Contemporary DanCe with michel kouakou

LENGTH: 60 min. LEVEL: Open SPACE: Large

The class is called “AFASAM” — a dance style inspired by the blends of techniques of formal dance training from three continents combined with a contemporary notion. The name AFASAM was derived from the first two alphabetical letters of three continents, Africa, Asia and America. In this movement vocabulary, I based the in depth experience on how to unleash a contained moving body within its spiritual realm while being rhythmically present in space. The Blend of West African dances mostly known for their spiritual and percussive orientation with Butoh, deals with the inner part of the body alongside the western Modern dance technique that emphasizes the alignment of the body and space combining to create a free flow and dynamic movement that describes the spectrum of the AFASAM Technique.

AFASAM class begins with a simple warm up with floor movement focusing on the spine as the center in relationship to our body. In my approach, all movements depart from the three essential points of the spine, which are the cervical, the thoracic and the lumber spine before returning to their origin. The point of this exercise is to emphasize the flow of the spine by un-stacking the vertebrates creating space between those vertebrates for larger movement while staying in connection to the rest of our articulations. By doing so, we can enable the entire body like an imaginary accordion that can extend and compress itself through the support of the floor. Moving in and out of the floor with the pelvis to reorganize our largest body parts such as our limbs in relationship to space while creating a stabilization and core strength through plié without hurting the knees but to increase support to the joints. This will include movement phrases across the floor that reinforces and expands the body’s inherent mobility with details and power based on the notion and aesthetics of the body in a circular motion and awareness.

This class is a physical practice to build an advanced body, brain and artistic spirit with a concept of weight within the execution of each movement.

Before the end of each class, a combination phrase will be taught to emphasize the exercises done during class in order to prepare the endurance of the dancer in a more practical approach providing opportunity for peers to push each other in a more supportive environment.

This class runs approximately 60 minutes long and is great for intermediate advanced contemporary practitioners. 

Music: Pablo

Dancers: Andrew Pester and Liam McLaughlin

Category: Contemporary