THE WORK

The Work is a growing collection of written resources that support contemporary dance training, composition, and preparation for higher-level study. Each resource is designed to clarify how dancers are trained, how movement is developed, and how expectations are communicated.

The Work: A Contemporary Dance Teaching Guide

Human first. Choice with responsibility. Teaching that builds agency.

This is not a syllabus.

This is not choreography.

This is not a codified technique.

The Work: A Contemporary teaching Guide is a human-first framework for teaching contemporary dance.

It develops dancers who can think, choose, adapt, and commit with clarity without reducing contemporary training to imitation, aesthetics, or vague freedom.

If you value rigor, presence, and decision-making, this work belongs in your teaching practice.

What This Guide Gives You

A clear framework for teaching contemporary without imitation
Tools for developing intentional transitions, texture, and quality
Strategies for teaching without constant demonstration

Language that builds agency instead of approval-seeking
Improvisation as a tool for awareness, not performance
Structure for building trust, risk, and clarity in the classroom

What's Inside

What Contemporary Is (and Is Not)

Building Blocks of Contemporary Technique

Alignment, Structure & Support

Floor Work as a Relationship

Texture, Quality & How Movement Feels

Improvisation as a Teaching Tool

Teaching Without Movement

Classroom Culture & Student Relationships

The Work: Teaching Philosophy

Who This Is For

• Contemporary dance teachers

• Studio owners and program directors

• College-prep educators

• Choreographers working with developing dancers

• Advanced dancers seeking deeper understanding

Who This Is Not For

• Teachers looking for choreography or combinations

• One-day fixes or trend-based methods

• Aesthetic imitation without context

• Copy-and-paste teaching systems

Format

Digital PDF · 65 pages · Instant download

License

Licensed for individual use only.

Not for studio-wide distribution or shared drives.

Studio licensing available upon request.

Price

$49

The Work is not a destination.

It is a practice.

If dancers leave your room more aware, more responsible, and more willing to make choices, the work is happening.