Natascha Noack studied African dance in Berlin, Paris, Guinee, Mali, Senegal und Burkina Faso. She found particular inspiration in the work of Koffi Koko, Désiré Somé and Elsa Wolliaston for whom she worked as an assistant at the 'Theatertreffen Berlin'. She teaches in Germany and other European countries, collaborating with artists of different backgrounds in the creation of intercultural performance projects for young adults.
In my class I invite you to work on different traditional and modern African dance styles in a way that you can develop a personal approach to these beautiful movements. The main focus is on the dynamics of strength and flexibility, on the contact with the floor and on the use of your inner rhythms for support and inspiration. Combined with notions from other movement studies these principles are useful for beginners and advanced dancers alike.
You will then be able to explore the various possibilities of connecting your body to the music - how to go with the the rhythm, be in the grove, stop thinking about patterns yet being able to use them for creating an expressive and very personal dance. The experience of how the different forms in African Dance are related to specific energetic responses allows you to expand your vocabulary and develop the self-confidence necessary for improvisation.