MONDAY MORNING CLASs
Our classes support the continuous training and development of experienced movers and professional dance artists. They take place weekly on a Monday morning in term time.
GATHER UP invites different Bristol-based practitioners to lead a block of classes with an intention to host a programme that offers a variety of contemporary dance approaches, techniques and interests.
See below to learn more about upcoming classes and the specific offer from the lead artists.
Time: Studio is open from 9.40am, class time is 10-11.30am, with time to stretch and meet 11.30-12:00.
Location: Bristol Old Vic
Booking: Book in advance to secure your place via Headfirst. Pay-what-you-decide with a min. price of £5.00 + 50p booking fee (donated to a Bristol-based charity via Headfirst).
Realise you can’t make it?: We try our best to price our classes and workshops fairly and offer good value for money. To ensure the viability of our programme we do not offer refunds. However, you can put your ticket up for resale if the event is fully booked or you can arrange to transfer your ticket to a friend using the Headfirst booking system.
Waiting List: When an event is sold out, a waiting list will be set up, should you wish to join it and be informed when a ticket gets released.
Access: Get in touch if you have access needs that we could support you with: info.gatherup@gmail.com
Creative Audio Description: If you are a visually impaired dancer planning to attend a class, you may like to book a free Creative Audio Describer to provide you with 1-1 support during the class. Please get in touch if you would like to request this support.
Care Pot: the Care Pot exists to offer cash support towards childcare, parking, travel, access or other extra costs that may surround coming to these classes. Take a read and please be in touch with how we could cover some of your extra costs so that you can come along and participate.
Rest: Our spaces are rest welcome. There are various benches, seats and corners in the studio or you are always welcome to leave the studio for a break.
UPCOMING CLASSES:
MORNING CLASS WITH LISA MAY THOMAS
ABOUT CLASS:
Lisa’s class is drawn from Janis Claxton’s Move It! and is about mobilising, strengthening and energising the body and mind*. We will do this through connecting with our bodies to music and moving alongside each other in the following (loose) format:
The Circle - a short guided warm up to mobilise the body and check-in.
The Lines - approx. an hour of continual moving in a simple follow-the-leader format. Music is used to inspire, energise and motivate. Different tracks will inform and vary the pace, rhythm, and flow of our movement across the room. All moves can be adapted to meet the changing needs of your body and energy levels. You are also welcome to stop and take time out as you need.
The Horizontal - time for guided or self-directed stretching, cool down and checkout!
There will be some moving into and out of the floor, rolling and sliding. There will be very minimal direct contact/ touch which you can choose not to do.
ABOUT LISA:
Dance artist and researcher, investigating the intersections of dance and somatic practices, immersive performance and digital futures. Lisa has made numerous dance films and immersive performance work which have been presented across the world. She recently qualified as a breath work coach.
*Lisa runs this class monthly (usually the 3rd Friday of each month) with Libby Charlton at the WI hall in Backwell, North Somerset, please email for more info: lisamay.thomas@mac.com
Weblinks:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamaythomas/
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/persons/lisa-may-thomas
https://soma-project.co.uk
Image Credit: Alice Hendy for the Soma Project
MORNING CLASS WITH DEERAJ SINGH
ABOUT CLASS:
The main focus of the sessions will be music and community. We will be using improvisation exercises and group exercises to explore musicality and how our individual understanding of the music can be a point of connection & collaboration as we build a short but fruitful community. We will start slowly by connecting to ourselves and then move in to smaller groups, where we will look at travelling through the space, responding and finding our own sense of musicality before culminating in a whole group jam. The class will be non contact and floor work is down to the individuals preferences. All of these exercises are suggestions and can be met wherever you are that day.
ABOUT DEEPRAJ:
Deepraj Singh first started dancing in afterschool capoeira sessions at the age of 8. From there his interest in movement and musicality began to grow. He joined Bristol based youth dance company Kinesis and continued his movement exploration at Cotham School where dance was taught as part of the curriculum. He continued his training via the CAT (Centre of Advanced Training) programme run in Swindon, and was on both the urban strand and contemporary strand before successfully auditioning for London Contemporary Dance School. Deepraj was awarded a scholarship whilst training at London Contemporary Dance School and graduated with a first in July 2015. After graduating he has continued working as a freelance dancer and has toured, choreographed and performed professional pieces both nationally and internationally. Deepraj draws upon his street dance techniques when creating pieces, which are rhythmically explorative and emotionally driven. The use of improvisation is prominent within his work, representing the authenticity of human experience. He makes pieces that are accessible on both an emotional and physical level to a wide variety of audiences.