Reflections on repetition and phrasework

This spring, Core Dance is welcoming Katie Messina to the team as our communications intern. Katie recently graduated from Emory University, and is currently dancing with Kit Modus and ImmerseATL. She is a beautiful mover and person, and we are excited to have her in our office - and studio! Katie took a class with one of our guest artists, Niv Sheinfeld, and reflects here on that experience. Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor are here for American Playground and The Third Dance, as well as CoreoLab - during which they will work with our Dance Artists and other invited members of our community for three weeks. ​Read on to find out what Katie has to say about her hour and a half with Niv! 

Last week, I had the opportunity to watch a studio run of Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor’s American Playground, featuring the Core Dance Artists. Afterwards, I was excited to meet Niv and Oren, and to take Niv’s contemporary class. Though I had seen a rehearsal, I didn’t know what to expect of his class. Ultimately, I was reminded that there is a certain beauty in doing the same phrase several times in one class. It allows a mover to discover something new each time.

We began by slowly working through a phrase, taking our time moving from pose to pose in order to warm and wake up the body. Rather than immediately discarding it as the ‘warm-up’ and moving on, we dove deeper into the phrase, adding more and more in length - moving in and out of the ground - and then adding textures and new ideas. We did the same with our next phrase. We began slowly and later added speed, directional changes, and more phrase work. In both, we began in silence and then layered on music as we became more comfortable with the material.

I found this incredibly enjoyable and it was a centering way to begin a new week of dancing. Repetition gives me the ability to dive deeper into researching my own body and the concepts that a teacher might present. I focused on my weight displacement, and body patterning as Niv talked about where each movement should originate. It’st is important to pick up new material quickly, but sometimes, it’s satisfying to not have to think about the combination, and be able to focus and invest entirely in the process. It’s a nice change of pace.

I began consistently taking class with Core Dance over the summer. I had just graduated from Emory University, and was hoping to immerse myself in the Atlanta dance community as a new artist, not just as a student. I am especially excited to participate in Niv and Oren’s CoreoLab, which will take place February 4th through 22nd. 

Core Dance’s commitment to preserving and passing on choreographers’ approach to their work was a factor in creating CoreoLab, as well as aiding in the professional development of young artists. It allows for international sharing between new bodies, and gives a space to investigate among movers. Just like in Niv’s morning class, we will be focusing on the process, not just an end result. It will be a chance to dive deeper into exploration, which is rare in today’s dance world where we often are commissioned to create with a set deadline and end product required.