ACoHo Technique & Jazz
I have been experimenting with my personal instructional progression of Horton technique as a means to make a codified technique more accessible and useful for dancers studying multiple disciplines. Horton technique, along with other well-established techniques such as Limon, Graham, Cunningham, in addition to all other codified techniques, must evolve to accommodate multi-discipline study. No matter where a dance student decides to direct her or his career path, solid contemporary training that is supplemented with a strong classical ballet foundation will help any student achieve her or his goals.
Students are more likely to be successful if they remain receptive to innovation and are facile physically and intellectually. As artists/educators we need to be equally nimble and proactive in our instruction. I try to impart this philosophy and as a result my students develop ownership of their physical regiment and thrive.
As a devout student, practitioner and instructor of Horton technique, I see room for adaption and refinement. I have been deconstructing traditional Horton exercises to include even more organic properties. I have developed and fashioned the traditional class to be more bio-mechanically sound to incorporate aspects and properties of other techniques. In addition, I wanted to make Horton technique more user friendly for this generation of dancers.
I’ve learned many new modalities of movement along the way over many years of training, performing and refinement of my own personal practice. Putting these new modalities of movement to use has inspired and strengthened my instruction across the board. I have acquired a new sense of enthusiasm toward instruction and feel that I have become a better teacher.
Through the addition of making slight changes in a traditional Horton class i.e. Horton fortifications and prelude exercises, I feel I have increased my effectiveness as an instructor. I have expanded the knowledge base of information I pass on to students and I have seen remarkable results. My new system of Horton based exercises and the format by which I instruct the class, builds on tried and tested tenants that are universal staples of all good training. I have found relative success trying to tackle in new ways some of the challenges young multi-discipline students face today.
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