Dance Class : Countertechnique

Monday night dance classes at Le Mondo continue with COUNTERTECHNIQUE this Monday, October 10th. 

ABOUT THE CLASS

Level: Pre-professional/Professional Countertechnique

Countertechnique,  created by Anouk van Dijk, provides tools for body and mind to deal  with the deman­ding dance practice of the 21st century. It is a movement  system to help the dancer think about the dancing body, focusing on the  process of incorporating information into action. Within a clear  structure of exercises, the Countertechnique class thoroughly prepares  the body for rehearsal and performance, enabling dancers to move bigger,  more fluidly and more spatially, while becoming stronger and more  flexible.

ABOUT YOUR TEACHER

Kelly  Hirina, originally from Michigan, moved to the Netherlands as a Fulbright scholar and continued to live and work there as a professional  dancer for twenty years. While there, Hirina worked with many different  choreographers such as; Emio Greco & Pieter C. Scholten (EG|PC),  Krisztina de Chatel, Suzy Blok, Nicole Beutler, Liat Waysbort and Dylan  Newcomb in companies such as ICKamsterdam and Dansgroep Amsterdam.  Hirina also worked in mime/theater onstage with Jakop Ahlbom and  Compagnietheater (Theu Boermans) and in films with directors such as  Arno Dierickx and Noud Heerkens.

Alongside her dance career she studied  acting at the Atlantic Theatre School in New York City.

Hirina  is a certified teacher of both Countertechnique, created by Anouk van  Dijk and Double Skin/Double Mind, created by Emio Greco and Pieter C.  Scholten. She has been teaching these methods at the Lucia Marthas  Institute for Performing Arts (Amsterdam) and in her role as the  artistic coordinator of ICKamsterdam’s academy. These methods offer  healthy approaches to the dancing body while stimulating their personal  creativity. Hirina also incorporates methods from ICKamsterdam, the  Sensorium Toolkit and Pre-choreographics, in choreographic development.

She  acquired her M.F.A. in Dance from the University of Michigan with  research based upon the link between mind and body in dance training,  rehearsal and performance. Her specific interest is in pedagogical  methods that enhance intrinsic motivation, appreciation for learning (a  process-oriented approach) and goal setting.