Sebastian Abarbanell

Contemporary for Dancers

24.02. – 28.02.2025, 12:00–13:30
01.03. + 02.03.2025, 13:00–14:30

Training for Dancers

Bio

Sebastian Abarbanell (he/they) is a dance artist, performer and award-winning choreographer based in Berlin. As a queer artist who has the privilege of devoting their life to their artistic development and expression, they take on the responsibility of illuminating, processing and questioning socially and politically relevant issues and matters with their work. After graduating from Trinity Laban in London in 2015, they spent 4 years in New York City where they collaborated and performed with a variety of artists and companies including Sidra Bell Dance New York, Gallim Dance and BIRDHOUSE. Sebastian has presented their work at international festivals across Europe, USA, Canada and Mexico and received awards at Solo-Tanz-Theater Festival Stuttgart, contact.energy Tanztheater Festival Erfurt, and SoloDuo Festival in Cologne. With their debut full length solo production HOME (2021), Sebastian was selected as one of the Twenty23 artists of Aerowaves, a hub for dance discovery in Europe. Sebastian’s teaching credits include company classes for Sasha Waltz & Guests, Sidra Bell Dance New York and Theater Pforzheim and in institutions such as NYU Tisch, Gibney Dance, Dock11 Berlin and University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Currently
Sebastian works as a freelance dancer, teacher and choreographer in Berlin and they are a member of Kianí Del Valle’s KDV Dance Ensemble and Sasha Waltz & Guests.

www.sebastianabarbanell.com / @sebastian.abarbanell

Class Description

In my practice I am interested in the intersection between structure and freedom. By breaking down the body into its layers of skin, flesh and bone we can build a foundational awareness of our bodies which allows for a growing sense of possibilities within our physicality. Feeding structured movement exercises into guided and improvisational explorations aims to build strength from the core into the edges, challenging and expanding our familiar limits.
This physical focus is paired with the activation and stimulation of all senses through imagery and listening to various forces and sources of information in the space (from the movement of other dancers to the accompanying music and beyond). The class builds up to a place where we can operate our bodies and minds between activation and surrender, control and letting go to both, empower and expand our roam of possibilities.
Some of which can be captured and explored in set movement material or communal improvisational ideas with the purpose of continuously inviting freedom of choice and an individual physical experience while giving into and utilizing external as well as internal forces.
My practice draws inspiration from Sidra Bell’s methodology, Gaga, Dose of Pleasure by Alvin Collantes, Dance Church® and my personal choreographic work among others.