Tag: 2026

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Rotating Faculty 2026: Developing Your Voice Intensive with Alex Bulmer

image is described in caption
A white woman in her fifties with short light brown hair stands against a wall. She has black headphones on her head and wears a brown leather jacket with zippers at the wrist. Bright eyed she looks at the camera with her hands raised to the headphones.

Presented as part of our 2026 rotating faculty series:

Developing Your Voice — A Vocal Training Intensive Workshop Series with Alex Bulmer

About Alex Bulmer:

Alex Bulmer is an award winning Blind playwright, voice teacher, actor and performance maker with thirty five professional years working across Canada and the UK.

She finds joy and potency through mutual  growth and original expression, is dedicated to inter-dependent practice, and guided by an invitation to follow the grain of her own wood.

Alex is co-creator of multiple Blind-led productions including May I Take Your Arm, Perceptual Archaeology, Gesture and Maddy and The Invisible Band of Groovers.

She is artistic director of Toronto-based Fire and Rescue Arts, which de-centres visuality from imagination to creation.

In 1990, Alex graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Voice Studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Since then, she has been supporting Blind and Sighted performers to experience vocal freedom – the deep connection between breath and voice, the energy of resonance and vibration and the dynamic physicality of speech.

About This Intensive Workshop Series:

Developing Your Voice is a special intensive workshop series that addresses the specific vocal skills needed by both audio describers of dance and self-describing dancers.

In Alex’s words: The human voice, your voice, is your primary instrument as a describer. When describing Dance, your voice is called upon to be more flexible and expressive. So let’s learn to play your vocal instrument well!

In these workshops, you will learn how to prepare your voice for description, and gain skills to enable you to express language in the most effective way.

The workshops will cover a brief overview of how the voice works, discuss how you can keep your voice healthy, and offer exercises to nourish and develop your vocality, and better engage with the physicality of language.

You will learn a warm up routine that you can practice to develop and support you to vocally best connect Blind audiences with the art of Dance, whether as an audio describer or dance or a self-describing dancer.

Workshop Dates and Details:

These 16 intensive workshops are designed for the learning needs of different professional groups, but can be approached in a cumulative way.

They will be offered virtually on Zoom.

All workshops start at 4 PM (Eastern Time), and include 60 minutes of vocal technique followed by 30 minutes of open question and answer time.

  • Wednesday April 1, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday April 15, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday May 6, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday May 20, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday June 3, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday June 17, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday July 1, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday July 15, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday August 5, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday August 19, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday September 2, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday September 16, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday October 7, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday October 21, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday November 4, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Wednesday November 18, 2026: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)

You can register for any of the dates in this workshop series via Zoom at the following link:

Zoom Registration Link for Developing Your Voice — A Vocal Training Intensive Workshop Series with Alex Bulmer

You can also send an email to info@darkroomballet.com with the subject line Developing Your Voice

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Rotating Faculty 2026: Intro to Simonson Jazz Dance with Valentina Bertani

image described in caption
Valentina is pictured in a series of 6 images arranged like a contact sheet. She has curly hair that is light near the ends and darker towards the roots. She has a slight smile and wears a top that is dark blue-green with with tan and reddish orange stripes around the collar.

Presented as part of our 2026 rotating faculty series:

Intro to Simonson Jazz Dance with Valentina Bertani

About Valentina Bertani:

Valentina was born in 1977: she is a curly-haired child, full of verve, nice, resourceful and curious, a little explorer. Her journey into dance began at the age of two and a half and, over time, her great curiosity led her to experiment with different techniques and styles: from ballet, to hip hop, to belly dancing, up to modern and jazz dance.

Valentina studies hard and works in the meantime: she grows up dancing and, the more she grows, the stronger her bond with dance becomes. She became a teacher and began to share what she had learned and her enthusiasm for this art with young and old, without ever stopping. Valentina was born with an eye disease that, over the years, would lead her to gradually lose her sight. And it is precisely after the most beautiful moment of her life, the birth of her son Matteo, that she feels the need to hang up her dancing shoes.

Due to the worsening of her condition, she gave up dancing for 15 years, a period of great hardship during which she learned to come to terms with her new life. Her tireless tenacity and her innate curiosity never left her, even when she had to deal with a different life, which forced her to move in the world in a whole new way. Her bond with dance is so indissoluble that the flame of passion reignites…

In 2021 Valentina started the “Svista Dance” project which involves visually impaired and blind children and girls in the study of dance. This path is a stimulus for her to deepen her new relationship with dance and with her own body. Shortly thereafter, she meets Tereza Perez Ceccon, an American teacher, and begins studying the “Simonson” method with her, thanks to which she discovers a whole new way of dancing. The Simonson technique was created by the North American Lynn Simonson and suggests an organic approach to movement by promoting a more “intelligent”, conscious and respectful use of the body. What others call a limit, for her becomes an opportunity. Valentina graduated in this technique, still little known in Italy, but which offers invaluable tools to increase body awareness and self-confidence. Valentina is now the first blind teacher certified in the Simonson method.

MOVING IN THE DARK

Moving in the dark is a real exploration of oneself: a deep and adventurous journey into one’s self, a way to take care of oneself. But how can you explore yourself and move in space without the help of sight? It is done by breaking down the barriers of prejudice and the rigidity of conventions, moving without looking but only listening to one’s body. Who is this experience for? To all those who want to get in touch with their most profound, most intimate part, in a natural and harmonious way through a series of organic movements that allow you to release all those tensions that often make us lose sight of our needs and priorities. Not only that: this type of path can also be very useful for all those professionals who use the body as a tool of expression: singers, dancers, musicians, actors who want to improve their performance. Moving in the dark means walking more harmoniously and serenely in the world and experiencing it without the prejudices and pressures to which we are constantly exposed in everyday life.

TRAVELING WITH VALE

I would like to accompany you on a tour “in the dark” because I think it is the best way to understand yourself in relation to the outside world. The awareness of one’s volumes in space is very useful to be able to move with greater harmony and flexibility in everyday life. Movement is, after all, the primordial approach to existence and understanding, from within ourselves, how to eliminate the knots that limit us and the tensions that cage us is very effective in order to live more serene and relaxed. Very often our experience, which is also the beauty of us, leaves vivid and perceptible signs in our mind and consequently on our body: exploring ourselves by traveling through the body gives us the opportunity to increase energy, vitality and well-being! Entering within oneself, abandoning oneself to the wonder of darkness, with the help of the other senses, amplifies the benefits of movements exponentially!

The Darkness may initially seem impetuous to face, especially if tensions and stress are very important, but you are not alone: I will accompany you in your explorations, in your travels, to reassure you until you can be at ease and fully enjoy the work we are doing. Once you have tasted the freedom from the chains that kept you tied to the light, you will be much more free and aware… It may seem surreal, but no one better than me can make you understand how wonderful it is not to see what is around you, but rather to feel it and perceive it in a real and conscious way! Becoming blind was the best way for me to feel free! When I rediscovered movement in the dark, it seemed to me as if I had never moved properly in my life, even though I had been studying dance since I was 3 years old! The work you do is not important, your performance will improve more and more! If you trust me and want to devote some time to your well-being and to improving your skills, I am ready to accompany you! If you are an artist and want to improve your characteristics and skills, you can find safe help in the dark!

About This Workshop Series:

Intro to Simonson Jazz Dance is a ten class course that teaches the movement principles and exercises of Simonson method in an additive way, with each class gradually building to the complete, full-body class format.

This class is designed for blind and visually impaired adults with no prior experience with Simonson Jazz Dance, and is open to learners who have never studied dance before. This class is not recorded for copyright reasons, so attendance at all ten sessions is strongly encouraged.

Workshop Dates and Details:

These workshops are set up to build on one another and attendance at all 10 sessions is strongly encouraged.

The workshops will be offered virtually on Zoom.

Each workshop is 90 minutes long:

  • Session #1: Friday, April 3, 2026 from 2 PM to 3:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Session #2: Friday, April 10, 2026 2 PM to 3:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Session #3: Friday, April 17, 2026 2 PM to 3:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Session #4: Friday, April 24, 2026 2 PM to 3:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Session #5: Friday, May 1, 2026 2 PM to 3:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Session #6: Friday, May 8, 2026 2 PM to 3:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Session #7: Friday, May 15, 2026 2 PM to 3:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Session #8: Friday, May 22, 2026 2 PM to 3:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Session #9: Friday, May 29, 2026 2 PM to 3:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Session #10: Friday, June 5, 2026 2 PM to 3:30 PM (Eastern/New York Time)

To register:

This course requires completion of a student intake form and a registration conversation with Valentina, the instructor of the course.

To start your registration process, please send an email to info@darkroomballet.com to info@darkroomballet.com with the subject line Intro to Simonson Jazz Dance

Registration for Intro to Simonson Jazz Dance closes on March 30, 2026, so please do not wait to begin your registration process — Valentina is so excited to teach you!

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Rotating Faculty 2026: Improvising with our Ecosystems with Shannon Brooks

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Shannon crouches on the floor holding a microphone with neon yellow/green tulle draped across their body and smushing their face. They speak/sing into the microphone with their eyes closed. Photo credit: And Keller

Presented as part of our 2026 rotating faculty series:

Improvising with our Ecosystems: a Laboratory and Introduction to Improvising with Movement, Sound, and Self-Audio Description with Shannon Brooks

About Shannon Brooks:


Shannon Brooks is a multisensory, multimedia artist grounded in iterative, time-based experimentation. Their practice engages with the full range of our senses and draws on ritual, material, and performance, to construct strange worlds between the physical and the ephemeral. Their practice researches the interconnected systems between ecology, decay, the body, disability, power, ghosts, geologic time, movement, textile, and memory.

Their practice decentralizes sight as the ultimate means of validating experience, creating cacophonies of textures and sounds to explore the dimensions of our senses. As a low-vision person, Shannon understands accessibility as an imperfect creative force that transforms time, space, and power structures.

About This Workshop Series:

A monthly ritual to connect with, stretch into and experiment with the glory of our senses.

We ground into our practice with guided imaginative eco-embodiments and learning different approaches to improvising with movement and sound. Then we will play with, touch, taste, listen, and smell materials found in our own everyday life to celebrate and map out the landscapes of our sensorial experiences. Our time will conclude by folding our somatic exploration into our improvisations, and developing imperfect audio descriptions reflecting on our practice together.

After each practice, participants will receive an overview of the improvisation techniques we explored, music selections, and an ever-evolving dictionary of terms specific to Shannon’s class series.

Workshop Dates and Details:

These workshops are set up to build on one another but can be taken separately. 

They will be offered virtually on Zoom.

Each workshop is two hours long:

  • Sunday, February 1, 2026 – Improvising with Our Ecosystems with Shannon Brooks, 2 PM to 4 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Sunday, March 1, 2026 – Improvising with Our Ecosystems with Shannon Brooks, 2 PM to 4 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Sunday, April 12, 2026 – Improvising with Our Ecosystems with Shannon Brooks, 2 PM to 4 PM (Eastern/New York Time)

To register for this workshop series, it is highly recommended that you fill out the Google Form linked here: 

Registration for Dark Room Ballet Rotating Faculty 2026 — Improvising with our Ecosystems: facilitated by Shannon Brooks

You can also send an email to info@darkroomballet.com with the subject line Improvising with our Ecosystems

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Rotating Faculty 2026: Cultivating a Studio Art Practice with Bill Porter

image described in caption
Bill Porter is seated on a couch on the left side of the frame, wearing a blue Henley and jeans, and has a neatly trimmed brown beard, facing the camera with a thoughtful, engaged expression. He is surrounded by his studio space, including woodworking tools, paint, and other materials.

Presented as part of our 2026 rotating faculty series:

Cultivating a Studio Art Practice with Bill Porter

About Bill Porter:

Bill Porter is a multidisciplinary artist and educator whose research-based studio practice examines how personal histories, cultural narratives, and visual systems shape perception and reinforce social inequalities, drawing on his lived experience with an inherited retinal disorder and the broader realities of blind and low vision communities to critically examine systemic ableism. Bill teaches studio art at the College of Art and Design at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, and develops accessible studio courses for artists with disabilities through museums and nonprofit organizations, including the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Access Studio program. An active disability advocate, he founded the Lesley University Disability Advocacy and Education Group and organizes exhibitions and public programs that amplify the perspectives and lived experiences of people with disabilities. His teaching and scholarship focus on cultural narratives of blindness, inclusive studio instruction, and peer-based learning. Bill has collaborated with an interdisciplinary faculty team researching student-led peer critique, contributing to the development of a widely presented three-step feedback protocol and the co-authored publication Student-Led Peer Review: A Practical Guide to Implementation Across Disciplines and Modalities (Routledge, 2022).

About This Workshop Series:

This studio art course focuses on building a sustainable studio art practice within a supportive learning environment. Students will develop a single art project over the course of the program, working through research, making, feedback, and revision. The course also introduces art history and contemporary art through the perspectives of blind and low vision artists and scholars, grounding studio work in critical and creative contexts.

This seven-week course meets weekly for two-hour online sessions that include lectures, group discussions, and critiques. Creative individuals of all levels of art training and experience are welcome. Students are encouraged to work with the materials, modalities, and methods that best support their projects, including non-visual media. Attendance and active participation are expected, including engagement in class critiques and the shared process of giving and receiving feedback.

Workshop Dates and Details:

These workshops will be offered virtually on Zoom.

Each workshop is two hours long:

  • Thursday May 7, 2026 — 7 to 9 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Thursday May 14, 2026 — 7 to 9 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Thursday May 21, 2026 — 7 to 9 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Thursday May 28, 2026 — 7 to 9 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Thursday June 4, 2026 — 7 to 9 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Thursday June 11, 2026 — 7 to 9 PM (Eastern/New York Time)
  • Thursday June 18, 2026 — 7 to 9 PM (Eastern/New York Time)

To register for this workshop series, send an email to info@darkroomballet.com with the subject line Cultivating a Studio Art Practice with Bill Porter

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Introductory Ballet for Blind and Visually Impaired Adults – New Cycle Begins February 21, 2026

On a white background, faint orange abstract shapes appear alongside ribbons, and small orange outlines of ballet dancers, all behind large orange text in the center that reads: Dark Room Ballet,Intro Class returns February 2026

Beginning Saturday, February 21st
From 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (New York Time)

About Saturday Introductory Level Class:

This is a FREE class!

This class is suitable for people with no prior knowledge of ballet.

This 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 take place each Saturday online via the Zoom platform; there is also the option to call in via phone.

Dark Room Ballet classes and workshops are taught by Krishna Washburn, a blind dancer and dance teacher, and they prioritize the needs of blind and visually impaired students.

Note:

This is the ONLY time this Introductory Ballet class will be offered again for the foreseeable future — if you or a another blind or low-vision individual ( adult 18+) or organization you know of might be interested in participating, they MUST reach out to us as soon as possible!

Register:

The next Intro Level cycle begins on Saturday February 21, 2026

If you are a blind or visually impaired individual interested in learning ballet remotely, you MUST contact us by no later than February 18, 2026, 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

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


  • 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

We look forward to hearing from you soon!