxton and many more. As a dance educator, she works in various institutions teaching contemporary dance to children, youth, amateurs and professional dancers. Melissa continuously specifies her work and approach through further education in dance, choreography and body-related as well as therapeutic methods.

Class Description

Embodied Interpretation/Physical Intelligence

​From somatic work and compositional improvisation to schematically structured and clear movement sequences, the class becomes a time of deeper understanding and expansion of our own movement vocabulary, anchoring in our own body and specifying the essential expression of kinesthetic energy, movement intention and form. Thereby we will have a closer look on how we actually embody the movements and how we can anchor ourselves in our physical intelligence. Physical intensity and the associated mental stimulation as well as the balance of movement and stillness are fundamental principles of the class. We will work on specificity, precision and awareness of movement execution and movement research Thus, the class will precisely build upon different elements of contemporary dance, which is very much based on Melissa’s own practice working with clear principles that are explored in improvisation and choreographic work.