Contortion as Somatic Practice
Workshop Intensive with Andréane Leclerc
Register Now!
email members@thedancecentre.ca to secure your spot
For advanced level / professional dance artists of any movement practice
FREE with registration fee
Co-Presented by Corporeal Imago and The Dance Centre.
Supported by The Training Society of Vancouver and New Works
Program Details
May 11 - 15, 2026
9:30am - 12:30pm
The Dance Centre
677 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC
V6B 2G6
Advanced Registration Required
Register by email to members[at]thedancecentre.ca
Course Description:
In order to demystify the movement and amplitude of the spine, this workshop is for body artists who wish to improve their flexibility; discover a new body technique; have new tools to integrate their flexibility into their practice; develop confidence and knowledge that will allow them to venture into a particular and specific work of the spine; start a new journey into the inner sensation of their body and open themselves to a new approach to it.
Being a contortionist does not mean being flexible. It is an accessible body technique that can be learned, worked on and developed over time. There is no secret. Contortion is a hyper-consciousness of the body's inner sensations and an intimate dialogue with its limits - its allies. In a constant dialogue with one's own body, contortion seeks to open rather than bend it. Without ever pushing back its limits, we will learn how to collaborate with them, in a total respect of the body.
These classes will be based on specific active flexibility and stretching exercises. We will listen to and serve the body in order to address posture and endurance and explore the possibilities of its amplitude.
Advance registration required. First come, first served.
$25 registration fee per course.
About Andréane Leclerc
Andréane Leclerc has developed a somatic practice inspired by contortion for over 25 years. She deconstructs the physical language of spectacle and explores limits as structure to create transdisciplinary scenic works based on cooperation, listening and relational ecology.
Contortion is an accessible physical technique that operates according to laws linked to the phenomenon of amplitude. It sharpens the hyper-awareness of bodily sensations and activates a sensitive and intimate dialogue between body and self, leading to the (re)discovery of limits as allies. For Andréane, contortion is a way of listening and relating, where everything becomes a process, a movement, a force for creation and regeneration.
How does contortion inform non-contortionist bodies? marks the starting point of a transdisciplinary artistic approach that anchors lived experience, both individual and collective, at the heart of the processes. Contortion stimulates the awakening of the senses, of a sense, of meaning, and provides access to both heterotopic spaces and inner territories made up of stories and new narratives.
Important Info
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Participants must commit to the full intensive
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Consistency is crucial to the course flow and strength development required for individual progress.
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By registering, you confirm that you have reviewed and meet all eligibility requirements
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We promote a positive, encouraging learning environment that challenges everyone to surpass themselves!
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You will receive a liability waiver to sign and return before classes begin, along with our concussion policy to review.
For more information and questions contact us at info@companyci.com
Photos courtesy of Andréane Leclerc