Workshops
Hula Hooping with Maria Chekmareva
Bio:
Maria Chekmareva is a professional aerialist,
hula-hoop artist, and circus performer. Since
2014, she has been teaching circus and
performing arts to children and adults in
Calgary. Before making Calgary her home,
she has traveled across Europe, Asia and
North America with the Circus on Ice troupe
for over six years.
Maria choreographs her own shows and
performs in numerous events and creative
projects across Alberta. Maria's passion for
creative arts and dance has brought her to
join the Calgary-based Vizard theatrical and
dance show as a dancer and a hula-hoop
artist.
Check out some of her work here:
https://youtu.be/1gghhSxt6vg
https://youtu.be/HeoLBseEh_o
Adult Hula Hooping
Tuesdays,
March 28 to April 25, 2023
12:30 pm to 1:20 pm
Did you know that spinning and twisting a hula-hoop is a great aerobic workout that engages 30+ core muscles, including glutes, thighs, and abs? 30 minutes of hula-hooping burns 210 calories, equivalent to a strenuous boot-camp class. Get in shape with our brand-new adult program! During the 1-hour super fun workout, you will learn circus tricks, strengthen your core and abs, and stretch to improve flexibility.
Cost: $100 + GST
Participants: 10 max each
(Note: you will need to pay an annual registration fee of $20 before you can register this class)
Click the button above to register.
Going to the Fear
Bio:
Léda Davies has been an active member of Canada's professional theatre, dance, and circus scene for over a decade, and spent 6 years in Montreal, QC training in circus with renowned coaches from Cirque du Soleil and the National Circus School. Her aerial skills have been featured in music videos, stage productions and outdoor festivals in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton. Léda is also the co-founder of the Screaming Goats Collective, a non-profit society strengthening the creative communities of both Eastern and Western Canada with a focus on interdisciplinary devised creation in Moh'kins'tsis (Calgary, Alberta). Léda holds an MFA in Theatre Practice from the University of Alberta, with a focus on circus and theatre and she shares her passion for movement and theatre as a sessional instructor at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta.
Saturdays
April 22 to May 27, 2023
11:00 am to 1:30 pm
"Going to the Fear” is a weekly movement class (1.5 hours) that looks at the connection between acrobatic movement and emotions in the body. The class consists of an introduction to basic acrobatic movements (i.e. handstands, backbends, forward rolls and dive rolls) while examining their connection to powerful emotions, such as fear, and how this connection can enhance the body’s potential for storytelling.
The course borrows from acrobatic and devised theatre techniques from practitioners such as Jerzy Grotowski, Anne Bogart and Richard Pochinko in order to answer questions such as:
How can we communicate a thought, emotion or story using the body?
What makes a movement virtuosic and how can it be performed safely through impulse?
How does the fear of executing an acrobatic movement unlock emotions in the body?
The focus of the course is NOT to create an elite level of atheisms, and participants are not required to have a prior knowledge of acrobatic movement but should express a willingness to challenge their physical and mental abilities.
Here are some testimonials from past participants:
“I had zero training/ experience coming into this course so the whole process for me was enjoyable and very educational. I will be able to use this in my life and work thank you!
“I was grateful for every part of this class it was challenging and joyful and I will take these lessons with me for sure! So inspiring!”
“Every class I was surprised by how much we had discovered together. I felt like all of it, every week, was worth it. Thank you”
“Every activity, movement and gesture taught me a lot of different things, not just about what my body is capable of, but more so how I can change my perception on things and be able to act impulsively or stupidly, and at the end of the day, still be able to say: ‘it's OK’”
Cost: $200 + GST
Participants: 10 max each
