Month: December 2022

Categories
News / Announcements

Dark Room Ballet Introductory Classes for Blind and Visually Impaired Adults — New Cycle Begins Saturday, January 21st

Image as shared and described on social media: A flyer with text that is superimposed around an edited photo of Krishna, who appears in black and white in side profile as if she is standing on the water of a calm lake, with bare trees and a bright winter sun in the background. She wears a black leotard, tights, ballet shoes and dark glasses, front leg bent with the other leg extended straight behind her. One arm extends back and holds up her straight cane behind her, the other arm extends to the front and her hand seems to be swallowed into the clouds. There seems to be a small clock in the sky behind her. Text in white on a black background reads: Dark Room Ballet with Krishna Washburn, and text in black on white at different spots across the sky and lake: INTRODUCTORY BALLET FOR BLIND / VI ADULTS (no prior knowledge required) Starting Jan 21st 8 SATURDAYS 4 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern / New York Time) All Dark Room Ballet classes and workshops take place online via Zoom - visit darkroomballet.com or LINK IN BIO for more info!
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Beginning Saturday, January 21st from 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM (Eastern / New York Time)

NOTE: Sponsored by Movement Research, this class is designed specifically for the educational needs of blind and visually impaired adults.

About Saturday Introductory Level Class:

This is a FREE class!

This class is suitable for people with no prior knowledge of ballet. This repeating series of eight classes introduces students to the most common ballet vocabulary that they would need to know in order to participate in Open Level Dark Room Ballet Class. The class introduces students to necessary anatomical concepts like turnout, torso stability, foot sensitivity and mobility, sightless balancing, and the use of a taped floor for orientation.

Classes are taught by Krishna Washburn, a blind ballet dancer and dance teacher, and take place on 8 Saturdays online via the Zoom platform; there is also the option to call in via phone.



Register:

Please note that Dark Room Ballet Introductory Level Classes now operate as a scholarship program for new blind and low-vision students.

Learn more about the Dark Room Ballet Intro Level Scholarship Program.

The next Intro Level cycle begins on Saturday, January 21, 2023.

If you are a blind or visually impaired individual interested in learning ballet remotely, you MUST contact us by no later than January 14th, so you can complete the intake process to register for this class.



To register, email info@darkroomballet.com to begin the intake process

You can also reach Dark Room Ballet by phone at (929) 367-0025


If you have some ballet experience, you may also qualify to join the ongoing Dark Room Ballet: Open Level Class on Monday nights; please contact us if you are interested.

Returning students are welcome to re-join intro level classes, as well as encouraged to join Dark Room Ballet: Open Level Class. Please let us know if you would like to re-join intro class as a returning student.

If you work with an organization that serves blind or visually impaired people, please share this information with people who may be interested in registering for this class.

If you are NOT a blind or visually impaired student, you may qualify to join the ongoing Dark Room Ballet: Open Level Class on Monday nights on a select basis; please get in touch with us to explain your interest.

Other Classes in the Dark Room

In addition to online Introductory and Open Level ballet classes for blind and visually impaired adults, Krishna often teaches workshops on related topics open to everyone, including anatomy, improvisation and audio description.


Learn more about past and upcoming online workshops: Dark Room Ballet Workshops

Categories
News / Announcements

WORKSHOP: Audio Description for Traditional Ballet Performances (Saturday, December 17th)

Background image is a lithograph by an unknown artist of ballerina Carlotta Grisi performing in the title role of Adam's Giselle, Paris, 1841. Over this image, black and white text on tan and grey backgrounds reads: DARK ROOM BALLET WITH KRISHNA WASHBURN AUDIO DESCRIPTION FOR TRADITIONAL BALLET PERFORMANCES SATURDAY DEC. 17 4 PM TO 6 PM (Eastern Time) Using the framing device of Act 1, Scene 1 from Giselle, participants will develop a different set of expectations for audio described traditional ballet performances, and will co-create a manifesto for ballet audio description for wide-spread dissemination among traditional arts presenters. All Dark Room Ballet classes and workshops take place online via Zoom - visit darkroomballet.com or LINK IN BIO for more info
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Hosted by Movement Research, Dark Room Ballet is designed specifically for the educational needs of blind and visually impaired adults.

NOTE: This is a FREE class, but donations are welcomed.

Dark Room Ballet Presents:
Audio Description as an Art Form

Audio Description for Traditional Ballet Performances


Saturday, December 17th , 2022
4 PM to 6 PM (Eastern / New York Time)

NOTE: This is a 2 hour class

This workshop is offered online via Zoom


To register, please email: 
info@darkroomballet.com

Workshop Description

Using the framing device of Act 1, Scene 1 from Giselle, participants will develop a different set of expectations for audio described traditional ballet performances, and will co-create a manifesto for ballet audio description for wide-spread dissemination among traditional arts presenters.

Note: this is the last workshop in the Audio Description as an Art Form series, sponsored by Movement Research.

More audio description workshops are planned for 2023!

Categories
News / Announcements

WORKSHOP: Forming Effective Audio Description Partnerships Between Dancers and Describers (Saturday, December 10th)

On a sparkly gold background, a quirky edited photo of Krishna and Alejandra smiling widely side by side (from the last time they were able to do that together in January 2020), but appearing to be in black and white. On gray, gold and yellow backgrounds, text reads: Dark Room Ballet with Krishna Washburn FORMING EFFECTIVE AUDIO DESCRIPTION PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN DANCERS AND DESCRIBERS SATURDAY DEC. 10 4 PM TO 6 PM (Eastern Time) A speech bubble makes it look like Krishna is saying: Audio describers can create their best art when they can form real partnerships with dancers that have self-audio description skills. Whether you are a dancer who wants to hone your self-audio description skills or an audio describer who wants to learn the questions to ask when developing descriptions (and what to do with the answers), this crucial teamwork will be cultivated here. A speech bubble makes it look like Alejandra is saying: THIS IS A 2 HOUR CLASS! At the bottom, smaller text reads: All Dark Room Ballet classes and workshops take place online via Zoom - visit darkroomballet.com or LINK IN BIO for more info
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Hosted by Movement Research, Dark Room Ballet is designed specifically for the educational needs of blind and visually impaired adults.

NOTE: This is a FREE class, but donations are welcomed.

Dark Room Ballet Presents:
Audio Description as an Art Form

Forming Effective Audio Description Partnerships Between Dancers and Describers


Saturday, December 10th , 2022
4 PM to 6 PM (Eastern / New York Time)

NOTE: This is a 2 hour class

This workshop is offered online via Zoom


To register, please email: 
info@darkroomballet.com

Workshop Description

Audio describers can create their best art when they can form real partnerships with dancers that have self-audio description skills. Whether you are a dancer who wants to hone your self-audio description skills or an audio describer who wants to learn the questions to ask when developing descriptions (and what to do with the answers), this crucial teamwork will be cultivated here.

Note: this is the second to last workshop in the Audio Description as an Art Form series, sponsored by Movement Research