UVA Department of Drama's Dance Program Presents Artist Talk & Demonstration with Riley Watts & Michelle Mola
& Workshops!
Artist Talk & Demonstration
Friday, March 25 | 7:30pm | Ruth Caplin Theatre | Free & Open to the Public
Michelle Mola first worked with Riley Watts when they were students at The Juilliard School of Dance. She received a fellowship from the Annenberg Arts Foundation upon graduating. Touring and performing, she has worked closely with New York-based writer, choreographer, and director Jack Ferver. As a movement coach, Michelle worked with the cast and 3D effects artists of The Amazing Spider-man 2. In 2020, Michelle founded Peaks Body, a movement and fitness studio based on Peaks Island, Maine. Find her at www.peaksbody.com.
Riley Watts is a dance artist based in Portland, Maine. He studied at the Thomas School of Dance in Bangor, Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Boston, and The Juilliard School in NYC, where graduated in 2007 with a Princess Grace Award. Since 2010 He has worked closely with choreographer William Forsythe, and has danced professionally with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Bern Ballet, Netherlands Dance Theater 2, Adam Linder, and The Forsythe Company. Riley’s work centers around the dancing mindset and observing states of attention through the motion. His art practice spans various media and modes of making, including choreography, improvisation, video art, sculpture, music, and live installations.
Workshops
Monday, March 21 @ 6-7:30pm & Saturday, March 26 @ 10am-12pm | Ruth Caplin Theatre | Open to UVA Students
In this workshop, we will take elements of physical coordination from Forsythe improvisation modalities combined with aspects of contemplative movement practice. The shape of each session is iterative while keeping in mind the big picture of developing a dancing mindset through physical practice. Workshops typically include meditation, dance improvisation, rigorous somatic attention, and the active reconsidering of our body's built-in patterning
Supported by the University of Virginia Arts Council.
