Dates: 14 & 15 January 9:30-17:30 hrs.
Location: IDlab Studio
Led by: Thomas Talawa Prestø
Dancers: Wolman Michelle Luciano and Joel Ramirez
Website: https://tabankadance.com/talawa-technique-2/

Funded and produced by: AiR programme AHK and IDlab
Special Thanks to: EU-Horizon PREMIERE

Registrations: https://ahk-im.typeform.com/to/Z5987gN2

Are you ready to explore the rich and powerful traditions of African and Caribbean dance through the Talawa Technique, one of the world's only fully codified African and African Diaspora dance techniques? Developed through an extensive research and adaptation process, the Talawa Technique is a comprehensive and structured approach to Africana dance that combines elements of African and Diaspora movement practices. With a foundation of common positions, placements, and movement qualities, as well as additional movement research phrases to train specific skills and coordination, the Talawa Technique offers a unique and empowering way to connect with the ancient traditions of African and Caribbean dance.

Join us for a two-day workshop in the Talawa Technique, led by Thomas Talawa Prestø, the founder of the technique, and featuring demonstrations by Wolman Michelle Luciano and Joel Ramirez, both Principle Dancers in Tabanka Dance Ensemble. Each day will start with a 1-hour theoretical session exploring the potential of decolonizing dance through the use of Africana aesthetics and ancestral dance practices. The workshop will then continue with a 2-hour technical session introducing the Talawa Technique.

On the first day, the workshop will be an introductory level to the Talawa Technique, suitable for anyone looking to be introduced to the technique and who have experience with their own body and coordination. No deep knowledge of Africanist dance forms is required, but some prior dance practice is necessary. On the second day, the workshop will focus on further deepening into the technique, with an emphasis on professional dancers or dance students who want to use the exercises to enrich their own practice.

Whether you attend one or both days of the workshop, you will have the opportunity to learn from the founder and master demonstrators of the Talawa Technique and explore the full potential of this unique and comprehensive approach to African and Caribbean dance. Don't miss out on this empowering and enriching experience. Just make sure to bring extra fabric or a t-shirt to wrap on your head, and be prepared to dance with bare feet. Sign up now to participate in this exciting two-day workshop in the Talawa Technique.

Photocredit: Sigrun Drivdal Johnson