Offering a variety of workshops and classes, Amber strives to facilitate environments that enable open and intuitive learning. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, and modify according to personal needs and comfort level. Mental, social and physical safety of the individual and group are prioritized and all participants are asked to keep this in mind when entering into learning settings.
WORKSHOPS
Dance Victoria (2022)
Interdisciplinary Creation & Collaboration
Facilitators: Amber Downie-Back & Angus Steele-Gaffney
This workshop series invites participants to consider artistic practice and collaboration outside the confines of one discipline, blurring the lines between mediums and immersing in creative ecosystems. What is it to leave your project’s discipline undefined? Through movement- and sound-specific approaches, participants will explore using imagery and other creative tools to build a common language between mediums.
Partners Amber and Angus are creative collaborators interested in interdisciplinary works that prize play, indeterminacy, and collaboration. The duo work in a variety of combined media and immersive performances that encourage live audience input, valuing non-linear and non-hierarchical modes of creation.
This workshop is offered in a variety of formats including a three-part series, a full-day intensive and individual topics - Creative Ecosystems, Imagery-As-Score, and Improvisation & Indeterminancy.
Podcasting For Beginners
Facilitators: Nicole Inica Hamilton & Amber Downie-Back
Murphy Movement
Building Presence & Awareness
Murphy Movement is a somatic-based movement approach to building presence, awareness, and connection to yourself and your surroundings. This workshop incorporates an understanding of the scientific processes of ecosystems and translates it to creative spaces. Murphy Movement serves as a practice and preparation for creation and performance in collaborative environments. As the name suggests, Murphy's Law (anything that can go wrong will go wrong) and the contrasting adage Yphrum (anything that can go right will go right) are concepts that inspired this work. Because of the responsive nature of interdisciplinary creative environments, Murphy Movement attempts to ground participants in a mindset of "anything the can happen will happen". The philosophy behind Murphy's Law is to expect the unexpected.
Murphy Movement, facilitated by Amber Downie-Back, was born from a desire to create through improvisation, and a creative collaboration with artist, Tamar Tabori. Catalysts behind the work include, human connection, connection to your surroundings, moments of pure creation or "happy accidents", and the transformative nature of these experiences. Murphy Movement is now the culmination of years of solo research with the input of many peers. Its first workshop iteration was held at Concordia University in Tiohtiá:ke/Montréal (2019).
This workshop is offered in an iterative or stand-alone format.
CLASSES
C-I Training Class (2021)
C-I Training
Teaching & Demonstration (Level 1 & 2)
C-I Training™ (conditioning-with-imagery) created by Donna Krasnow is a body system which incorporates both conditioning exercises for muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility, as well as visualization and imagery work for neuromuscular re-patterning (or movement re-education), alignment work, and mind-body integration and connectedness. Additionally, its purpose is to address problems with transfer of training from conditioning and re-alignment methodologies to movement practices in classes, rehearsals, performances, and daily life. The applications of C-I Training™ can assist with injury prevention, improved training practices, and appropriate warm-up procedures.
Amber is a Level 2 certified C-I Training instructor and has experience both teaching and demonstrating the work, notably teaching at Quinte Ballet School (2021) and demonstrating at Arts Umbrella Summer Dance Intensive for Donna Krasnow (2022) and for the Level 1 Teacher Certification Course with Andrea Downie (2020).
Technique
Teaching & Demonstration (Limón, Contemporary, Contact & Improvisation)
Amber offers a wide-variety of technical and improvisational classes. Holding a BFA Contemporary Dance with Distinction from Concordia University, Amber has trained in a variety of contemporary techniques, contact dance, somatics and improvisational approaches to movement. Through Concordia, Amber trained with Angelique Willkie, Michael Montanaro, and many others. In addition, Amber offers both classes and demonstrating services for Limón, having worked with renowned teacher Donna Krasnow, demonstrating her class at Arts Umbrella Summer School (2022).
For more information on accessibility, duration, rates, and curriculum, contact Amber HERE.