Workshop with Leon: ACROBATIC DANCE & PARTNERING TECHNIQUES – Overhead Project

The main idea of this workshop is to share movement material and principles from both fields, dance and contemporary circus. The aim is to transmit the interest of merging these two art forms with the participants, as well to have fun and move together. The workshop is directed to professional and non professional dancers as well as to acrobats and curious movers from other fields – all are welcome!

From his background as a partner acrobat, Leon will give tools to prepare the body and open the senses for partnering work. He will share principles of physical communication and guide through the movement material to build up strength, trust and understanding of the body. The workshop will include individual training of contemporary floorwork techniques with an extra acrobatic touch as well as lifts, throws and catches of the partnering work. A main aspect of the partnering training will be to learn how to connect the other's body and how to deal with its weight and balance in mutual responsibility. We will work in close physical contact with the group and partners. 

We meet on Tuesday, September 6th, 2022 from 2 - 6 p.m. (duration: 4 hours, including breaks)
at our cooperation partner LATIBUL Theater- & Zirkuspädagogisches Zentrum Köln – An der Schanz 6 | 50735 Köln

• Comfortable clothes (also to change ;) and plenty of drinks have to be brought by yourself. Everything else that is required for the workshop will of course be provided. 
• The training takes place in the tent "Gaudium". The way is usually signposted.
• Please be on site a few minutes before the start time so that the session can start on time.
• A maximum of 20 people will participate.
• We work in close physical contact. To make everyone feel safe, we ask for compliance with the current Corona Protection Ordinance (CoronaSchVO) of NRW. If you do not feel well or have any symptoms of illness on the day of the workshop, please do not participate. Thank you for your thoughtfulness!

Leon Börgens is a passionate mover, dancer and acrobat. He studied contemporary circus arts in Brussels and works with different projects on the line between dance and circus. Since 2018 he is part of the company Overhead Project from Cologne for which he is performing in the last pieces "My Body Is Your Body" and "What Is Left". In 2020 he also integrated the french circus company Un Loup Pour L'Homme joining in for their new creation "Dans L'Espace".

The workshop is part of a Cologne Performance-Week initiated by the company Overhead Project: From September 08th - 11th, 2022 it will show the production „Circular Vertigo“ – there will be two performers seen twice each: Mijin Kim and Hrista Panayotova. More about the production & tickets! 
There will be a drink sale before and after each performance. Silent Parties will take place outside on Friday & Saturday after the performance – participation is included in the performance ticket of the respective day. On Sunday, September 11, 2022, regular FREAKY #training can be attended at 5:30 p.m. (tickets need to be purchased separately).