The Imaginative Body practice is a theatrical performance and dance class that utilizes the mind's ability to visualize, create, and project worlds and scenarios into the space in concert with the body's execution of fixed material. We approach our alignment and strengthening with the curiosity of a child, learning our bodies anew each time and rejecting any shame that comes from "false" execution. The class is a laboratory for methods of completion. The health and longevity of the body are priorities in this work. As the class progresses through Saxton’s athletic and complex physical movement language, the phrase work is imbued with meaning and theatrical purpose. In this way, we are able to make the theatrical highly physical. Working through improvisational and choreographic worlds, we will develop the specific and authentic coordination between the emotional, physical, and imaginative bodies.
Breath, voice, and performative techniques are additionally trained in this practice, breaking down the boundaries between performing as an actor and as a dancer. Throughout this practice, movement is generated from a quality and task-based plane generating a proficiency in precise intention-based physicality. The eyes and hands garner special attention in this practice as our most familiar tool to see, visualize, understand, and navigate worlds. At the same time, the practice works towards breaking down the hierarchy of the body and discovering new ways of seeing, knowing, and representing the worlds we move through.
With a varied training background including athletic gymnastics, Horton-Limon, release technique, and contemporary floor work techniques, Saxton’s classes train the muscles to take care of the skeleton through efficiency, alignment, and intelligent utilization of physics of motion. Students will encounter rhythmic, spatial, and sequential challenges individually and as a group, preparing them for rehearsal, creation, and daily living. Such a class can be tailored to a variety of levels and abilities.