Simon Chrisman & Nic Gareiss Workshops

Appalachian Flatfooting Workshop (for movers of all experience)
Play American folk music with your feet! Flatfooting is a solo form of improvised percussive dance originating in the Appalachian mountains of what some people call the United States, with sonic and gestural connections to West African, Indigenous, and Western European dance. Using the toe, heel, and ball of the foot to strike and slide across the floor, flatfooting articulates the rhythms of old time fiddle and banjo tunes. Wear comfortable clothes and smooth-soled supportive shoes with a low heel or no heel for this class.

Dance the Tune Workshop (for movers with prior percussive dance experience)
Traversing intersections and interstices of many traditional step dance styles, this class explores the sheer musical potential of your feet. Using imitation and idiomatic ornaments as well as extended techniques for shoe sounds and textures, we will learn to construct lines of rhythm imitating melody as well as create rhythmic counterpoint by setting up shoe-grooves and developing listening, responsiveness, and sonic sensing. Dancers are welcome to wear percussive dance shoes of any kind for this class.