Janis Claxton Workshop

This was the last in the series of improvisation workshops organized by Janis herself. Despite the terrible weather which cancelled trains, closed airports and blocked roads to the north, 14 brave souls reached Dancebase (paying up front might have something to do with it!). It was another eclectic mix of backgrounds from a clown through professional dancers to Janis’s osteopath experiencing firsthand what dancers’ bodies do. I liked the idea from the start of decluttering the studio of the usual bits and pieces leaving just the sound system and the necessary water bottles.
What followed was a brilliant workshop involving release work and improvisation. The time just flew by (5.5hrs). (The only part I didn’t like was head contact with floor – makes me dizzy!) There were gems like the ‘Crocodile Dance’ which really frees movement from the pelvis. Working in duets and trios produced some lovely movement; it was interesting to see the exchange and blending of movement vocabularies. For instance my final partner came from a more lyric tradition / capoeira whereas with my background in Nikolais and Cunningham styles, my dance tends to concentrate on direction/line. Fortunately Janis will be teaching next term so look forward in anticipation.


www.janisclaxton.com