Friday, January 19 | 9:30 – 11 am
Friday, January 26 | 9:30 – 11 am
Advanced Contemporary/Modern with Philip Elson
Philip’s advanced contemporary modern class combines mid-century modern dance techniques with contemporary release-based movement, functional/athletic movement training, and somatic practices. Floor, standing, and inversion exercises that progress into dynamic phrase material enhance the awareness of internal/external sensations to elevate alignment, articulation, agility, endurance, resilience, and overall presence. All these tools are used to maximize each student’s potential to reach their individual level of full expression.
About Philip Elson:
Philip Elson is a dance and movement specialist with extensive performance, choreography, teaching, production, and experimental collaboration experience. From industrial/commercial productions, musical theater, concert dance, somatic practices, and functional movement training, Philip draws from a multitude of movement styles to create unique and dynamic movement experiences. His formal studies included Musical Theater/Vocal Performance at New York University and Dance at Columbia College Chicago (BFA 2011). From 2008-2020 Philip was an ensemble member with Chicago-based dance theater company The Seldoms where he was able to deeply explore Bartenieff Fundamentals and Laban Movement Analysis under the guidance of Artistic Director Carrie Hanson and longtime ensemble member Christina Gonzalez-Gillet. In performance, Philip has been seen in concert works by companies and artists such as Muscle Memory Dance Theater, The Seldoms, Joanna Read/Same Planet Performance Project, Jonathan Meyer/Khecari Dance Theater, tEEth, Paige Caldarella, Colleen Halloran, and Netta Yurushalmy, to name a few. His independent choreography and collaborative sound/film work has been seen/heard with companies and at festivals in Chicago, IL, Portland, OR Dallas, TX, and Berlin, Germany. Previously, Philip was on faculty at Visceral Dance Center and has taught several master classes and workshops at schools and universities in residence with The Seldoms and Same Planet Performance Project. Philip currently offers dance and movement training on faculty at Dovetail Studios and as a Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Aquatics Exercise Specialist, and soon to be 200hr RYT Yoga Teacher.
Join us at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts for Open Technique Classes with the Ruth Page Professional Dance Training Program*, select Fridays at 9:30am. The class will feature rotating guest artists and Ruth Page School of Dance faculty. Method and technique will vary by teacher.
*The Ruth Page Professional Dance Training Program is an elite group of pre-professional dancers, ages 17-25 who train daily, 9am-4pm, August – June at the Ruth Page School of Dance.
Trainee members will hone their contemporary and ballet techniques in an international environment of artists and educators with dedicated time and personalized attention to create lifelong ambassadors for the art of dance who embrace diverse cultures as a source of inspiration and human self-expression.
