2024 The Second Hong Kong International Inclusive Dance Festival (Dance for Health)- Workshop (Classes in-person & online)社區文化發展中心

1. Dancing with Joy Together
Teaching artist : Tamara McLorg
Language : English
FREE admission

Participants had a chance to to experience a process of their own creativity directed by Tamara and to discover this special field of dance who will share her broad experience during the practical part as well as within the theoretical one. Let us make the invisible people visible, celebrating the diversity with a strong voice of hope.

2. Body Rhapsody - A Rhythmic dance workshop
Teaching artist : Eve Leung
Language : Cantonese
Workshop fee : $250

The instructor will blend the rhythmic elements of tap dance with dance, guiding the participants to utilize stamping, clapping, and props to create various rhythmic sounds, coordinating them with body movements to create a dance full of rhythm.
Through listening, observation, and imitation, the process will stimulate and strengthen multiple sensory abilities. This will help uncover the participants' potential in dance, music, and coordination, while also encouraging personal expression and creativity.

3. OnthewayDance Workshop - Inte ( resting )
Teaching artist : Wayson Poon
Languague : Cantonese
Workshop fee : $250

The workshop is based on the recent movement research of Hong Kong contemporary dance artist Wayson Poon's ""OnthewayDance"", with ""breath"" as the core, focusing on the circulation of ""Qi"" (energy). It explores the mind-body connection and embarks on a two-hour movement journey. The workshop will start with awareness exercises of different rhythms, including somatics, qigong, and 5 Rhythms, gradually enhancing the sensitivity to ""Qi"". In a state of emptiness and reset, the body is imagined as a channel, a conduit that embodies individual characteristics and authenticity. Through the exploration of self-image, with a non-judgmental attitude, it opens up insights into movement in the body. In this workshop, the focus will be on gently connecting the upper, middle, and lower energy centres, adjusting the body's energy state, and allowing the body and mind to regain comfort and ease.

Target people: 16 years old or above, welcome no experience or dance/body performance-related experience.

4. Harnessing Creativity
Teaching artist：Michelle Ryan, Restless Dance Theatre
Language : English
Workshop fee : $250

This online workshop will introduce participants to creative methodologies that underpin Restless Dance Theatre and provide insights into how the Company dancers collaboratively devise work in a creative environment. 
Participants will be exposed to activities which aim to develop creative self-expression, build confidence, stimulate imagination, improve body awareness, all in a safe and supportive environment. This workshop is an inclusive learning experience that will encourage movement and choreography and enable participants with and without disability to be powerfully expressive through movement.

5. Contakids
Teaching artist : MiMi Lo
Language : Cantonese
Workshop fee : $250

"What is ContaKids?
Tactility is a fundamental sensory experience of our environment. As children, we first make sense of the world physically. As we grow into adulthood, we lose much of our dependence on touch to observe and learn, as our other senses—like vision and hearing—develop to become the dominant channels to our intellect and imagination.
Contakids is a methodology that pushes the idea of using physical contact to develop a deeper form of communication between parents and their children, that both will find enjoyable. By working with bodily movements, the child can enhance their motor skills and self-confidence, while the parents get to develop a bond of trust with their young.
It aims to foster confidence in our actions, by reinstating the physical abilities that we were born with. This energetic assuredness flows directly, in an unmediated form, to our little partners in dance. As we tend to lack it as adults, the hard work is ours to bear right now.

6. Elements Awakening
Teaching artist : Frankie Ho
Language : Cantonese
Workshop fee : $250

Participants will engage in a transformative dance journey guided by the inspiration of the Four Elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air). Guided by the instructor, they will gradually delve deeper, seeking the most authentic movement within themselves. Diving deep within their hearts, each movement will serve as a reflection of the profound emotions lying within. With this foundation of reconnecting movement and emotions, participants will explore how to precisely convey the unique power of each element through dance. By experiencing the trial of the elements, participants gain a deeper understanding of both their bodies and minds.

7. Voguing Dance workshop by KenKen
Teaching artist：KenKen Milan
Language：Cantonese
Workshop fee : $250

This course will take you to understand and experience the style of Voguing dance and the five basic elements of Voguing, namely Catwalk, Duckwalk, hand-performance, Floor performance, Dip, and then give you an in-depth understanding of the cultural threads, history, spirit about the development of Voguing and Ballroom.

KenKen Milan explored for this kind of dance for the first time when he was studying in Taiwan in 2014. He was immediately immersed in this culture, and then went to New York to pursue studies. Later, when he returned to Hong Kong, he realised that the vogue culture was not popular in Hong Kong, so he decided to start to teach vogue dance and promotes this art form and ballroom culture.

Vogue dance and even ballroom culture can be traced back to the 1970s. It was first seen in the Harlem dance halls of New York. It was started by African-American and Latino men. Its emergence was in the social environment of Manhattan at that time, and a group of banned men had no place to vent their inner depression. They dress in gorgeous costumes and put on rich makeup and step onto the stage with their heads held high. They danced gracefully and trying to unlease themselves through dance. the stories behind was longing to express and find their true self.


8. The Dance of joyful life
Teaching artist : Manoela Souza
Venue : Online
Language : English
Workshop fee : $250

This workshop will inspire you to feel and move your bodies through Narrative and Experimental Dance, with individual and collective improvisations, realizing how our muscles and joints can open spaces of joy to create a narrative dance of life, diversity and hope.

9. Inclusive Dance Workshop with Stopgap Dance Company
Teaching artist : Laura Jones & Cherie Brennan, Stopgap Dance Company
Venue : Online
Language : English
Workshop fee : $250

Join Stopgap Dance Company for a 2-hour practical online dance workshop. Drawing on their inclusive dance practice, developed through over 20 years of experience, the session will use Stopgap’s inclusive dance tools including Open Language, Movement Intention and Textured moves. Through their skills and exploration based approach, with time for creativity, each dancer is invited to tune in and connect to their body, and supported to make movement choices relevant to each individuals unique mind, body and movement preferences. 

10. Freak Out: A Waacking Exploration
Teaching artist : Lamelon
Language : Cantonese
Workshop fee : $250

The 2-3-hour Waacking dance workshop will provide a comprehensive learning experience, covering fundamental techniques, styling and musicality, choreographic elements, and opportunities for freestyle and battling. Participants left with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Waacking dance style.
- Introduction of Waacking dance style, history, key elements and characteristics
- Teaching basic Waacking poses and movements
- Demonstrating and teaching Waacking choreographic combinations
- Focusing on musicality, rhythmic phrasing, and characterization
- Facilitating a Waacking freestyle session
- Providing feedback and sharing thoughts and takeaways

11. Movement Training through Orientational Change
Teaching artist : Yoo Sun-Sik
Venue : Online
Language : Korean with English translation
Workshop fee : $250

This workshop focuses on body awareness and spatial orientation through expanding the range of movement by choosing the direction of joint usage and using the shifting of the centre of gravity. It aims to contribute to a safe environment for visually impaired individuals through a gradual approach of movement while non-disabled people can understand the real experience of the visually impairment.

12. Contact Improvisation for ALL as health
Teaching artist : Maru
Venue : L206, Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC), 30 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Language : Mandarin with Cantonese translation
Workshop fee : $250

Dancing Ability certified teacher Maru got inspiration from "The ways of maintaining health of Zhuangzi's Inner Chapter" and took everyone on a "very healthy" dance journey. Through the understanding of the article and the principle of following nature, students are led to use dance to recuperate their bodies.