Melissa Kieffer
Contemporary for Dancers
12.12. – 16.12.2022, 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 graduating, she has worked as a performer with international choreographers such as Johannes Wieland, Sasha Waltz&Guests (“In C” Instructor), Deborah Hay, Sebastian Zuber, Tamara Gvozdenovic, Fleur Darkin, Mirjam Gurtner, Michael Schumacher, Thomas Hauert, Fabrice Mazliah, Lia Rodrigues and many others. Melissa teaches classes and workshops for professionals and students. Her piece “NEO” – a piece for 13 dancers – premiered in Berlin in September 2021. Together with Alica Minar she founded the company “Rawtrip” in 2021, which is based in Freiburg im Breisgau.
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.
