MONDAY MORNING CLASs
Our classes support the continuous training and development of experienced movers and professional dance artists. They take place weekly on a Monday morning in term time.
GATHER UP invites different Bristol-based practitioners to lead a block of classes with an intention to host a programme that offers a variety of contemporary dance approaches, techniques and interests.
See below to learn more about upcoming classes and the specific offer from the lead artists.
Time: Studio is open from 9.40am, class time is 10-11.30am, with time to stretch and meet 11.30-12:00.
Location: Bristol Old Vic
Booking: Book in advance to secure your place via Headfirst. Pay-what-you-decide with a min. price of £5.00 + 50p booking fee (donated to a Bristol-based charity via Headfirst).
Realise you can’t make it?: We try our best to price our classes and workshops fairly and offer good value for money. To ensure the viability of our programme we do not offer refunds. However, you can put your ticket up for resale if the event is fully booked or you can arrange to transfer your ticket to a friend using the Headfirst booking system.
Waiting List: When an event is sold out, a waiting list will be set up, should you wish to join it and be informed when a ticket gets released.
Access: Get in touch if you have access needs that we could support you with: info.gatherup@gmail.com
Creative Audio Description: If you are a visually impaired dancer planning to attend a class, you may like to book a free Creative Audio Describer to provide you with 1-1 support during the class. Please get in touch if you would like to request this support.
Care Pot: the Care Pot exists to offer cash support towards childcare, parking, travel, access or other extra costs that may surround coming to these classes. Take a read and please be in touch with how we could cover some of your extra costs so that you can come along and participate.
Rest: Our spaces are rest welcome. There are various benches, seats and corners in the studio or you are always welcome to leave the studio for a break.
ID: Batel's left shoulder and left upper side body are in contact with the floor as she bears weight on those body parts with her feet pulling her around her axis. Head is slightly tilted upwards. Two other people are in a similar position but further back in the studio. Photo: Paul Blakemore
ABOUT BATEL:
www.batelmagenmovementtherapy.co.uk
Batel is an experienced contemporary dance teacher and artist based in Bristol. She has over 20 years of experience teaching contemporary dance to a wide range of communities and organisations including BA in Dance at Bath Spa University, RISE youth dance company, Gather Up collective. She had a touring contemporary dance company Neshima Dance Theatre which was very successful.
Alongside contemporary dance, Batel is an experienced qualified Movement
Psychotherapist and Creative Clinical Supervisor. She also forms part of the core of lecturers on the BA in Creative Arts Therapies at Bristol City College.
CLASS INFO:
Batel’s contemporary dance class offers a dynamic and expressive approach to movement, blending fluidity with technique. Her style focuses on allowing movers to explore their own personal interpretation to her phrases and movement styles. Batel combines technique, strength, flexibility in mind and body and body awareness as focal elements within her class.
The themes of anchoring and alignment are also explored, enabling a softness for body part connectivity and shift of weight.
The class will invite breath to inform all movement offered, a way to bridge body and mind whilst dancing.
Batel’s approach is both welcoming positive challenge while nurturing the comfort zones of individual’s movement. Batel provides an inviting environment for movers who wish to grow and develop their movement repertoire in a safe and fun atmosphere.
Batel uses a wide range of musical influences throughout the class. Laughter and pausing or stillness also form fundamental parts of her class structure.
The classes will include a range of movement phrases that will see movers gliding, jumping, shifting, turning, twisting and all three levels. These classes are seen as fast paced/high energy and encourage movers to feel excited about challenging themselves in whatever way they feel they would like.
Some experience in contemporary dance can prove beneficial.
Physical contact with other dancers will not be an essential ingredient in the class, however Batel may invite movers to enjoy soft partner work as part of the cool down section of the class.
This can be a space to let go of mind chatter, and focus on the body and movement and the space we will all share together. To sweat and energise ourselves from head to toe.