This class will focus on basic movements in the modern dance vocabulary taught from the perspective of ease and efficiency. If you’ve never danced before and would like to try it out, this class is for you! If you already have experience but want to review and have some fun in a welcoming and inclusive space, this class is also for you!

We’ll start each class with introductions and simple walking patterns to get our heart rates up, then move into stretching and strengthening exercises on the floor. Standing exercises—including pliés, brushes, balancing on one foot, and body isolations—will lead into a slow movement sequence focusing on flow and balance. Next, we’ll move across the floor, learning a variety of turns, hops, leaps, jumps, and runs, putting them into short combinations. Finally, we’ll work on a short dance choreographed to an inspiring piece of music. Students will also have the opportunity to work creatively with a partner each week.

Wendy Oliver taught dance from 1985–2024 at Providence College and served as the Dance Company Director. Prior to that, she performed in Contactworks, a Minneapolis-based dance company specializing in contact improvisation and related choreography. She has an MFA in dance from Temple University and an EdD in dance education from Columbia University Teachers College.