March 7/9/11: Tia Kushniruk
Image Description - Two dancers are joyfully moving and covered in sweat. Tia, in the background, slides her left foot along the wet marley while falling and grinning. Kate Algarme, in the foreground, has her back to the camera and is twisting to her right; her arms are blurred and she is in mid-spin. In the right corner of the image, an unknown dancer lies on their stomach and seems to be rolling to their right. The floor is reflective and covered in sweat and moisture from the hot summer Beijing August day. Beyond the windows behind the three dancers, you find Chinese Wisteria trees standing silently. This image is in black and white.
Class Description: This class will lead you through repetitive, groove based patterning. You will move into ideas plucked from various teachings to broaden your gaze and sharpen your mind, all while honing your body’s tailored mechanisms for vigour, reciprocity, and release. The class may close with a cool down practising performative states to ease you back into your day. This class pulls from the practises of Christianne Ullmark, Ileanna Cheladyn, and Antony Hamilton.
Common Quotes that Tia says when teaching this class are:
"Optical viewfinder?"
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a k-pop idol in the greatest selling Korean Girl Group of all time?"
“But… what if we go faster?”
I, Tia Ashley Kushniruk/亚 女弟 (Tai Ya-di), am a queer woman of Chinese-Eastern European settler heritage from the Treaty 6 Territory of Amiskwaciwâskahikan/Edmonton. My teaching practise is sporadic, and has often-times come forth for workshop scenarios. In fact, the very first formal setting I taught in (and longest consistent teaching job I have ever had), was for the City of Edmonton as a Water Safety Instructor. For dance, I source these particular techniques within my classes: Theatre Improv, Limon, Horton, Graham, Clown, and ‘Hip Hop’(umbrella-term). I am a vocally engaged teacher with a penchant for being encouraging and jolly towards my students. I hope to play with you soon!