Elise Knudson is a New York based dance artist and educator. Her interest in being where ideas and actions intersect has led to explorations of critical theory via dance and visa versa. Elise has authored about thirty long and short works for stages large and small. She holds an MFA in 
dance from Hollins University and a BA in Philosophy from UW, Madison. She is grateful for the privilege of dancing for Risa Jaroslow for the past decade. She has also performed for several other New York based choreographers including Koosil-ja/DanceKumiko, Kiori Kawai/Purring Tiger, Noemie LaFrance, Jody Oberfelder and other wonderful people. Elise teaches and facilitates Contact Improvisation through Movement Research and at Manhattanville College, and developed a seminar on Theory and Practice of Improvisation for the Residential College Seminar Program at Yale University.
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Class Description:
Improvisation in Performance
What do we value about performance? What is it that changes when our dances are witnessed? These are questions I would like to dive into with you through action. This class will move first and talk later. We’ll warm up with individual explorations of our own form and move into partnered play. Improvisation in performance represents a gamble. We never know when we’ll achieve genius or crash and burn, and yet, that instant when two or more wills arrive unexpectedly at the same task is so sparkly! In this class, we’ll work together to create the conditions for genius by using game structures to get us on the same page. Then we’ll break the rules and see what happens. All are welcome!
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movingtargetboston 