Nhu Nguyen
Class Description: "Finding Agency with the Bodies We Have via Imagination" - Friday, June 28th, 6pm-7:30pm
This class begins with the question: how can we afford more agency with the body that we have regardless of our sizes, capacity for support and/or mobility, even experiences? From an anatomical perspective, how do we utilize our imagination to refine and re-define the qualities of our bones, muscles, and organs system to provide necessary strength and mobility from moment to moment? The goal of this class is to find more agency in our dancing by shifting our perspectives, therefore expand what we perceive to be our personal limitations. In other words, we will work on finding new pathways and getting unstuck with the support of our dynamic thinking.
The class structure includes solo warm-ups to explore the known/familiar qualities of our bones, muscles, and organs; followed by ballroom dance inspired exercises of leading and following and leading-while-following. We will also practice modulating our anatomical systems via our imagination, in pursue of mobile support, “hitching a ride”, passing/going over a moving base and more. This class aims to provide you with opportunities to dance with many different people who might not feel equal to you in size, weight, density, strength, mobility or experiences.
Biography:
Nhu Nguyen began her professional dance career at the age of eight in her hometown, Vietnam. She worked with HBSO, Vietnam for roughly 7 years while pursuing her education at Vietnam’s National School of Dance and Choreography. Since her migration in 2012, she has been involved with several non-profit organizations including transcenDance Youth Arts Project as a choreographer and artistic co-director, A Reason to Survive as a consultant and teaching artist, and A Step Beyond as teaching artist. There, she has been teaching Contact Improvisation to youths who have limited to no dance experiences. Nguyen uses Contact Improvisation as a tool to inspire youths to find agency in their own contexts and problem-solve their interpersonal challenges. In 2017, Nguyen was named the Outstanding Graduate in Dance, completing her BFA in Dance and minor in Visual Art at San Diego State University. Currently, she is interested in creating unique works that stem from her on-going practice of exploring and exposing the human instincts in Contact Improvisation and live decision making.
