Dance to Build Community Class

Thursday, October 23, 7:00 PM

Springfield College Dance Studio (Facilities Building, Second Floor), 29 Sheffield Street, Springfield, Mass.

Grace Whitworth and Nat Wilson, members of the New York-based nonprofit contemporary dance company YYDC, will lead a FOCO TECHNIQUE™ class for the Springfield College community and alumni.

Please note: The class will be at an advanced level. Space is limited. There is no cost to participate. Come and dance, or come and observe!

FOCO TECHNIQUE™ is an original and evolving dance vocabulary created by choreographer and artistic director of YYDC, Yue Yin. Echoing her choreographic voice, FOCO TECHNIQUE™ is a unique contemporary form of dance movement rooted in Chinese classical and folk dance, melded with the complex and diverse influences of the immigrant experience. The form grows from Yin’s own blended international background and a deep appreciation for precision, contrast, fluidity, and musicality.

Yin developed FOCO TECHNIQUE™ in order to communicate and share the complex, grounded, folk, humanistic connections Yin saw between the technical background and current contemporary forms.

FOCO TECHNIQUE™ teaching is conducted in a follow-along method and the movement is closely aligned with the music. The instructor demonstrates sequences of movement based on the principles of FOCO while following a three-stage structure:

Activating: Establishing the connections between mind and body

Rooting: Finding footing and building stability

Mapping: Understanding the transitions and pathways of movement phrases

This streamlined method provides a scaffolding for developing precision, strength, stamina, and ability that promotes controlled, textured, and nuanced movement qualities.

At the event, students and alumni may also choose to audition to be a part of the YYDC dance work that will be performed at the CommUnity Dance Concert on December 5-7 at Fuller Arts Center. Rehearsals for the dance concert will take place October 24-26. Reach out to Sarah Zehnder, director of Dance, for more information.

Nat Wilson

Nat Wilson (they/he) is a Brooklyn-based freelance dancer, choreographer, and teacher. Their main work is with YYDC, performing with the company in New York and internationally, and assisting Yue Yin in staging repertory and creating new work. They are in the first generation of certified FOCO TECHNIQUE™ instructors, and have already led FOCO TECHNIQUE™ workshops in Peru, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago in addition to ongoing classes in New York.

Photo of Gracce Whitworth teaching a dance class

Grace Whitworth

Grace Whitworth (she/her) attended Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pa., and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Ballet and Jazz studies. After graduating, she moved to Chicago and danced on scholarship at Lou Conte Dance Studio. Whitworth moved to New York City in 2011 and began dancing for YYDC. She is the rehearsal director and restager for the company as well as a certified FOCO instructor. She has toured works by Yue Yin to China, Germany, Italy, Serbia, and Brazil.