Open Class: Contemporary Dance

Open Class with Erika Winkler

The Cologne choreographer, dancer and lecturer Erika Winkler works with principles that serve physical perception. Through a variety of tasks, it sends the body on a search for new and unusual paths. Among other things, she has worked intensively on “thinking” body work, which sharpens self-awareness through improvisation and thus trains the ability to repeat movement patterns that have arisen. Erika also discusses William Forsythe’s “Improvisation Technologies” in her lessons. Related to this is Rudoph von Laban's spatial concept and nine-point improvisation. The training consists of a warm-up and longer sequences of movements. Erika handles the material flexibly and gives short research tasks to explore movement sequences. It is primarily about differentiated body perception (including the body center), forms of isolation of body parts and positioning in relation to the inner and outer space. The focus is also on floor work and off-balance exercises as well as coordination and mobility. Erika is a valued and popular artist who also impresses in teaching professional dancers and dance students.

Registration not required, single ticket 20 € / concession. 17 €, ten ticket 190 € / reduced. 160 €, payable on site.

Erika Winkler

Show courses (5)

Erika Winkler received her dance education at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen and, following her graduation, worked at a number of theatres and in freelance companies, with an engagement of several years with Dutch Company RAZ. She developed projects for Ruhr.2010 and is a regular choreographer for Team Plöger/Winkler/Becker at the FFT Düsseldorf. She teaches workshops internationally and has been an esteemed and popular teacher at tanzhaus nrw since 1998. Here, as well as at PACT Zollverein and for companies like Ultima Vez, Neuer Tanz or Random Dance, she offers regular professional training, too.