dots and lines

Floor work workshop!

Join guest instructor Isaac Lerner for a 2-day floor work intensive workshop!
December 6th & 7th 2021
12-3pm each day
Register here!

Isaac Martin Lerner is a New York City based dancer, choreographer, and teacher. After moving to New York, he found an abundance of freelance work mainly with David Parker’s Bang Group and Cameron Mckinney’s Kizuna Dance as well as smaller project based companies.  He lives in the contemporary floor work realm studying under teachers such as Cameron Mckinney, Luke Jessop, Victor Rotier, and Jos Baker. Mr. Lerner also is pleased to pass on his knowledge as a teacher at Gibney Dance Center, The Kuzina workshops and his own master class series called “Dots and Lines”. He’s a critically acclaimed opera choreographer working closely with collaborators Jacob Climber (costume/set designer) and Chas Rader-Scheiber (Stage Director). He is looking foreword to his time at Urban Movement Arts!

I sat down with Isaac to learn more about him, floor work, and what we can expect from his workshop! Check it out below!

Isaac Lerner comes to UMA! Isaac has danced since asking his parents for ballet lessons at the age 4. He reflects- “I don't know where I got the idea [for ballet lessons] and no one seems to..” But he's stuck with it, moving from the world of classical ballet to more contemporary dance forms and now, since 2018, to floor work technique. He currently dances with Kizuna Dance, teaches and choreographs. He is based out of New York City. 

Isaac’s passion for floor work is clear when you hear him speak about it. Isaac describes the floor almost as one would describe a partner- he comments: “I think that the relationship with the ground is the one thing that has really kept me moving through the last couple years- the idea that the earth is pushing into you and that it can propel you into- it can literally propel you into swing dance, or it can propel you into classical modern dance- it can propel you into anything as long as you continually remind yourself of that thing. And I think- I HOPE- my workshop is really a time to explore that, not just in a floor work setting but also in whatever setting you want.” Isaac understands floorwork as, yes, a movement form that utilizes the lowest levels we can, but also as a technique for approaching all forms of movement. No matter what style of dance you may be exploring (I suppose with the exception of aerial forms) you are working with the ground. Having a base understanding of the ways you can push, pull, and release into the floor can have influence on how we approach any other style of dance. 

Isaac’s workshop will be a 2 day intensive, each day 3 hours long. This will allow participants to really get an in depth introduction to floor work technique. I asked Isaac for a breakdown of what we can expect from his workshop. He said to expect a lot of breathing to start: “I always start with a lot of breathing and just finding a way to engage the other half of the brain- not just the mechanical but also the imagination part of the brain.” Isaac’s class then eases participants into the concept of moving into and out of the ground through a “long juicy warm up sequence.” At this point, the class progresses to a more technical/ mechanical focus. Isaac will break down concepts such as: various ways to get to the floor, how you slide on the floor, how to maneuver yourself once you’re down there, and ways to get up from the floor. And to conclude the workshop, Isaac notes: “I start to combine all those mechanical things to find more of a flow and eventually it all culminates in a large phrase that hopefully allows everyone to let go of everything we’ve talked about and just dance.” 

We are so excited to welcome Isaac to UMA! We can’t wait to  see how participants bring what they learn with Isaac to movement forms they study at UMA- whatever style it may be!