knowhow
teaching and intentt
The teaching and training, contemporary, ballet and partnering, of Jens Bjerregaard, are all structured around a common frame - INTENTT - a thinking around dancing emphasizing body knowledge, sensory and tactile approaches without loosing track of historical and artistic context.
INTENTT is a thinking about training and dancing that combines aspects of performing - both in historically as well as considering a more contemporary approach to performing, thus finding logic and functionality in the work. As INTENTT work is embracing Contemporary, Partnering and Ballet we aim at using a teaching language and input that is universal and does not limit itself within a style.
In contemporary there is fundamental work on body functionality - not the least the work, architecture and functionality of the spine and the simple presence in space.
In Partnering we deal with the intertwined relationship between the functional and emotional body.
In Ballet we work on understanding our existence in front of an audience (en place, en face, decors/dedans) looking at the technique as a tool to communicate. You cannot free ballet from it’s somewhat dubious history - knowing it is to liberate yourself from it, but you can use ballet as a tool for movement and body understanding.
Dance classes and workshops
Class #1 Flow and awareness
Class #1 Flow and awareness
Class #1 Flow and awareness
The Contemporary class of Jens Bjerregaard is based freely on Cunningham, yoga and release technique. The technical work emphasizes flow and solid body awareness - always conscious of creating and understanding connections within the body and beyond. The dancers are challenged to explore their possibilities and go further then their perceived limits.
The physical body and the memory are explored equally thus creating a practical awareness and functional development of the movement.
In all exercises and corrections, you need to consider that you are dealing with an art form, an expression being conveyed to an audience, if you limit yourself to just the mechanics you are doing yourself and the dancer a disservice. We should work on possibilities and the range of time, space, and the body itself – and not create limitations.
Class #2 Ballet re-explored
Class #1 Flow and awareness
Class #1 Flow and awareness
A challenging and fluid ballet class that explores not only the aesthetics of ballet but also the functionality of movement and its origins free from mannerisms and other restrictions.
Behind the traditions of ballet there lies a logic and a functionality that can inform the performer.
The aim of this class is to demystify complicated technicalities and become aware of the chain of responses the body goes through to make movement happen freely and willingly.
The class breaks with the traditional use of piano music and instead, the dancing is explored in relation to an eclectic range of music giving the dancers new musical experiences in relation to the ballet form.
The class is aimed at contemporary and other dancers who want to become smarter movers and use the ballet language as a foundational training tool for dance.
Class #3 Moving Together
Class #1 Flow and awareness
Class 4# Back to Basics
In this practical and fun class on partnering, the dancers/choreographers are invited to explore a range of practical tools for partnering.
It is an invitation for them to learn a sound and well founded way of working with a partner, a way that adapts to all movement styles and backgrounds.
The emphasis will be on the fulfillment and freedom of the movement within a clear and user friendly partnering language.
Class 4# Back to Basics
Workshop #2 Making and Breaking
Class 4# Back to Basics
Dance professionals as well as non-professionals run into the same obstacles due to dysfunctional strength and unhealthy body alignment.
Developing your core strength is like giving yourself a body makeover: this goes beyond superficial strength training and asks a balanced development of the body.
Simple exercises mostly travelling across the floor and inspired from Animal movement, Sports Science, Pilates and Yoga, will release the tension that the body retains and allow a smooth functioning of all the joints for a healthy, pain-free posture and for increased stability in motion.
Workshop #1 Visiting Movement
Workshop #2 Making and Breaking
Workshop #2 Making and Breaking
In spite of trends and fashions, Bjerregaard has persistently followed his own choreographic direction; he is extremely aware of form. His language is playful, yet sophisticated, both in his choice of music and artistic vision. His style is spellbinding and displays a certain ‘Scandinavian feel’, based on a consciousness of form and visual design. In this workshop, dancers are invited to visit choreographic material and to explore their own –new- abilities inside it.
Workshop #2 Making and Breaking
Workshop #2 Making and Breaking
Workshop #2 Making and Breaking
The aim of this workshop is to give experienced, as well as dance novices, a series of tools to create their own movement material. Using improvisational exploration based on clear and precise movement exercises, we will be exploring and expanding our thinking behind movement – creating an understanding of structure and freedom in dance. By accessing spacial awareness and the functionality of the body we allow movements to be constructed and deconstructed without predetermination.