Experiential Anatomy with Leah Wilks

Weekly on Wednesdays from May 3-31, 2023
6:00 am-8:00 pm
Gibney 280 Broadway
$100

(Drop-in spots are available weekly for $25 each)

Every Wednesday evening in May, we will gather to nerd out, ask questions, and learn more about our own anatomy in a hands-on, movement-based class. Each class will focus on a different area(s) of the skeleton (spine/skull, pelvis, feet/legs, arms/shoulders/ribs), but will also incorporate work with whole-body systems such as fascia and fluid systems. We will draw, read, look at images, work with partners, and do solo movement explorations to uncover new sensations and understanding of the bodies we’re in.

This class is intended for movers of all levels and backgrounds; all that is required is a sense of curiosity and a willingness to play. Leah has been influenced by many different schools of thought within her teaching, including the Axis Syllabus, Body Mind Centering, Alexander Technique, Contact Improvisation, Franklin Method, Anatomy Trains, various Releasing Techniques, and Barteneiff Fundamentals, as well as her experience co-teaching experiential anatomy classes with educators Annie Dwyer and Rebecca Nettl-Fiol. She constantly learns about bio-mechanics, the physics of movement, and the body, and she looks forward to discovering alongside her students.

Please bring comfortable clothes, a water bottle, your questions, and a notebook and writing implement to class with you.

Tuition assistance is available!

If you are interested in this offering but cost of tuition is a barrier for you, please contact classes@gibneydance.org with a statement of need. No one will be turned away for lack of funds!

About Leah Wilks

Leah is a choreographer, dancer, and teacher based out of Brooklyn, NY (Munsee Lenape and Canarsie land), originally hailing from NC (Eno, Lumbee, Shakori, Sissapahaw, and the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation land). At times, she is also a gardener, an elder companion, musician, facilitator, and writer. Her research revolves around embodied memory, death and dying practices, ritual, endurance, and sweat.

Most recently, Leah has been a performer/collaborator in projects with Okwui Okpokwasili, Kendra Portier|BAND, Nicola Bullock, Anna Barker/Real Live People, Sara Hook, and Tommy DeFrantz/SLIPPAGE. She has taught at Gibney, MOtiVE, ADF, Ponderosa, the Hemispheric Institute, and a slew of universities, including Elon, Lawrence, NC State, UNC-G, UNC-CH, UIUC, UMich, and Montclair State. Leah holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she received awards for both her teaching and choreography. She is a 2023 artist in residence at MOtiVE, as well as a MacDowell fellow with collaborator Mauriah Kraker (L+M).

About Gibney’s Education Program

Through the cultivation of an inclusive and positive space, our offerings make space for exploration, risk-taking, personal and artistic growth, connection, and fun. It is our priority to listen to and support our community and to empower future leaders of the field. Learn more.

Photo By: Hannah Larson