CONTEMPORARY

TESS VOELKER

CHANGING PERSPECTIVES / BREAKING THE RULES / HIGH AND LOW /

TRANSFORM YOUR MOVEMENTS/ OBSERVE EXPRESSIONS
changing perspectives
A painter doesn't just sit down one day in their studio and create
the most abstract, incredible painting. First, there are years of
training to understand the color palette, the canvas, the brush
strokes, and the paintbrushes.

C H A N G I N G P E R S P E C T I V E S
PERSONAL STORY

There was a moment when

my friend's sister was on
stage at a dance
competition, and she was
doing a solo to 'It's
Raining Men.' That was
the moment I realized I
wanted to be on stage.

I then started out with

competition dance in the
United States. I really
loved it, however, when I
moved, I couldn't find
that same atmosphere as
before. This led me to the
world of ballet. I didn't
like how strenuous the
training was, and the
feeling of always having to
strive for perfection. But
after years of training, it
was ballet that opened
doors for me.

C H A N G I N G P E R S P E C T I V E S
 FOUNDATION

The first piece of advice

I like to give for
contemporary dance, is
to use your pre-existing
technique as your
foundation and build on
that.
P E R S P E C T I V E S
C H A N G I N G
 Contemporary offers another platform for expression and movement.
P E R S P E C T I V E S
C H A N G I N G
 "In this masterclass, we take some typical classical
sequences and transform them into something
contemporary. I will also offer two of my favorite
techniques, expression and imagery, to really help you craft
your own style."

C H A N G I N G P E R S P E C T I V E S
breaking the
rules
In this class, we learn the rules so we can
dissect them and morph them into
something new, something contemporary.

b r e a k i n g t h e r u l e s
r u l e s
t h e
b r e a k i n g

There are so many rules in

classical ballet, which allow
you to turn many times and
kick your leg high. You
must understand these rules
to their fullest extent so
you can break them, and
create your own unique
movement style.
 B R E A K I N G
T H E
R U L E S

Instead of you teaching your body how to move, see

how movement can teach your bod.
 B R E A K I N G
T H E
R U L E S
There are three basic common rules in ballet:

1) Upright posture
2) Remaining lightweight
3) Strong turnout

You must find new ways to reimagine these three

principles to shift your balletic movements to something
contemporary. For example:

1) Try slouching or over-extending your posture instead

of keeping it straight.
2) Intentionally create movements that feel heavy or
show exhaustion.
3) Turnout less, turnout with only one leg, or turn in
your legs to create a completely new look.
high and low
h i g h a n d l o w

We are taught to split

ourselves in half, and draw
a line through the center
of our body so we can pull
up through the crown of
our head, and push down
through the floor. This is
an incredble foundation to
find your balance.
BE MORE GROUNDED

Test your weight limits

when performing. Think
about pulling yourself
back from a fixed
grounded point.

h i g h
a n d
l o w
 SUPPLE SPINE

Break the linear line through your body that is

used in ballet. See where else your spine can
move. See how much more mobility you have.

H I G H A N D L O W
Though the floor is usually not touched in a plié, try it out.
Use the floor the bear weight, don't be afraid of it.

H I G H A N D L O W
 H I G H
A N D
L O W
SHIFT YOUR WEIGHT

In ballet, you're always taught

to be on your leg. If you'e off
your leg, you're falling. In
contemporary, you can use
that fall to your advantage.
The fall can actually be the
movement itself.

See how big or how small you

can shift your weight.
transform your
movements
 Reimagine a tombé pas de bourrée, an adagio, a balancé, and a
pirouette by utiliziing the supple spine technique, playing with tension
levels, and/or using more of the floor.

T R A N S F O R M Y O U R M O V E M E N T S
observe expressions
 O B S E R V E E X P R E S S I O N S

Your facial muscles, your emotions, your feelings,

and how you react, are all unique to you.
 "Coming from a classical
ballet background, I was
taught to show my
expressions in a certain
light, in a beautiful
aesthetic. In
contemporary, we can
stretch the very word
'beautiful.' What if when
you're sad, you're
genuinely sad? There's a
wider palette that you
can play with."

O B S E R V E E X P R E S S I O N S
 You can use your facial
muscles to express
emotions that you
authentically feel. See
how it drives your
movements. Use this to
help develop your
contemporary dance
even further.

O B S E R V E E X P R E S S I O N S
Thank you