Graham for Europe is excited to be leading our second summer intensive following the success of our inaugural programme in Paris last year. In 2024 we will be heading to Venice where we will once again be joined by international guest artists, pedagogues and researchers.
This platform is for all who share a passion for Graham’s creative work and legacy, offering the opportunity to expand their existing practice whilst making meaningful connections with other facilitators and participants. Classes are taught by world-class dance professionals and leaders in their field, including former Martha Graham Company Artistic Director and dancers.
Whether you are a Graham veteran, current lover of this work or just curious; come and join our vibrant Graham community from around the continent and beyond to practice, reflect and build on your existing experience.
For any inquiry, please email us at summerintensive@grahamforeurope.com
About our 2023 Summer Intensive edition in Paris. An experience that still resonates for many :)
FULL PROGRAM
⎯ Dance classes are held in the dance studios at Venezia Balletto in Mestre, a borough of the city of Venice (Via Rossetto, 5, 30172 Venezia).
⎯ All parts of the program are delivered in English, with possible translations into French, Italian and Spanish. All teachers speak several languages.
⎯ All participants who complete the program will receive a Certificate of Completion.
Graham TECHNIQUE
8 days (4 levels: Teens, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)
Graham technique is considered by many the "cornerstone" of American modern dance. As the first codified modern technique it has been taught worldwide, both as a tool to train expressive dancers, but also as a choreographic language giving birth to dance companies in several countries including: Batsheva in Israel, London Contemporary Dance Theater, Ballet Nacional de México…
WORKSHOP 1
3 days (Exploring Fundamentals or Learning Lost Sequences)
Participants in the Teens and Beginner levels will have the opportunity to physicalise, explore and develop Graham Fundamentals through a range of approaches and in-depth historical explanations.
Participants in the Intermediate and Advanced levels are invited to embody sequences from the Graham work that are rarely incorporated into current practice. Here we will have the chance to reflect and question whether this ‘lost’ vocabulary can and should be revived within the canon.
WORKSHOP 2
4 days (Creative Workshop)
Creativity sits at the heart of the Martha Graham work and its dissemination across pedagogic and performance contexts. The Creative Workshop will give carte blanche to the teacher as they work through the lens of Martha Graham’s philosophy and creative process, exploring how to physicalize, embody and share themes and narratives with intention, honesty and power. This might include sections of the repertory but will most likely engage students with creating a new work. Students will be nurtured to develop and share their individual voice in the community of the other.
Pedagogy SEMINAR
6 sessions (for Graham current or future teachers)
The Pedagogy seminar is designed for teachers and facilitators of dance who have been extensively trained in Graham. Whether you currently teach Graham or another dance discipline this is an opportunity to expand your practice.
We invite participants to refine their theories of education and teaching whilst reflecting on their personal pedagogical practice with the following goals:
• Question Graham as a fertile training in a 21st Century context
• Develop concrete tools and examples to experiment with and enrich their day-to-day teaching
• Be part of a community of practice and collaborative network
The seminar does not advocate any particular pedagogical approach nor does it consist of a series of juxtaposed “recipes”. Rather, it is intended to be a forum for open, critical, and constructive dialogue about the Martha Graham technique as a unique educational environment, for developing pedagogical approaches appropriate to a diversity of contexts and personal styles.
Colloquium & EVENTS
The intensive will offer free events for participants of the intensive, including video projections and a panel discussion with practitioners and researchers exploring and continuing the Martha Graham legacy.
The week will culminate with a Colloquium, a new edition of « Martha Graham and Greek Myth » with Dr Nina Papathanasopoulou and a final presentation by students.
Our faculty
Our team of international master teachers is joined this year by two special guests from Italy: Elena Albano (Artistic Director of Aconcoli Dance) and Marzia Memoli (Martha Graham Dance Company since 2016).
COST OF THE INTENSIVE
Graham For Europe is a non-profit organization that operates thanks to the work of volunteers and the support of public structures in France. We strive to offer accessible prices and all income from the intensive will go to artists and the expenses linked to the delivery of the program.
We have decided to ask for a smaller contribution from participants from a country outside Europe. If you want to join from another continent, please email us before April 1 at summerintensive@grahamforeurope.com to access reduced ticketing.
ABOUT THE LEVELS
Participants are invited to self-elect a level appropriate to their experience and development and we wish to cultivate an environment where autonomy and agency is welcomed. On the first day teachers will ensure these choices are in line with safe dance practice given the scope and challenges presented by the more advanced vocabulary.
TEENS for students between 13 and 16 years old who enjoy dancing and have no experience or little experience in the Martha Graham Technique.
The course will introduce Martha Graham’s technique and repertory as well as encourage students to heighten their curiosity for American modern dance and its expressiveness.
BEGINNER for students who enjoy dancing and have no experience or little experience in the Martha Graham Technique.
The course will introduce fundamentals and iconic sequences as well as encourage students to develop a sense of Martha Graham’s philosophy and her revolutionary approach to movement and the artform.
INTERMEDIATE for students who have practiced Graham technique for at least a full year in an academic program or a few years informally and know the core principles and main series.
The course will bring students to a deeper understanding of the work, while introducing them to a wider range of the Graham vocabulary and more complex series. Students will be encouraged to find the right balance between more virtuosity and more internal work as well as start to find their own Graham style.
ADVANCED for students who master the Martha Graham Technique and have “digested” it, whether they are graduates of a program that had Graham as a main technique or they are Graham teachers themselves.
In this level, students are expected to know all the regular series and the philosophy behind Graham’s training. The course will work on longer series and more complex materials, maintaining a steady pace. Students will be encouraged to deepen their physicality and artistry within the vocabulary, to experiment as well as find joy and purpose in the daily practice.