Receiving Bachelor Degrees in Arts and in Education, as a Certified Alexander Technique Teacher through Susan Sinclair's program, and having an MFA in Dance Choreography, I have been a teacher since 2001. I teach professional dancers, actors, high school and elementary school students, and community dancers. I am contract faculty in the Dance department at York University. The main courses I teach are Conditioning, Somatics (Alexander Technique), Solo, Contact, and Ensemble Improvisation/Composition. The classes/workshops range from one hour introductory classes for individuals to full-year courses for large groups.
5Day C.I. workshop with Suzanne Liska and Mark Young. Lesqueti, BC, June30-July6. http://leviathan.lasqueti.ca/5day-contact-improv-with-mark-young-june30-july6 Mark will lead the morning class from 10am-noon. Suzanne will lead the afternoon class from 4-6pm. This workshop provides learning for all levels. It is skilled and technical, providing an opportunity for those who are newer to Contact Improv to gain some skills and the experienced dancer an opportunity to explore things in a new light. Suzanne’s classes will integrate the Alexander Technique with CI. We will research how to access our underlying support, sensory awareness, spatial perception, strength and fluidity within CI. Through “hands-on work” as well as verbal guidance, Suzanne, the Alexander teacher will lead students to become more aware of and to change habits of misuse. The educational process of the Alexander Technique trains your kinesthetic coordination and enables you to begin to free patterns of tension to access your dynamic coordination. As we research CI informed by the Alexander Technique, ease of weight transition, smooth connection, effortless partnering, and depth of emotional expression result. Suzanne Liska is a Certified Alexander Technique Teacher, dancer, choreographer, and researcher specializing in dance improvisation and somatics since 1998. Receiving grants and awards through York University, the Toronto Arts Council and Ontario Arts Council, she has choreographed and performed works presented for DanceWorks CoWorks, Dusk Dances, Dance Matters, and CanAsian KickStart. She has originated in roles for choreographers Maxine Heppner, Pam Johnson, Karen Kaeja, Susan Lee, Kathleen Rea and Takako Segawa. Suzanne has been a teacher since 2001 with Bachelor Degrees in Arts, Education and a SSHRC-funded MFA in Dance Choreography. She teaches professional dancers, actors, community dancers, and high school and elementary school students. Her main classes include Somatics (Alexander Technique), Solo, Contact, and Ensemble Improvisation/Composition and advanced partnering. Suzanne has taught workshop intensives for Collective Gulp in Ottawa, CCDC in Calgary, CINN in Tokyo, and Leviathan studio in BC and in Toronto for Randolph Performing Arts College, Ryerson University, George Brown and Humber College. In Toronto, she is contract faculty in York University’s Dance department. www.suzanneliska.com In Mark’s class: We will begin with Tai Chi exercises that inform our bodies of the spiral nature of movement. From these exercises we start on the floor to work with Spiral Rolls and Crescent rolls; moving upwards to rolling with a partner. The goal of the work is to smooth out the transitions of our improvisation by spiralling with a partner. We learn safe and effortless lifting that is spontaneous and uncontrived. We learn when to trust our partner and when not to by sensing the floor through them as we roll up. In Contact Improv, the aerialist is the lead, not the base. This is contrary to every other dance form in which the aerialist goes up whether they feel like it or not. Mark Young has been studying Contact Improv and Tai Chi for 20yrs. He has a unique pedagogical approach that bridges Tai Chi to Steve Paxton’s Material For the Spine, and then bridging the two to the Contact Improv duet form. He has presented this approach at the Conservatory of Dance in Murcia, Spain on two occasions and will be teaching a 4week workshop at UCAM (University of Murcia). COST: $600 Canadian includes all meals, camping or dormitory, tuition, limo from the ferry and returned, taxes. To register: go to http://leviathan.lasqueti.ca/5day-contact-improv-with-mark-young-june30-july6. ‘Contact Us’ on the right side of the screen. Send a message. You will be responded to within 24hrs. |
AIM - Alexander Technique
Informed Movement Workshops 7-9pm Jan 10, Feb 7, Mar 7, Apr 4, May 2, Jun 6 2019 Location: IGAC Artscape Youngplace Centre, Toronto Studio 103 – 180 Shaw St. (South Dundas) Cost: $30/wkshp $25/wkshp cada/act/stud $20/wkshp for 3 or more *Open to all levels of experience **Max. 8 students for more individualized learning Work better. Perform better. Feel better. Whether it is your daily activities and/or performance (music, dance, acting, etc.), Alexander Technique helps to free patterns of tension and begin to access your underlying support. There will be opportunities to receive “hands-on-work” by Suzanne. The workshops will include discussion, observation, movement, and individual activities. |
Current and Upcoming University/College Courses
York University, Somatics (Alexander Technique) and Dance Improvisation - Fundamentals of Physical Practice, Fall/Winter 2019/2020
Ryerson - sub-teaching for Phillipa Domville, Movement for the Actors, 2017/2018
George Brown - sub-teaching for Kathleen Rea, Movement for Dancers, Fall 2017
York University, Somatics (Alexander Technique) and Dance Improvisation - Fundamentals of Physical Practice, Fall/Winter 2019/2020
Ryerson - sub-teaching for Phillipa Domville, Movement for the Actors, 2017/2018
George Brown - sub-teaching for Kathleen Rea, Movement for Dancers, Fall 2017
Dance Teaching Experience:
Conditioning, Somatics (Alexander Technique), Solo, Contact, Ensemble Improvisation/Composition
Conditioning, Somatics (Alexander Technique), Solo, Contact, Ensemble Improvisation/Composition
- Course Director in the Fundamentals of Physical Practice (Conditioning, Somatics and Improvisation), York University, Toronto, 2016 – 2017; 2019 - ongoing
- Acting Division Faculty Teacher at Randolph Performing Arts - College Program, Toronto 2011 – 2017
- Graduate Rehearsal Assistant - York Dance Ensemble, York University 2015-2016
- University/College Workshops for Philippa Domville (Ryerson University), Susan Lee, Julia Sasso, and Gwen Dobie (York University) and Kathleen Rea (George Brown College), Kaeja d’Dance (School of Toronto Dance Theatre ) Toronto, 2006 – ongoing
- Residencies for C.I.N.N. (Tokyo), Leviathan Studio (B.C.), Collective Gulp Dance Projects (Ottawa), Artists’ Play Dance Company, Mayfield Secondary Arts High School, Simcoe Dance, Peterborough and Calgary Jams, Japan 2005 – ongoing
- AIM Alexander Technique Informed Movement with Susan Sinclair 2012 – 2015