Animal Instinct
Animal instinct is an ongoing movement research. The hardcore of this practice is to gain freedom in motion. By moving away from any ideology, style or form, we can reexamine our physical abilities with fresh eyes. The work refers to information from various movement disciplines (functional anatomy and biomechanics, martial arts, somatic practices, contemporary dance & C.I) and offers a wide spectrum of tools to study our body, to understand movement and communicate physically."
Topics that will be investigated:
• Body preparations (warmup/cool down)
• Flexibility and movement fluidity
• Undulations, spirals and figure of 8 patterns
• Muscle tonality & contraction types
• Static and dynamic equilibrium
• Hands as feet and feet as hands
• Proprioception & Reflexive awareness
• Structural limitation & manipulation
• The full range of speed
• Physical Adaptation & mental resilience
• Freedom of expression
The class draws from experiences with release technique as well as from the work with contact and Forsythe improvisation methods. We will begin with a simple warm-up on the floor or with improv exercises geared towards an efficient use of the body’s center, weight and breath and on establishing the basic physical connections. Class will continue with exercises at increasingly higher intensity, focusing on an ever larger range of motion as well as a varied use of dynamics. A movement sequence at the end of class aims to give room for individual experiences in regards to space, the connection to fellow dancers and to the pure pleasure of moving together. Falling and failure are highly encouraged.
About Matan Levkowitch
Matan Levkowich is a dancer, choreographer and graphic designer. Movement Lab represents all his artistic engagements in the field of dance, performance and movement education. Matan's approach to movement is based on the study of the body's intuition. The study of intuition enables to navigate through instability and develops trust in the body's capacities. His choreographic works inspired by social phenomena and human behavior. From his base in Vienna, Austria, he tours around Europe, presenting his choreographic work, performing and leading workshops.