Upcoming Classes/
Workshops
Rivers through, Oceans in
A contemporary dance and partnering workshop co-led by Maya Schwartz and Jessy Crist. Explore the body’s natural tides of movement and connection to internal waters through creative practice, contemporary dance, somatic practice, and contact improvisation.
Los Angeles:
Thursday, March 12th | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Pieter Space, LA
$18-24 sliding scale
Offering free slots for QTBIPOC
Saturday, March 14th | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Stomping Ground, LA
$55-$75 for full day, $30 drop in rate for the first two hours
If cost is a barrier to access, please reach out!
Hudson Valley:
March 21 | 10 AM - 1 PM | WildHeart Center for performance and embodiment practice
About Maya: Maya Schwartz is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher of Release Technique, Contact Improvisation, and Yoga, as well as a certified Ilan Lev Method therapist. Originally from Ukraine and Israel-Palestine and currently based in Berlin, she is the co-founder, with Asaf Bacharach, of Larretude, a horizontal study group for dance improvisation, which has taken place at Larret en Mouvements in France. She has performed and collaborated with choreographers including Roni Chadash, Gil Kerer, Lilach Pnina Livne, Michal Ben Lior, Sally Ann Friedland, and Maya Brinner, and has worked with Vertigo Dance Company and its project Power of Balance. Her choreographic works include solo pieces NoThing and Growing Pains, as well as collaborations such as Primal Feelings (duet with Judy Adini) and Alata (duet with Schahar Dolinsky). Maya is the creator of Deep Into You, an ongoing series of retreats blending art and movement in nature, hosted across Israel-Palestine, Sinai, France, Portugal, and Peru. She has performed and taught in Panama, Peru, the Canary Islands, Japan, the UK, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Slovakia, Croatia, and the United States (New Mexico, New York).
About Jessy: Jessy Crist (she/they), is a choreographer, dancer, and teacher currently based between Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley. Jessy has worked professionally with EMPARA/Megan Paradowski, Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, Alan Lucien Øyen, Dimitri Chamblas, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance Company (Las Cruces, NM), and VOID Movement Project (Istanbul). They joined LA Dance Project as a guest artist for the 2022-2023 season, under Artistic Direction of Benjamin Millipied. As a freelance artist, Jessy creates their own work in collaboration with multimedia artists. Her dance film, GYPSUM, has screened at Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival in Los Angeles, and was selected as an installation for Currents: New Media Festival in Santa Fe, NM. Jessy premiered her solo work VAMP for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and has been an artist in residence at Moulin/Belle (France), and Keshet Dance Center (Albuquerque, NM). Jessy teaches ongoing workshops and classes focusing on embodied movement practices, contemporary dance, contemporary partnering, and creative practie.
Classes/
Workshops
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Adult Beginner Ballet
In these classes we’ll get to know the fundamentals of Ballet technique through an every-body-is-a-dance-body lens. Whether you’re interested in taking Ballet for the first time, or returning as an adult after training in earlier years of your life, we’ll progress through the basics over 10 weeks together. This class is best taken as a series; we’ll add on vocabulary + skills cumulatively in each class.
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Adult Open Ballet
Open Ballet is an opportunity for folks who have had prior ballet training to come and take an open level class. Exercises will range from basic intermediate to advanced, and all levels are welcome. The class will be held in a true open format, and will begin with barre, followed by a traditional center and across-the-floor. This class is best suited for dancers who have had prior ballet training, and is suitable for folks looking for a drop-in class.
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Adult Beginner Contemporary
In this class we’ll explore introductions to contemporary technique through conditioning, authentic movement, and phrasework. We’ll use effort as an engine to create different textures and stamina in our bodies, and learn authentic movement techniques and phrasework. This is a beginner level drop-in class - absolute beginners welcome!
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Adult Open Contemporary
Open Contemporary is an open level drop-in contemporary class. We’ll begin most classes with a warmup including structured exercises and guided improv, and continue on with phrasework. This class pulls from various contemporary techniques, with a focus on intuitive movement and creative choice making. Dancers are encouraged to research their authentic voice as a mover while taking risks in their movement. This class is best suited for dancers who have prior dance training - all levels welcome!
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Queer Body Jam / Improv
Queer Body Jam/Improv is a monthly dance/flow class for Queer Bodies! This is an all-levels movement class made for every body. We will move through 60 minutes of open-format continuous movement, guided by vocal and movement cues. No previous dance experience necessary - willingness to sweat and stay open minded welcome! The goal of this class is to create a safe space for Queer folks to practice an embodied mind+body connection through joy, effort, texture, stamina, and release.
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Private lessons
I’m available for private coaching for dancers seeking more technical training in Ballet and Contemporary forms. I’m here to help support your goals - whether it’s getting stronger en pointe or feeling more comfortable with floorwork.
Get in touch:
I’m currently offering classes on a rolling workshop-basis. If you’re interested in any of these class offerings, feel free to use the “Enrollment Information” button - I’ll reach out with my current class openings.
*** If cost is a barrier to access, sliding scale options are available! QTBIPOC guest spots are available each Queer Body Jam