2022-05-03
 
This section is reserved for RQD members
Version française

Evening Classes – Gaga with Laura Toma

6:00PM to 7:00PM
$20 per class // $15 for RQD members // $90 for all 5 classes

372 STE-CATHERINE OUEST, H3B 1A2, Montréal

Monday — 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

SPRING: May 2nd to June 6th, 2022(no class on May 9th-5 classes)
Contact Laura to register
$20 per class // $15 for RQD members (with valid membership card) // $90 for a 5-class card
Payment by e-transfer: laura.e.toma@gmail.com
Bilingual teacher

Mask required – please consult Studio 303’s COVID-19 Protocol for further information.

CONTENT // A Gaga/People class is one hour in length and is open to people ages 16+, regardless of background in dance or movement. No previous dance experience is needed. “The teacher guides the participants using a series of evocative instructions that build one on top of the other. Rather than copying a particular movement, each participant in the class actively explores these instructions, discovering how he or she can interpret the information and perform the task at hand. Gaga/people classes offer a creative framework for participants to connect to their bodies and imaginations, increase their physical awareness, improve their flexibility and stamina, and experience the pleasure of movement in a welcoming, accepting atmosphere.

ACCESSIBILITY // In Gaga we move continuously. From the beginning until the end of the class, participants are taken on a journey through various bodily states, ways of moving, speeds, and intensities. Instructions are given verbally by the teacher; who is not only teaching the class, but also taking it. Even if verbal cues are not understood, information can be gathered by looking at her body and practicing imitation. All parts of the body are called into use, though each participant can work at their own level and adapt as appropriate. No one is permitted to sit and observe a Gaga class — neither for all nor for part of it. In the case of reduced mobility, Gaga welcomes the investigation of concepts explored even on the subtlest of levels. Music plays an important role in the development of class; at times it is played quietly in the background and at others loudly. However, it is often emphasized that groove is within the body and not the music. All participants will be encouraged to research this whether they can or cannot distinctly hear the accompanying audio tracks. Due to COVID-19, partnering will not be required.

BIO // Born in Romania and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Laura Toma is a contemporary dance artist living in Montréal. She is a graduate of the Laban Center in London, UK and The School of Dance in Ottawa. She has professional training in theatre as well as in latin and ballroom dance and her professional development has included training at P.A.R.T.S. in Belgium and with the company Ate9 in Los Angeles. In August of 2012, Laura graduated from the first official Gaga Teacher Training Program in Tel Aviv, Israel under the mentorship of Ohad Naharin and is the first certified Gaga teacher in Canada. She has taught for Compagnie Marie Chouinard, the RQD, l’ÉDCMTL, and L’École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec, among others. She is a founding member of LA TRESSE Collective and has been a part of Andrea Peña and Artists since 2014. In June of 2016 Laura performed at the Venice Biennale of Dance for Israeli/French choreographer Emanuel Gat.

Evening classes are open to all levels, and it is recommended to register in advance for one or multiple classes.

Registration is done directly with the teachers, please contact them if you need additional information.