Heidi Latsky Dance (HLD) seeks to recruit persons with spinal cord related injuries to participate in a new pilot program that is a paid opportunity. Over the first half of 2019 (Ending July 2019), program participants will be introduced to and trained in MARS (Mindful Activation Release Study) a somatic practice that targets muscle groups to enhance body awareness (2 – 4 workshops a month).  SCI participants will take part in various performance art installations ranging from ones that are quietly meditative to ones that are athletic as a group and/or alongside the HLD Company over the pilot period.   The final performance will be in July as part of the NYC Disability Pride Month.  The program’s objective is to utilize MARS to enhance each participants’ sense of body awareness and athleticism.

About Heidi Latsky Dance

Founded in 2001 (physically integrated since 2006) HLD is a New York-based modern dance company committed to making relevant, striking work across multiple disciplines. HLD has over 12 years of experience of working with disabled artists in a physically integrated setting.

The company has performed, American Dance Festival, Dublin Dance Festival, Central Park Summerstage, Kennedy Center, Scripps College Humanities Institute, DaDaFest Liverpool, Chicago Humanities Festival, CREA Conference Kathmandu, Crossing Borders Festival Dusseldorf, The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, Harvard University, Jacob’s Pillow, TedX Women, The Whitney Museum of American Art, and Lincoln Center.

About MARS (Mindful Activation Release Study

A practice designed to activate the body in a calm and relaxed way. Through specific breathing techniques and guided rocking of the entire body the practice brings the participant into an effortless stillness and a deep, quiet but active sense of being grounded.

To date, people who have experienced the rocking practice have described it as mindful; energizing; bringing a deeper understanding of deeper muscles, awareness of tensions and patterns and releasing of those patterns.

Heidi Latsky has been developing this practice for the last two years. It was created to help her and her dancers both disabled and non-disabled find fluidity in their movement and deepen their mind-body connection.

In each session, Heidi Latsky Dance will teach the principles of the technique, take the participants through the method and apply the practice to actual choreography.  Throughout the pilot because of its meditative benefits, it is a goal of the program  that MARS will evolve into a daily movement practice for each participant can do independently outside of the program.

(All training and movement creation will be a collaborative process between the participant & Latsky/HLD company.)

 

Please Contact SCIPilot@heidilatskydance.org for questions or more information.

 

_{THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE CRAIG H. NIELSEN FOUNDATION}