***This class is FREE and open to the public***

TITLE: “Let’s Go to the Ballet!”

WHEN: SUNDAY, December 8th, 2024 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

WHERE: BIM BOM STUDIO (5226 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60641)

CLASS DESCRIPTION / WHAT TO EXPECT

Many of us are called back to aspects of ballet. What aspects of ballet are still present within us? How does it inform our personal and/or professional lives?

Tuli and Ashwaty, each with a unique relationship to ballet, have found common ground to craft this first-ever workshop, inviting participants to join their journey of exploration. Through guided movement, choreography, and storytelling, you’ll engage with themes of nostalgia, creativity, and personal connection to ballet. This is not your standard ballet class—it’s a collaborative space where ballet’s traditions, joys, and challenges intersect with reflection and innovation.

Expect an experimental structure:

• Arrival & Atmosphere: Music sets the tone as participants settle in. There will be light snacks and warm beverages available throughout the workshop. The vibe is casual, cozy, and warm!

• Movement Introductions: Tuli and Ashwaty will lead a movement exploration inspired by their ballet practices, memories, and choreographic instincts.

• Creative Play: Explore choreography, shapes, and expressions, using prompts to connect ballet fundamentals with intuitive movement.

• Reflection & Sharing: A space for participants to process and share their memories and relationships with ballet through writing, movement, or discussion.

Whether you’re revisiting a powerful memory, challenging traditional notions of ballet, or simply curious, this workshop is a space to pause, reflect, and reconnect. Let’s break assumptions, honor differences, and celebrate the creative threads that tie us to ballet.

THIS CLASS IS LIMITED TO 8 participants. Please double check that you are available to attend. If anything changes please email Tuli (tuli.bera92@gmail.com)

About Ashwaty and her relationship to Ballet

I wanted to wear a pink tutu and look sparkly when I first joined a ballet class at the age of 4.5. The meditative state of simple physical actions in a sequenced set to dynamic melodies and rhythms soon felt like home to me. I never imagined not dancing and looked forward to every recital and finding my way to create to music and stories that inspired me. Friends and family had to witness my tinkering and choreographic projects in all states. I only had two ballet teachers in my life, but their passion and choice to take us "seriously" as young artists in the classroom was palpable and there isn't a day that goes by where I don’t feel immense gratitude to Miss Lisa and Mis Deena. Ballet is in my body and I carry it around wherever I go, more than anything else I have physically attempted. I spent so many hours of my physical and social life in the ballet studio, and it is the most comforting memory I have. I feel grateful that I didn't go any further with it - I quit in the 10th grade - as I am sure the creeping competition and the body shaming would have eventually tainted my experience.

About Tuli and their relationship to Ballet
I began my Ballet training around the age of 4-5 at the Lee School of Ballet in Champaign, IL under the direction of Gwendolyn Lee. And a few years later, I continued training with Deanna Doty at Champaign-Urbana Ballet Academy for the next 10-12 years. I fell hard for Ballet and it became a significant part of my life. I lived and breathed it day and night. My favorite memories when it came to performances were the pantomime moments. I loved the theatrical component and I loved to smile. I still remember the soreness from smiling so hard! I took a break from Ballet and dance in general at the age of 16 to pursue a more active social life. But found myself yearning to be back in the studio. It was my time in college (The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), that my mind and body were opened up to the potential and diversity of movement expression. Here I was immersed in a plethora of styles and genres of dance. While I still found my comfort with Ballet this time was also the moment I started to question Ballet and eventually I rejected it by vowing to not perform it again. I saw how much I let the form define who I was and how I expressed myself. I often found myself asking, how can I love a form that doesn’t accept all bodies and expressions? As much as I wanted to reject the form, it was still a skill I was an expert in— plus, ya girl had bills to pay. Thus, Ballet stayed in my life through teaching. And I have to admit that Ballet is one of my first loves. Today, I find myself excited to find ways to create an environment where Ballet feels more accessible. I absolutely love teaching Adult Ballet— to break down the form is a challenge that motivates me. I want to find 50 more ways to describe how to do a tendu!

If you have any specific questions (or anything you'd like to share) about the series please contact me (Tuli Bera).

***This class is FREE and open to the public***

WHEN: Friday, November 22nd, 2024 6:30 - 8:00 PM

WHERE: The Rooted Space (1803 W Byron St #201, Chicago, IL 60613)

CLASS DESCRIPTION / WHAT TO EXPECT

Joshua is here to offer an outside perspective of ballet. Joshua acknowledges that many folks may have had damaging experiences with ballet. His approach to ballet is, "what is needed for your body to execute certain steps?" He is not interested in making your body fit ballet technique. 

Joshua's class will follow the standard ballet class structure of barre, center, and across the floor. He believes in staying true to the specificities of ballet technique as a means of making people eloquent in the ways they want to speak physically. Technique is your diction and your grammar. How can we communicate and express ourselves using ballet technique? This concept can be applied to any dance form/dance technique!

Joshua is a very malleable teacher. While having prior dance/ballet experience is helpful, it is not a requirement to take this class. Whoever you are, wherever you come from, you are welcome! As long as you are able to move your body in ways where you are not afraid of discomfort or awkwardness, come to class so you can learn more about yourself! 

About Joshua + his relationship to ballet: 

"I was first introduced to ballet pretty young but I was asked to take it more seriously just before going to Performing Arts school around 13. I absolutely hated ballet throughout my grade school tenure. A primary aversion was certainly due to the stigmas associated with men doing ballet and surviving the ignorance that infuriated and plagued the environment I grew up in, which was obviously not exclusive to my circumstances. I'm sure another major deterrent was how difficult ballet was on my very stiff body. My love and appreciation changed when I came under the care and tutelage of Mr. Eckhard Hiedrich, a former principal Dancer of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. He was instrumental in helping to change my views on and approach to studying ballet by showing me how to make it work in my body without losing the integrity of the technique.I cannot say it has shaped my life, per se, but it's certainly a tool I've grown to use frequently. If you're in the woods with a great knife, no one would ask how having such a great knife shaped your life. Seeing as I'm still actively dancing with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater as well as teaching and choreographing, it's irrefutably a muscle that's being flexed daily. "

Learn more about Joshua by visiting his profile.

If you have any specific questions (or anything you'd like to share) about the series please contact me (Tuli Bera).

***This class is FREE and open to the public***

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, November 20th, 2024 6:30 - 8:00 PM

WHERE: Visceral Dance Center

CLASS DESCRIPTION / WHAT TO EXPECT

Joshua is here to offer an outside perspective on ballet. Joshua acknowledges that many folks may have had damaging experiences with ballet. His approach to ballet is, "what is needed for your body to execute certain steps?" He is not interested in making your body fit ballet technique. 

Joshua's class will follow the standard ballet class structure of barre, center, and across the floor. He believes in staying true to the specificities of ballet technique as a means of guiding people to be more eloquent in the ways they want to communicate physically. Technique is your diction and your grammar. How can we communicate and express ourselves using ballet technique? This concept can be applied to any dance form/dance technique!

Joshua is a very malleable teacher. While having prior dance/ballet experience is helpful, it is not a requirement to take this class. Whoever you are, wherever you come from, you are welcome! As long as you are able to move your body in ways where you are not afraid of discomfort or awkwardness, come to class so you can learn more about yourself! 

About Joshua + his relationship to ballet: 

"I was first introduced to ballet pretty young but I was asked to take it more seriously just before going to Performing Arts school around 13. I absolutely hated ballet throughout my grade school tenure. A primary aversion was certainly due to the stigmas associated with men doing ballet and surviving the ignorance that infuriated and plagued the environment I grew up in, which was obviously not exclusive to my circumstances. I'm sure another major deterrent was how difficult ballet was on my very stiff body. My love and appreciation changed when I came under the care and tutelage of Mr. Eckhard Hiedrich, a former principal Dancer of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. He was instrumental in helping to change my views on and approach to studying ballet by showing me how to make it work in my body without losing the integrity of the technique.I cannot say it has shaped my life, per se, but it's certainly a tool I've grown to use frequently. If you're in the woods with a great knife, no one would ask how having such a great knife shaped your life. Seeing as I'm still actively dancing with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater as well as teaching and choreographing, it's irrefutably a muscle that's being flexed daily. "

Learn more about Joshua by visiting his profile.

If you have any specific questions (or anything you'd like to share) about the series please contact me (Tuli Bera).

***This class is FREE and open to the public***

WHEN: SUNDAY, November 17th, 2024 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

WHERE: DANCE CENTER CHICAGO  Studio 4 (3868 N. Lincoln Ave, 2nd Floor - the entrance is on the corner of Byron and Lincoln)

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

This class is open to all levels of movement experience. Come as you are! 

We will explore ballet and create ways to make it more accessible for the body. This will be a technique and choreographic tools class for artists and movers looking to expand their vocabulary with prompts around transverse nonverbal communication.

We will explore and discuss the landscape as we develop our own new spheres of divine activity.

I will be applying sessions from my travels and studies under choreographic minds that's have worked in boundless ways that help get to the root of the human experience.

Life is movement. Life is ever in motion. Life is in constant evolution. Even stillness has motion.

We will find our way with the driving force that holds our lives together. For life is dance, as dance is a reflection of life.

We will enter into the spirit of dance/life with the divine principles:

Life
Mind
Truth
Love

Come find out about your brilliance and how to facilitate expressions of self through movement.

About Darling + their relationship to ballet: 

"I was introduced to ballet as a child and was raised on musicals, so I have a particular fondness for the big MGM productions from film. My first in-person ballet experience would have been around the age of 6 or 7, and I enjoyed it, just like movement of all kinds. Ballet has shaped my life to strive for a more swift and graceful approach. The technique is about power in effortlessness, and I seek to move in those ways. Ballet often shows itself in my daily routine; my mind is often choreographing, and much of the movement I do has a balletic foundation of some kind. I have been inspired by and trained with so many amazing movers, including world-class dancers with incredible dance histories. They all inspire and influence parts of me. I am seeing how I'm following in and creating my own way, as they had to and wanted to. I said yes to this project because I love dance, and I'm redefining how I move through ballet, understanding that my body can do it, but I just have to contour the technique and not my body."

Learn more about Darling by visiting their profile.

If you have any specific questions (or anything you'd like to share) about the series please contact me (Tuli Bera).

***This class is FREE and open to the public***

TITLE: JUST THE BARRE

WHEN: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10th 2024 2:30-3:45PM

WHERE: ROOTED SPACE** in Studio WILLOW

**Dial 201 to get buzzed into the building. The studios are on the 2nd floor (there is no elevator in this building)

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Alyssa Gregory’s Just the Barre is crafted for dancers with a strong background in ballet training. This 75-minute class focuses entirely on barre work, taking us back to the fundamentals of the technique. It’s a space to explore and work through the complex, layered relationship many of us have with taking ballet class. We’re not here to chase perfection or push for higher legs. Instead, we’ll return to ballet’s roots—embracing the power, grace, and precision of the art form—while working both our bodies and our minds. You can expect a few mental challenges to keep you sharp, but more than anything, we are here to have fun.  

This class is ideal for those with a solid foundation in ballet technique who are ready to reconnect in a space that values you and where you are right now. We’ll break a sweat, laugh, feel strong and move to a playlist free of classical ballet music—because you can do rond de jambes to Waterfalls by TLC.  Whether you're reigniting your passion for ballet or deepening your connection, Just the Barre is all about rediscovering the joy in the fundamentals and sharing the experience together. Let’s move!

About Alyssa: 

Alyssa (Uhh-lee-sa) Gregory (she/her) is a Chicago based performer, choreographer, teaching artist, and arts administrator. She’s worked with some of Chicago dance’s greatest including Erin Kilmurray, The Moving Architects, Joanna Furnans, The Leopold Group, Jenn Freeman/Po Chop, and The Fly Honey Show. Alyssa has been teaching dance since the age of 16. Her belief is that dance is FOR ALL, Meaning you can dance at any age, with any body type and there is room for all identities. She believes in the mixture of play and hard work in the studio and will always try to play the best music possible. Alyssa is currently the Communications Manager at Arts + Public Life, Social Media Manager for Honey Pot Performance. She is also host of The Process Podcast which highlights the creative process of Chicago dancers, dance makers and all-around booty shakers.

Learn more about Alyssa by visiting her profile.

If you have any specific questions (or anything you'd like to share) about the series please contact me (Tuli Bera).

***This class is FREE and open to the public***

TITLE: JUST THE BARRE

WHEN: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd 2024 2:30-3:45PM

WHERE: ROOTED SPACE** in Studio JUNIPER

**Dial 201 to get buzzed into the building. The studios are on the 2nd floor (there is no elevator in this building)

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Alyssa Gregory’s Just the Barre is crafted for dancers with a strong background in ballet training. This 75-minute class focuses entirely on barre work, taking us back to the fundamentals of the technique. It’s a space to explore and work through the complex, layered relationship many of us have with taking ballet class. We’re not here to chase perfection or push for higher legs. Instead, we’ll return to ballet’s roots—embracing the power, grace, and precision of the art form—while working both our bodies and our minds. You can expect a few mental challenges to keep you sharp, but more than anything, we are here to have fun.  

This class is ideal for those with a solid foundation in ballet technique who are ready to reconnect in a space that values you and where you are right now. We’ll break a sweat, laugh, feel strong and move to a playlist free of classical ballet music—because you can do rond de jambes to Waterfalls by TLC.  Whether you're reigniting your passion for ballet or deepening your connection, Just the Barre is all about rediscovering the joy in the fundamentals and sharing the experience together. Let’s move!

About Alyssa: 

Alyssa (Uhh-lee-sa) Gregory (she/her) is a Chicago based performer, choreographer, teaching artist, and arts administrator. She’s worked with some of Chicago dance’s greatest including Erin Kilmurray, The Moving Architects, Joanna Furnans, The Leopold Group, Jenn Freeman/Po Chop, and The Fly Honey Show. Alyssa has been teaching dance since the age of 16. Her belief is that dance is FOR ALL, Meaning you can dance at any age, with any body type and there is room for all identities. She believes in the mixture of play and hard work in the studio and will always try to play the best music possible. Alyssa is currently the Communications Manager at Arts + Public Life, Social Media Manager for Honey Pot Performance. She is also host of The Process Podcast which highlights the creative process of Chicago dancers, dance makers and all-around booty shakers.

Learn more about Alyssa by visiting her profile.

If you have any specific questions (or anything you'd like to share) about the series please contact me (Tuli Bera).

***This class is FREE and open to the public***

TITLE: JUST THE BARRE

WHEN: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27th, 2024 2:30-3:45PM

WHERE: ROOTED SPACE** in Studio WILLOW

**Dial 201 to get buzzed into the building. The studios are on the 2nd floor (there is no elevator in this building)

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Alyssa Gregory’s Just the Barre is crafted for dancers with a strong background in ballet training. This 75-minute class focuses entirely on barre work, taking us back to the fundamentals of the technique. It’s a space to explore and work through the complex, layered relationship many of us have with taking ballet class. We’re not here to chase perfection or push for higher legs. Instead, we’ll return to ballet’s roots—embracing the power, grace, and precision of the art form—while working both our bodies and our minds. You can expect a few mental challenges to keep you sharp, but more than anything, we are here to have fun.  

This class is ideal for those with a solid foundation in ballet technique who are ready to reconnect in a space that values you and where you are right now. We’ll break a sweat, laugh, feel strong and move to a playlist free of classical ballet music—because you can do rond de jambes to Waterfalls by TLC.  Whether you're reigniting your passion for ballet or deepening your connection, Just the Barre is all about rediscovering the joy in the fundamentals and sharing the experience together. Let’s move!

About Alyssa: 

Alyssa (Uhh-lee-sa) Gregory (she/her) is a Chicago based performer, choreographer, teaching artist, and arts administrator. She’s worked with some of Chicago dance’s greatest including Erin Kilmurray, The Moving Architects, Joanna Furnans, The Leopold Group, Jenn Freeman/Po Chop, and The Fly Honey Show. Alyssa has been teaching dance since the age of 16. Her belief is that dance is FOR ALL, Meaning you can dance at any age, with any body type and there is room for all identities. She believes in the mixture of play and hard work in the studio and will always try to play the best music possible. Alyssa is currently the Communications Manager at Arts + Public Life, Social Media Manager for Honey Pot Performance. She is also host of The Process Podcast which highlights the creative process of Chicago dancers, dance makers and all-around booty shakers.

Learn more about Alyssa by visiting her profile.

If you have any specific questions (or anything you'd like to share) about the series please contact me (Tuli Bera).

***This class is FREE and open to the public***

WHEN: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18th, 2024 6:00 - 7:30 PM

WHERE: VISCERAL DANCE CENTER, STUDIO 4

CLASS DESCRIPTION

This ballet class will be informed by concepts of the DUNHAM TECHNIQUE:

• Form and function

• Polyrhythms

• Storytelling

The class will begin with a Dunham-inspired ballet-barre and end with a combination where we explore how storytelling influences our technique and artistry.

This class is for Intermediate/Advanced dancers, but you do not need to be intermediate/advanced in Ballet to take it!

About Ysaÿe: 

Ysaÿe Alma (she/her) is a professional dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist from Chicago and is now based in Los Angeles. She is currently a dancer for Ocandeniye Dance Company and recently worked as a Rehearsal Director for the 2022 touring production of Netflix, Shondaland, and Fever’s production of The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience. She has been a dancer in Disneyland’s Viva Navidad! Parade since 2019 and has also had the honor of dancing with professional dance companies such as Viver Brasil, Red Clay Dance, Momentum Sensorium, The Humans and also with comedian Hannibal Burress. Ysaÿe graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BFA in Dance and a Minor in Philosophy and also had the honor of studying dance at the Taipei National University of the Arts where she performed in work by Ming-Lung Yang. She has also trained with and performed in work by Jhesus Aponte, Darrell Jones, Renée Wadleigh, Jan Erkert, Sheldon Smith, and more. She has been a resident choreographer for Teatro Luna (now Studio Luna) since 2014 and has also choreographed plays for Greenway Court Theater, Free Street Theater, and Depaul University. Equally passionate about dance education, she has taught dance programming for well over a dozen public schools and community centers in Chicago and Los Angeles. She has also had the honor of being a guest dance instructor for Lucky Plush Productions, Ayodele Drum & Dance, the University of Chicago, the University of California at Los Angeles, and more. Ysaÿe also earned her Social-Emotional Learning Teacher and 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Certifications and is currently a third-year Dunham Technique Instructor candidate.

Learn more about Ysaÿe by visiting her profile.

If you have any specific questions (or anything you'd like to share) about the series please contact me (Tuli Bera).

***This class is FREE and open to the public***

WHEN: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13th, 2024 2:00 - 5:00 PM

WHERE: IRVING PARK YMCA (4251 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60641)***

*** You will need to sign in at the front desk (this acts as a facility waiver) Please arrive by 1:45pm to give yourself ample time before the start of Lauren's workshop

Class Description: 

This workshop is for curious people interested in unpacking their relationship to RIGOR within ballet, whether they are actively dancing, not dancing, mostly teaching, primarily practicing a different dance form, or anything in between. What does a “good”, “successful”, or “productive” ballet class look like and feel like? Where do we source our energy to train and how can we adjust the dials of our motivation as needed due to our circumstance, schedule, or physical health? The workshop will consist of facilitated discussion, some journaling, contemporary floor movement designed to make the body feel warm, loose, and joyful, and standing center ballet movement with a focus on expanding our curiosity and sensitivity within familiar steps.

About Lauren: 

Lauren Reed bounces (often and quickly) between performing, teaching, choreographing, administration, and facilitating. She calls Chicago home but has developed a love for travel, especially when it puts her in the middle of live music and dance. She performs with Ishti Collective, Still Inspired, and the Windy City Lindy Hoppers. She has taught various dance styles in dance studios, colleges, and school-age programs for over 10 years, and loves expanding her teaching tools. In 2020, she completed the teacher certification for IMAGE TECH for Dancers™ (101 level), a weight-bearing somatic practice created by Alexandra Wells. In 2023 she completed the inaugural Spiral Body Techniques™ teacher certification with Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak. She is an enthusiastic educator who values imagination, presence, and play; she believes that dance is a thrilling way for children and adults alike to become more fully human. Lauren is a professional grant writer and arts administrator and has been running a youth development program called Teen Leaders Club since 2013.

Learn more about Lauren by visiting her profile.

If you have any specific questions (or anything you'd like to share) about the series please contact me (Tuli Bera).

***This class is FREE and open to the public***

WHEN: OCTOBER 9, 2024 8:00 - 10:00 PM

WHERE: VISCERAL DANCE CENTER, STUDIO 1*

*This class will begin in Studio 1 and then transition to Studio 3 at 9pm for a heels portion. If you have a question about what type of heels to bring/wear, please email me at tuli.bera92@gmail.com

CLASS DESCRIPTION

Brandon’s class is geared towards experienced movers. What does this mean? You have an awareness of your body’s physical abilities and want to learn more about them! You do not need an extensive relationship with Ballet to take this class. Some knowledge of Ballet terminology will be helpful.

Brandon’s class structure:
Floor Barre: strength building/let’s get warm!
Center:  balance + alignment
Heels: Elevéted Phrasework

About Brandon: 

Avery's dance journey began with 12 years of self-instruction in urban dance techniques before he took his first formal dance technique classes at Knox College. He boasts an extensive performance background, appearing with or for notable names such as Mielle Organics, Fuego Dance Sneakers, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, and MTV-2. Avery has also taught at various institutions, including Red Clay Dance Academy, Emory University, and Dyett High School for the Arts. Recently, Avery made history as the first male heels dancer to perform at the 94th annual Bud Billiken Day Parade and the 32nd annual Dance for Life Chicago benefit showcase. He currently serves as a company member with the Hiplet Ballerinas, a recording artist with the Haus of Everything, a runway and vogue performer in the House of Alain Mikli, and the founder and instructor of Hips & Heels by Brandon Avery™

Learn more about Brandon by visiting his profile

Nature Within: Redefining Your Relationship With Ballet

Join us for this wholesome 3-hour workshop with Ayako Kato!

WHEN: SEPTEMBER 15, 2024 11:00AM-2:00PM

WHERE: VISCERAL DANCE CENTER, STUDIO 2

COST: This workshop is FREE and open to the public!

Class Description

We will look at Ballet objectively and experience it as one of many dance forms. Through this workshop, we will work together to redefine, understand, and dance Ballet for ourselves. We will begin with grounding our center which will consist of somatic exercises that will most likely take place lying on the floor. Here we will expand our sense of our anatomical knowledge. From there we move to the Ballet barre. This is where we will start to question and redefine the fundamentals of Ballet technique. We will talk about our alignment and find ways to increase our range of motion so that we can move with more ease! Then, we will move to the center where Ayako will share how we can extend our movement even more through space. She will also touch on how to listen to, use and exist with music. At the end, Ayako hopes that everyone will leave feeling grounded, yet light with good flow, finding their own nature, the nature of their physical self and the natural principles through space within and around.

Who is this class for? Because this workshop is exploratory and centers on how you can redefine/define YOUR relationship with Ballet, all levels are welcome. No prior Ballet experience is necessary! 

About Ayako: 

Described as “moving everyday sculptures, artfully cast in naturalness” (Luzerner Zeitung, Switzerland), Ayako Kato is a kinetic philosopher/poet, originally from Yokohama, Japan. Since 1998, Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape has been pursuing contemporary experimental dance/choreography/improvisation in deep collaboration with over 80 musicians and composers, presenting in Europe, Japan, and the US. Advocating the principles of fūryū, Japanese for “wind flow,” cyclical transformation, and human motion in nature, Ayako creates solo, ensemble pieces, and movement installations for traditional stages and large-scale site-specific locations. She is grateful for everyone who has supported and guided her to move forward together with her belief that dance has the power to uplift people and generate peace.

Continue reading about Ayako by visiting her profile.

The Ballet Unboxed Class/Workshop Series is kicking off with its first class led by Brandon Avery! 

***This class is FREE and open to the public***

WHEN: SEPTEMBER 11, 2024 8:00 - 9:30 PM

WHERE: VISCERAL DANCE CENTER, STUDIO 1

Brandon’s class is geared towards experienced movers. What does this mean? You are aware of your body’s physical abilities and want to learn more about them! You do not need an extensive relationship with Ballet to take this class. Some knowledge of Ballet terminology will be helpful.

Brandon’s class structure:

• Floor Barre - strength building/let’s get warm

• Barre - balance + alignment

• Center - let’s move!!

Brandon is big on building a sense of community in his classes. He teaches from a place of love, joy and staying curious about oneself. He encourages you to come as you are, no matter where you are!

Can beginners come to this class? YES! Here are some words from Brandon:

“I don’t want you to come in with the notion of what you HAVE to do. Come into class with the notion of “What are we doing?” Come in and give what you’ve got so that I will know how to guide you.”

About Brandon: 

Avery's dance journey began with 12 years of self-instruction in urban dance techniques before he took his first formal dance technique classes at Knox College. He boasts an extensive performance background, appearing with or for notable names such as Mielle Organics, Fuego Dance Sneakers, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, and MTV-2. Avery has also taught at various institutions, including Red Clay Dance Academy, Emory University, and Dyett High School for the Arts. Recently, Avery made history as the first male heels dancer to perform at the 94th annual Bud Billiken Day Parade and the 32nd annual Dance for Life Chicago benefit showcase. He currently serves as a company member with the Hiplet Ballerinas, a recording artist with the Haus of Everything, a runway and vogue performer in the House of Alain Mikli, and the founder and instructor of Hips & Heels by Brandon Avery™

Learn more about Brandon by visiting his profile