09/05/2026
‼️‼️Modern MOVES, Workshop: A high-energy, thought-provoking exploration of early American modern dance and contemporary movement practice. Rooted in four interconnected lineages—the Graham/Taylor traditions of contraction, spirals, and spatial tension; Humphrey/Limón principles of fall, recovery, swing, and dynamic texture; contemporary biomechanical and somatic approaches, including Simonson Technique; and the expressive legacy of Anna Sokolow, where movement emerges from emotion and gesture carries narrative meaning. Dancers connect from the inside out, using breath, body mechanics, and articulation to move with efficiency, power, abandon, and expression. Through dynamic floor work, locomotion, improvisational play, and full-bodied movement phrases, students explore weight, balance, speed, direction, phrasing, and spatial awareness while enlivening the senses and building sensitivity to self, space, and community. With a “practice as performance” and “classroom as lab” approach, dancers are invited to experiment, take risks, offer peer-to-peer feedback, and lean into their performing selves. Come ready to sweat, swing, breathe, connect—and discover the joy of moving together.
Artist Bio Marisa f. Ballaro is Founding Artistic Director of NYC-based Ballaro Dance, centering community-driven, collaborative work. She holds an MFA in Dance from Montclair State University; she graduated summa cm laude from SUNY Brockport. Marisa taught at The Brearley School for 12 years and offers professional coaching through ‘Your Next MOVE.’ This Season, she was commissioned by the Society for New Music to create a new work with composer Hippocrates Cheng; Ballaro Dance toured to Washington, DC. Most recently, her work ‘TWELVE: Going The Distance’ debuted internationally at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, selected as part of the distinguished Summerhall Arts programme. A proud Buffalonian, Marisa is a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan.
