ReadyMade Works presents Open Class, a curated program of weekly professional classes taught by experienced local dance artists.

 

Whether you’re a trained dancer or performer from the parallel worlds of theatre, music and visual arts, this is an opportunity to develop a movement practice or sustain it and connect with the vibrant independent dance community that Sydney boasts.

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ReadyMade Works is changing the way we run our classes for 2024. Instead of running drop-in classes, we are going to run a series of 4 classes by one dance teacher and participants should purchase all 4 classes although have the option to purchase per class. This will allow the class material to build across the month.

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Class Teacher and Description

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Madeline Harms:
Born and raised in South Australia, Madeline Harms received her high school education at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS) in Melbourne. In 2012 she completed her Bachelor of Dance (BDa) at the Codarts University for the Arts, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and went on to base herself in Europe for a further 10 years.

Madeline worked as an independent artist in The Netherlands before becoming a member of tanzmainz, the dance company of Staatstheater Mainz, Germany, under the direction of Honne Dohrmann. She has worked closely in creations with a variety of choreographers including Sharon Eyal (L-E-V), Rafaële Giovanola (Cocoon Dance), Roy Assaf, Guy Weizman and Roni Haver (Club Guy & Roni), Victor Quijada (Rubberband Dance), Guy Nadar and Maria Campos (GN|MC), amongst many others, and toured extensively throughout Europe and abroad.
In 2022 Madeline returned to Australia to join Sydney Dance Company, performing nationally and abroad with choreographic works by Rafael Bonachela, Antony Hamilton, Tra Mi Dinh and Riley Fitzgerald.  

Madeline is currently based in Sydney as an independent artist and teacher, and is a certified Countertechnique Technique Teacher - which she studied under the guidance of founder Anouk van Dijk throughout her career. For information about the class please visit the website: www.countertechnique.com.

 

Image Credit: Kim Douleman

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Previous Teachers 

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Mitchell Christie:

Class Description: A Cunningham Technique® class is a rigorous form of training designed to create strength and flexibility in both the body and the mind. No previous Cunningham experience required - this 4 week course aims to familiarise you with the foundations of the technique whilst moving fully through a full 90 minute class - prepare to sweat!
The class begins with exercises for the back. These are used to stretch and strengthen the spine, differentiating its use from that of the legs and pelvis.  As class progresses, legwork is emphasised with a gradual layering of the torso and arms.  Combinations of greater length and complexity follow, which utilise wide ranging tempos and a variety of rhythms.  Sequences then carry the dancers across the space, often requiring them to change their facings and direction of travel.  Class ends with several jump combinations that increase in intensity, building both strength and stamina. Throughout the 4 classes we will be investigating Cunningham's basic principles of rhythm, clarity, risk taking, individualism, chance and breaking habits.   

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Bio: Mitchell Christie is an independent dancer, creator and educator. Growing up on Dharawal Country (NSW South Coast) he graduated from Newtown High School of the Performing Arts in 2012. In 2013 Mitchell moved to New York to continue his dance education at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, receiving his BFA in 2017. He now lives and works on the lands of the Gadigal and Dharug (sydney) and is a Co-Artistic Director of Dance Makers Collective.

In 2024 Mitchell became an authorised Cunningham Technique® teacher. He has an almost decade-long relationship with the Merce Cunningham Trust in New York City and has trained closely with original company members and master teachers. He is also a passionate advocate for accessible art and has been developing inclusive practices for people living with and without disability to experience transformation through dance. 
 

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Rhiannon Newton:

Class description: Rhiannon's classes focus on efficient movement pathways that feel good and energise the body. Drawing on influences from somatic and release techniques, Rhiannon's class begins with some improvised exercises to enliven how attention connects the body to its surroundings. It then develops movement pathways from floorwork through to standing progressions, to lay a foundation for exploring phrase work that has a strong emphasis on connection to the ground, ease of movement, the use of momentum and travelling across the space.

 

Bio: Rhiannon Newton is an Australian dancer, choreographer, educator, and researcher living and working on Gadigal land (Sydney). Her practice aims to foreground embodied connection with the more-than-human world. She has developed her choreographic practice through residency, exchange, commission and presentation opportunities throughout Australia, South-East Asia, Europe and North America. Recent projects include Caresss for Future Makers (Echoes, Riverside Theatre, 2024), Earthbound for VOLUME (AGNSW, 2023) Explicit Contents (Sydney Festival, 2021; Dancehouse Melbourne, INDance Sydney Dance Company, QL2 Dance, 2022); A Strange Place with Elysa Wendi (Dance Nucleus Singapore, 2022); The Gift of a Warning for New Breed (Carriageworks, 2021); and Long Sentences (Baltic Circle and Helsinki International Artist Program, 2019).

 

Image by Felicity Jenkins attached

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Sue Healey:

Sue Healey is a dance artist originally from Aotearoa/New Zealand and now based in Sydney/Gadigal land. Her practices include choreography, filmmaking, installation and teaching. A founding member of Danceworks in Melbourne with Artistic Director Nanette Hassall in the 1980s – Sue’s early training was with dance luminaries from New York including Steve Paxton, Lisa Nelson, Trisha Brown and Merce Cunningham.  Her work is grounded in the study of movement and the moving image. She was the recipient of the Australia Council Award for Dance in 2021 and is currently creating a new work with Billy Keohavong, Siobhan Lynch, Nadiyah Akbah, Josh Freedman and Benjamin Hancock, to be presented in early 2025. Sue has had a long career teaching and choreographing at VCA, WAAPA, NZ School of Dance, AC Arts Adelaide and throughout Asia.

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Image credit: Natalia Cartley