We design and facilitate ongoing and short-term Dancesequences Joyful Movement and Dancesequences In Motion residencies with diverse community organizations in the U.S. We work closely with our partner organizations to structure programs that meet specific needs of the communities they serve.
Unique Residencies:
- Dancesequences Company Open Sharings, Tucson, AZ: As the newly appointed Dance Company-in- Residence at Hacienda at the Canyon, we hold monthly Company Open Sharings on site where Repertory Company members and community members come together in dance. Open Sharings include a 45-minute company class, followed by a 45-minute group improvisation session.
- Dancesequences Equinimity, Tucson, AZ: Equinimity: the feeling one gets when dancing with horses. In 2018, we developed a program to provide a unique art experience where participants can communicate and relate to each other while dancing with horses through unmounted creative group dance. Dancesequences Equinimity provides a space to creatively explore the premise that movement and dance is all around us, a natural part of life. Recognizing movement cues from the horses heightens our awareness of each other, creating rare opportunities for group unity to occur organically. Through Dancesequences Equinimity, participants (i) enhance their expressive movement vocabulary; (ii) explore new ways of interacting with everything and everyone in the environment; and (iii) gain valuable insights on how to dance as a cohesive group without letting go of the authentic self. A collaboration with Spirit Therapeutic Equestrian Program (“STEP”).
- Dancesequences Garden Gatherings, Tucson, AZ: An integral part of our “We Bring Dance to You” community initiative. Each event is held in a different yard, garden, or other outdoor space. These are free, family-friendly, open to the public gatherings to dance and share with each other.
- Dancesequences Touching Spaces Gatherings, Tucson, AZ: Site-based creative group dance events at local parks to encourage the public to explore new perspectives for seeing and interacting with natural spaces. Each Company Gathering is facilitated by a Repertory Company dancer to introduce a creative dance approach that is kinesthetically-based, improvisational and accessible.
- Dancesequences Books Project, Tucson, AZ: Multiple e-books written by Dancesequences members and friends that speak to the theme of inclusion and movement. We are currently working on a Teaching Artist Manual.
- Dancesequences Teaching Artist Intensives, Tucson, AZ: A pilot program consisting of quarterly 3-hour workshop intensives to share Dancesequences’ inclusive dance methodology. Program launch is scheduled to begin in January, 2023.
Community Outreach:
- Animas Center, Tucson, AZ: Creative dance for youths with diverse abilities.
- Art Spark Texas and Body Shift, Austin, TX: Creative group dance intensives and Zoom classes for participants with diverse abilities and experiences.
- Mettler Studios, Inc., Tucson, AZ: Mettler-based Creative Dance class offerings in the Spring and Fall at Tucson Creative Dance Center. Introduction to Mettler-based Creative Dance, a free approach to body movement developed by dance pioneer, Barbara Mettler.
- Pio Decimo Center, Tucson AZ: Weekly Creative Movement classes for children ages 6-10 in the afterschool enrichment program within a community organization offering support services to low-income families in the forms of childcare, daycare, afterschool programs, social services, etc.
- Sister Jose Women’s Center, Tucson, AZ: Dancesequences Joyful Movement classes for an organization providing shelter and services for women who are experiencing homelessness. Joyful Movement classes were part of the Center’s CREATE program which aimed to empower women by encouraging self-discovery and expressions through creativity. This program is currently on hiatus due to the ongoing challenges brought by Covid-19.
- ZOOM classes. During Covid-19 lockdowns, we pivoted to facilitating online creative group dance classes that are open to all. At this writing, we have resumed in-person programming. We are, however, always ready to shift to ZOOM classes if and when needed.
Health & Wellness Organizations:
- ITK (Integrative Touch for Kids), Tucson, AZ: Creative Movement session at ITK Health Circle event. ITK provides support services to families and children with special health or medical needs.
- Intuition Wellness Center/TKD Wellness, Tucson, AZ: Creative Movement classes for children ages 6 – 10. Intuition Wellness Center provides a collaborative whole-person approach to pediatric care.
Schools:
We provide lecture/demonstrations for Grades 2 through High School on themes that speak to diversity, inclusion and dance. Original pieces are shared by company members, followed by a working discussion with the students and the opportunity for students to create their own pieces within the theme.
- Satori School
- The Gregory School
We collaborate with University of Arizona by facilitating lecture/demonstrations on the theme of diverse abilities and movement within the following departments:
- Applied Intercultural Arts Research Graduate Interdisciplinary Program
- Honors College, Methods in Health and Human Values
- Health and Human Values Student Club
- Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities
- Students Health Advocacy Committee (“SHAC”)
Senior Retirement Communities:
We provide a combination of weekly and bi-weekly Dancesequences Joyful Movement and Dancesequences In Motion classes for residents in Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care facililities in Tucson, AZ. In our classes, we focus on celebrating our bodies as instruments of movement expressions. Monthly class themes bring diverse opportunities to engage the mind, activate the body and draw out the natural creative potential. Gentle repetition and a Dancesequences class structure lead to improved physical stamina and memory integration of the material. Above all, we emphasize the sense of community as we co-create and dance together.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, classes were conducted via ZOOM, or onsite through “Class Through Glass,” where we taught outside in a courtyard while participants danced inside, safely protected by large glass windows. In March 2021, we resumed in-person classes, with social distancing and face mask protocols in place. The ongoing challenges of navigating through a world of covid means that we have to be ready to make adjustments at a moment’s notice. Our improvisational approach has helped us tremendously as we continue to serve the needs of this community by consistently providing creative dance classes.
- Barrio Viejos Elderly Housing
- B’nai B’rith Covenant House
- Casitas on Broadway
- Hacienda at the Canyon
- Hacienda at the River
- Handmaker Jewish Services for Aging
- Splendido at Rancho Vistoso
- Strauss Manor at Pantano
Dancesequences Inc. 