Dana Caspersen/Amy Raymond

The Practice of Connection

Conflict is frequent in the creative process– on interpersonal, conceptual and institutional levels. But these conflicts do not need to be destructive. Conflict is inevitable, but it can also be useful. The conflicts that arise in the studio between a choreographer and a performer, between colleagues, in company meetings, between artists and administrations, between teachers and students, and often in the thoughts of individual artists themselves, can all be opportunities to find out what matters and what is possible as a result. Conflict can help us understand something new.
This workshop offers participants training in physical and cognitive awareness and skills that will help them to approach conflict as a place of possibility. Drawing on Dana’s training and work as a conflict specialist and Amy’s experience of working closely with Budo master, Akira Hino, as well as their common experience as performers and creators with William Forsythe, this workshop will propose concrete practices for developing the ability to differentiate and choose between actions that create connection and those that provoke harmful disconnection.