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Raphaëlle Kessedjian
Graham Technique
Biography:
Raphaëlle Kessedjian is a native from France and received her dance training at the Centre choregraphique Veronique Thery, The Rick Odums Institute in France and at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance on a full scholarship in New York. Raphaëlle has been a member of Graham II, Nu Dance Theater, Caliince Dance, and was a guest artist with the Martha Graham Dance Company for their Italian Production “Cercando Picasso”. She has performed work from Robert Battle, Pearl Lang, Stuart Hodes, Peggy Lyman and Virginie Mécene. She joined Adele Myers and Dancers in 2012 and the Caterina Rago Dance Company in 2015 and is currently touring and teaching with both companies. Raphaëlle teaches at the Martha Graham School for their Intensive Program, Young Artist Program, their Profesional Training Program and the school and Graham II auditions. She is the Graham teacher at Peridance Center for the Certificate Program, the Semester Intensive program and the Teens Summer Intensive.
Photo credit: Saan Saelee.
Class Description:
The class taught by Raphaelle Kessedjian will be
drawn
from the syllabus of the Martha Graham Technique.
The class will begin with the floorwork, moving on
to the
standing exercises, building into moving across the
floor
and a combination.
The principals of the Graham technique will be
explored
such as the contraction, spirals, leg extensions,
off
balances exercises, shifts of weight, jumps, and
challenging combinations incorporating all the
basics
elements.
The use of the back will be emphasized as the
various
floor exercises are evolved and the basics are
mastered.
The standing work will focus on sustaining balance
while
strengthening the use of the torso, the extremities,
and
challenging weight changes that define the Graham
vocabulary.
As the class builds up the transitions, dynamics,
and
phrasing will be the major focus with the overall
goal of
finding how to create a dancing experience in the
process
of learning to speak the language.