All Abilities Contemporary Improv Dance with Janice Laurence

Explore and improvise through movement prompts, phrases, shapes, and activities that celebrate the joy of inclusive community dance. Dance is for everybody- all ages, abilities, genders, and backgrounds are welcome. Our diversity will be our creative strength. You may dance while standing, sitting, on the floor, or from your bed. Feel free to travel around your space if that is available to you. Move as much or as little as you'd like and remember that you are the expert of your own body. Let's have fun, be curious, bold, silly, and free together. At the end of class you will be invited to unmute yourself to share something you have experienced while dancing. Participants are encouraged to use Zoom's Gallery View option with their video cameras on so that we can  witness, interact, and respond to each other.

Zoom Link: In your confirmation email, you will receive a Zoom Link, Meeting ID and passcode.

You will also receive a reminder email with the same information, 1 hour before the event.

* Make sure to check your Spam folder, as many of our participants have mentioned that the email has gone to their Spam folder.

Accessibility: Please let us know if you have any access needs we should be aware of when you register for the class.

ASL Interpretation: This Zoom class will have ASL interpreters.

Closed Captions: We have Closed Captions (CC) enabled on Zoom! You can either follow along the directions as CC or as a transcript.

First Time Taking a Class with Dance for All Bodies? Please take 3 minutes to fill out these two forms linked below:

1- Demographics Survey

2- Media Release Form

If it is your first time taking a Zoom dance class with Dance for All Bodies, we have some tips for using Zoom that can be found here.

Cost: We have a suggested donation of $5-15. Your donations directly go towards paying our instructors and allows us to offer these dance classes available for all abilities! If you are not able to donate at this time, we still hope to see you there! Just make sure to select "Free" when you register.

More information about Janice:  Janice Laurence has been an active participant with Dance for All Bodies, attending our Contemporary Brazilian, Ballet, Diaspora, Salsa, Jazz, Tap classes and more.  She appreciates the variety of styles offered, the warm welcome from the DfAB community, and the delightful opportunities to grow as a disabled dance artist.  She is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and first heard about Dance for All Bodies through her connections with BORP and AXIS Dance Company member JanpiStar.  She loves how similar the name is to the Canadian All Bodies Dance Project (ABDP) she credits with changing the course of her life in September, 2017. Dancing has given her a new sense of purpose and helped her find pleasure in movement while meeting many new people.

Janice has always loved to dance and in 2017 she was thrilled to discover All Bodies Dance Project (ABDP),  a contemporary inclusive dance company located on unceded Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil- Waututh), and xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) territories (Vancouver, BC, Canada).

ABDP’s work “brings together artists with and without disabilities to explore the endless creative possibilities in difference.” The company’s work “straddles labels of community-engaged and professional practice.” They “aim to dismantle assumptions, biases and default notions around contemporary dance, the theatre and the dancing body.”

http://allbodiesdance.ca/about.html

Janice’s bio with ABDP is at this link.

http://allbodiesdance.ca/about_janice.html

Janice was born with a degenerative neuromuscular disease called Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT) and continues to find ways to adapt to a life with unpredictable health challenges.  “I have learned that disability is my superpower.  I am 56 years old and am in great shape for the shape I’m in!” she expressed.  Janice is currently an ambulatory wheelchair user, although there have been many times in her life when she was unable to walk. She has had 14 foot and ankle reconstructions, including several complete ankle replacements.