Tag: workshops

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News / Announcements

Upcoming Workshops, Classes & Events — Fall 2025 and Beyond

There is so much to look forward to in the Dark Room Ballet community in the coming months.

Dark Room Ballet with Krishna Washburn will be hosting several amazing blind and visually impaired teaching artists who are highly experienced and deeply passionate about sharing their artistic knowledge — to be a disabled artist today is to be someone living in truth.

These upcoming workshops are open to all adult students, regardless of experience.

So far, the following virtual workshops are scheduled – all via Zoom (listings are in Eastern Time).

More information will follow!

If you are interested in attending any or all of these workshops, please email info@darkroomballet.com to begin the registration process.

Improvisation Intensive Workshop Series with Shannon Brooks

Four Saturdays in October:

  • Thursday, October 9, 2025 from 6 PM to 8 PM
  • Saturday, October 11, 2025 from 4 PM to 6 PM
  • Thursday, October 16, 2025 from 6 PM to 8 PM
  • Saturday, October 18, 2025 from 4 PM to 6 PM

Musicality Concepts in Ballet — A Pro-Level Intensive Workshop Series with Hannah Werbel:

  • Wednesday, October 22, 2025 from 8 to 10 pm ET: Staccato vs. Legato 
  • Saturday, October 25, 2025 from 6 to 8 pm ET: Accent In vs. Accent Out
  • Wednesday, October 29, 2025 from 8 to 10 pm ET: Using the Floor to Absorb vs. Generate Energy
  • Saturday, November 1, 2025 from 6 to 8 pm ET: Proprioception vs. Interoception, Dancing from the Inside Out

Sensory Beyond Sight, a Choreographic Workshop Series with Davian “DJ” Robinson

Four Saturdays in November:

This four workshop series discusses finding inspiration, creating physical records of choreography and choreographic staging as a memory and communication device, and is rooted in body and breath awareness.

  • Saturday, November 8, 2025 from 4 PM to 5:30 PM
  • Saturday, November 15, 2025 from 4 PM to 5:30 PM
  • Saturday, November 22, 2025 from 4 PM to 5:30 PM
  • Saturday, November 29, 2025 from 4 PM to 5:30 PM

Developing Your Voice Intensive with Alex Bulmer:

In December, this special two-day series explores the physicality and anatomy of the voice and language, with a focus on the vocal skills of audio describers on Wednesday, and expanding on those skills for self-describing dancers on Thursday.

  • For Describers of Dance: Wednesday, December 3, 2025 from 4 PM to 6 PM
  • For Self-Describing Dancers: Thursday, December 4, 2025 from 4 PM to 6 PM

Also in October:

On October 15th , the Telephone Film will screen across the country in celebration of White Cane Awareness Day.

After the screening, there will be a pre-recorded conversation with the filmmakers that will be streamed to all organizations involved in the celebration. Stay tuned for more info!

And returning in February 2026 for eight consecutive Saturdays from 4 PM to 6 PM:

Dark Room Ballet Introductory Ballet Class

This series prioritizes blind and low-vision adult students.

This repeating series of eight classes 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.

  • Saturday, February 21, 2026
  • Saturday, February 28, 2026
  • Saturday, March 7, 2026
  • Saturday, March 14, 2026
  • Saturday, March 21, 2026
  • Saturday, March 28, 2026
  • Saturday, April 4, 2026
  • Saturday, April 11, 2026

Link to learn more about Saturday Introductory Level Classes

Categories
News / Announcements

Audio Description for Dance Workshops – Spring 2025

image is described at the end of the post

This series of five online workshops covers a variety of topics related to audio description for dance, and are designed not only as professional development for audio describers, but also as essential education for blind and visually impaired audiences, choreographers, dancers, movement educators, and administrators for arts presenting organizations. 

All workshops take place online via Zoom.

To register for any or all workshops, please write to info@darkroomballet.com as soon as possible to complete the registration process.

Saturday, April 12, 2025:  
How to Hire and Collaborate with a Professional Audio Describer (NEW!)


This workshop is designed to help prepare choreographers and arts administrators to effectively collaborate with a professional audio describer, ideally to integrate the audio describer as a full member of the production team. Audio describers will learn about their rights as professionals, the role of blind audio description consultants will be discussed, and models will be shared demonstrating how true artistic excellence can be achieved when all parties involved in the audio description process understand their role and purpose. 

Saturday, April 19, 2025:
Body Language, Movement Shorthand, and Mime for Blind Audiences

Although there are common cultural assumptions about popular body language and movement shorthand, it’s important to remember that they are all learned and not universally known! We’re going to break down some body language assumptions, find ways to integrate effective audio description, and explore the wonderfully hilarious world of mime and exaggerated body language.

Saturday, April 26, 2025:
Experimentation in Vocal Tonality for Audio Description for Dance 

Most audio description used to support television and film is recorded with a neutral tone of voice. However, we here in the Dark Room propose that dance is a very different art form that deserves a different approach to audio description. Be ready to listen to some interesting examples of audio description, practice using the voice expressively, and pair sound and movement together in artistically effective ways.

Saturday, May 3, 2025:
Yeah, But Was It Good? Learning How to Listen to Audio Description for Dance Critically  

Audio description for dance performances is still very rare, but that doesn’t mean that blind and visually impaired audiences should be satisfied when the audio description on offer is of low quality. Students are going to get to listen to many, many examples of audio description for dance, and talk about what works and what doesn’t work, and what we might change in order to improve it.

Saturday, May 10, 2025:
How to Watch Dance 2: an Audio Description Workshop for Audio Describers and Blind Audiences 

The second of the Dark Room’s “watch party” workshops (How to Watch Dance 1 took place in November 2024), as a community, we will research an audio described dance performance video, set our expectations and make predictions, watch a full-length performance together, and then share our critique of the audio description and the performance. We had a blast back in November watching The View from Here by Zaccho Dance Theatre; come and hone your critical listening skills!

On a dark background sprinkled with small illustrated stars, people appear at the bottom with different body types, dressed in colorful casual clothing while they move and dance.

Contrasting white and cream-colored text above reads:

DARK ROOM BALLET WITH KRISHNA WASHBURN

Audio Description for Dance

A SERIES OF 5 VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS

SATURDAYS FROM APRIL 12 TO MAY 10, 2025

ON ZOOM FROM 4 PM TO 6 PM (EASTERN/NEW YORK TIME)

MORE INFO/REGISTER AT LINK

or visit DarkRoomBallet.com

Categories
News / Announcements

No Diagram Anatomy Returns – February 2025

image described in post

Announcing a new series of three no diagram anatomy workshops open to all (with priority given to blind and visually impaired students), no prior experience required.

All workshops take place online via Zoom.

To register for any or all workshops, please write to info@darkroomballet.com as soon as possible to complete the registration process.

Saturday, February 8: The Dorsal Complex (Back Class)

This workshop will break down all of the anatomical structures of the back, including bones, connective tissue, and muscles, and analyze the full biomechanics of the dorsal complex, including how they move the arms and torso. One of the largest, most complex, and least understood regions of the human body demystified!

Saturday, February 15: The Somatosensory System (The Sense of Touch)

This workshop explains how the human sense of touch works, from the stimulation of the sensory nerve all the way to understanding and interpretation by the brain. Understand how to categorize and analyze the different types of touch sensation and how the nervous system receives them, and even try out some tactile illusions!

Saturday, February 22: The Pelvic Floor (The One We’ve All Been Waiting For!)

This workshop has a full breakdown of the skeletal and muscular structures that contribute to the pelvic floor and also the organs associated with this region of the human body. The pelvic floor has become a popular marketing topic for many pseudoscientific grifters looking to take advantage of dancers particularly — knowledge is power, and knowing the truth about this area of the body can keep you, your health, and your money much safer!

On a light blue background with some white areas, a continuous line drawing shows a person standing with their hands together.

Black text reads:


DARK ROOM BALLET WITH KRISHNA WASHBURN


NO DIAGRAM ANATOMY

3 classes online via Zoom

No experience necessary

Info/register:

darkroomballet.com

or

LINK IN BIO

Saturday, February 8: The Dorsal Complex

Saturday, February 15: The Somatosensory System

Saturday, February 22: The Pelvic Floor

Categories
News / Announcements

Audio Description for Dance Returns – November 2024

Sponsored by Movement Research, all workshops take place online via Zoom, on Saturdays from 4 PM to 6 PM (Eastern/New York Time)

To register for any or all of these workshops, please write to info@darkroomballet.com as soon as possible to complete the registration process.

Saturday, November 16, 2024:
How to Watch Dance – an Audio Description Workshop for Audio Describers and Blind Audiences (New!)

This workshop guides the participants through the entire process of researching and preparing to watch a dance performance, using that research to watch an audio described dance performance in a critical way, and making a group assessment about 1) whether the expectations formed through our research about the performance itself were fulfilled, and 2) whether the audio description of the performance was effective, accurate, and served the purpose of the performance. 


Saturday, November 23, 2024:
Narrative Components in Audio Description for Dance

One of the greatest challenges for audio describers of dance is balancing movement description with essential narrative components. While some dance companies provide narrative information about dance in a synopsis before the performance, we here in the Dark Room argue that the synopsis is inadequate to help blind and visually impaired audiences truly immerse themselves in the art. Learn how to connect story and movement through examples and creation.

Saturday, November 30, 2024:
Script Preparation Strategies for Audio Description for Dance – Multiple Pathways!

Where do audio description scripts come from? It depends! This workshop will discuss multiple approaches to getting started on an audio description script, depending on multiple factors: access to artists involved with the project, prior knowledge, type of audience, style of performance, timeframes, and so on and so forth. This is a great introduction to script writing for audio description novices, and a great opportunity for audio description fans to express themselves.

Categories
News / Announcements

Teacher Training Begins Summer 2024!

Image described at the end of post

The Dark Room Presents: Teacher Training, Summer 2024 (Saturdays, July 6 through August 10)

This special all-virtual course for current and future movement educators continues our commitment to access, inclusion and disability justice for blind and visually impaired people. 

Should I Apply to Register for Dark Room Teacher Training?

Candidates for this course should:

  • Be current or prospective movement educators in any movement practice, including but not limited to dance technique, dance improvisation, yoga, pilates, strengthening and conditioning, somatic practices, and choreography. This course prioritizes disabled applicants, especially blind and visually impaired people.
  • Be able to commit to six weeks of intensive study from July 6 to August 10, including homework assignments.
  • Have a strong commitment to making their own classes accessible to blind and visually impaired people.
  • Applicants do not need prior experience teaching blind or visually impaired people and they do not need any specific educational or professional background.

What Topics are Covered in Dark Room Teacher Training?

  • Fundamentals of the traditional blind dance techniques, including back body posture and using the taped floor as a mirror replacement.
  • Extensive practice in creating movement definitions and descriptions that de-center sight.
  • Theories of movement curriculum development that support the educational needs of blind and visually impaired people.
  • Extensive practice in self-audio description (moving and speaking simultaneously).
  • Approaches to answering student questions, and developing a reflection-based teaching practice.
  • Breaking down stereotypes about blind and visually impaired students, and the associated stereotypes of best practice for teaching blind and visually impaired students.

Yes, I Want to Apply! What Do I Do?

Step One: Send an email to info@darkroomballet.com with the subject line Teacher Training 2024.

Step Two: You will receive a Teacher Training application from info@darkroomballet.com; complete the entire application and submit it to info@darkroomballet.com by Thursday, June 28, 2024. 

Step Three: Your application will include a choice of time slots for an interview conversation with Krishna; Krishna will notify you about your interview call, which can take place on the phone or over Zoom. The interview call will last about ten to fifteen minutes and will not only give Krishna a better idea of your work and interests, but also give you and opportunity to ask her questions about the course.

Step Four: Show up to the first class on Saturday, July 6, 2024!

Image description:

A promotional flyer shows a black and white image on the left side showing a dancer in white looking down while in motion, observed by a person standing behind.

On white and gray backgrounds, black text reads:

DARK ROOM BALLET WITH KRISHNA WASHBURN

The Dark Room Presents:

TEACHER TRAINING

SUMMER 2024

Saturdays, July 6

through August 10

This special all-virtual course for movement educators continues our commitment to access, inclusion and disability justice for blind and visually impaired people.

Candidates:

Current or prospective movement educators in any movement practice.

This course prioritizes disabled applicants, especially blind and visually impaired people.

Info & register at link

Categories
News / Announcements

No Diagram Anatomy Returns for Spring 2024!

image is described at the end of the post

Announcing a new series of three no-diagram anatomy workshops open to all (with priority given to blind and visually impaired students), no prior experience required.

Sponsored by Movement Research, all workshops take place online via Zoom.

To register for any or all workshops, please write to info@darkroomballet.com as soon as possible to complete the registration process.

Saturday, May 18, 2024:
The Maxillofacial Complex (Face and Jaw Class)

This highly detailed workshop is a complete analysis of the underlying structures, biomechanics, and muscular actions in the human face and jaw. In this workshop, we will use movement, touch, facial expressions, and conversations to not only cultivate scientific knowledge related to the maxillofacial complex, but also initiate a higher degree of body awareness and neurological learning pertaining to how and why our faces move the way that they do. Evolutionary history and the marvels of human variation will also be addressed in this workshop. No prior knowledge of human anatomy, dance, or self-audio description are required to participate, but all students will come away with deep anatomical knowledge, reduced movement anxiety, and tools to start learning how to talk about movement in a visceral way. Let’s get right down to the real nitty gritty!

Material covered in this workshop will include:
  • The underlying structures of the maxillofacial complex
  • The biomechanical processes of the face and jaw
  • The muscles associated with facial expressions
  • The muscles associated with mastication

All students will receive the complete script of the workshop two days beforehand, and the script can be reviewed either before or after the workshop.

This workshop is designed for the educational needs of blind and visually impaired people and does not use diagrams.

Saturday, May 25, 2024:
The Auditory System (How We Hear)

This highly detailed workshop is a complete analysis of the physical structures involved with hearing, as well as an overview of how the sensory neurons involved with hearing work and what sound actually is. In this workshop, we will use movement, touch, listening activities, and conversations to not only cultivate scientific knowledge related to the auditory system, but also initiate a higher degree of body awareness and neurological learning pertaining to how to listen in a truly active, informative way. Evolutionary history and the marvels of human variation will also be addressed in this workshop. No prior knowledge of human anatomy, dance, or self-audio description are required to participate, but all students will come away with deep anatomical knowledge, reduced movement anxiety, and tools to start learning how to talk about movement in a visceral way. Let’s get right down to the real nitty gritty!

Material covered in this workshop will include:
  • The physical structures of the auditory complex (bones, muscles, connective tissue)
  • How sensory neurons provide us information about sound
  • An understanding of what sound actually is
  • Strategies to develop metacognition around our listening skills

All students will receive the complete script of the workshop two days beforehand, and the script can be reviewed either before or after the workshop.

This workshop is designed for the educational needs of blind and visually impaired people and does not use diagrams.

Saturday, June 1, 2024:
The Genu-Femoral Complex (Knee and Thigh Class)

This highly detailed workshop is a complete analysis of the bones, muscles, connective tissues, biomechanics, and nerves of the knee and thigh. In this workshop, we will use movement, touch, and conversations to not only cultivate scientific knowledge related to the genu-femoral complex, but also initiate a higher degree of body awareness and neurological learning surrounding this extremely strong but extremely fragile region of the human body. This workshop will address injury prevention and injury recovery! Evolutionary history and the marvels of human variation will also be addressed in this workshop. No prior knowledge of human anatomy, dance, or self-audio description are required to participate, but all students will come away with deep anatomical knowledge, reduced movement anxiety, and tools to start learning how to talk about movement in a visceral way. Let’s get right down to the real nitty gritty!

Material covered in this workshop will include:
  • The bones of the genu-femoral complex
  • The muscles and biomechanical functions of the genu-femoral complex
  • The connective tissues of the genu-femoral complex
  • The nerve and nerve complexes of the genu-femoral complex
  • Ways of reducing injury risk and addressing injuries compassionately

All students will receive the complete script of the workshop two days beforehand, and the script can be reviewed either before or after the workshop.

This workshop is designed for the educational needs of blind and visually impaired people and does not use diagrams.

Image description:

A promotional graphic for the upcoming “No Diagram Anatomy” cycle is divided into six colorful sections, each featuring a simplified illustration of a part of the human skeletal system (not specific to the classes themselves):
In the top left yellow square is a green pelvis
In the top center blue square is a yellow skull

In the top right yellow skull, a pink ribcage
The bottom left blue square shows a red elbow joint
The bottom center red square shows part of a yellow vertebra
The bottom right green square shows part of a yellow femur bone

In front of the image, a white rectangle with black text reads:
No Diagram Anatomy
Dark Room Ballet with Krishna Washburn
Spring 2024

Categories
News / Announcements

Audio Description for Dance Workshops return in January & February 2024!

Image described at the end of the post

Are you an audio description for dance student who missed Krishna’s workshops in either 2022 or 2023?

Did you attend the workshops, but want to study again?

Krishna is presenting a limited series of five of her most foundational audio description for dance workshops in January and February 2024. (A sixth workshop will be by invitation only.)

Sponsored by Movement Research, all workshops take place online via Zoom, on Saturdays from 4 PM to 6 PM (Eastern/New York Time)

To register for any or all of these workshops, please write to info@darkroomballet.com as soon as possible to complete the registration process.

Saturday, January 20, 2024:
Four Strategies to De-Center Sight in Audio Description for Dance

When developing audio description for dance, even for blind artists, there is an expectation that the audio describer will “say what is seen.” What if this approach isn’t adequate to express the artistic ideas of the dance? What are strategies that audio describers and dancers can reach for instead? In this workshop, students will learn four strategies to help break them out of the “say what you see” box, and also learn about a popular strategy that might be better off left on the shelf.

Saturday, January 27, 2024:
The Layered Body: Self-Audio Description that De-Centers Sight

Audio description for dance has, for too long, stayed deliberately superficial and visual in its descriptions of movement performance. In this workshop, participants will cultivate the somatic skills and body awareness to describe how the body feels in movement, rather than how it looks, de-centering sight and rooting itself in visceral language.

Saturday, February 3, 2024:
How it Feels: Integrating Physical Sensation and Emotion in Self-Audio Description

Emotional content is often deliberately excluded from audio description for dance. In this workshop, participants will cultivate a self-audio description practice that can help fully integrate the description of physical movement and the accompanying emotional experience.

Saturday, February 10, 2024:
Experimentation in Vocal Tonality for Audio Description for Dance

Most audio description used to support television and film is recorded with a neutral tone of voice. However, we here in the Dark Room propose that dance is a very different art form that deserves a different approach to audio description. Be ready to listen to some interesting examples of audio description, practice using the voice expressively, and pair sound and movement together in artistically effective ways.

Saturday, February 17, 2024:
Yeah, But Was It Good? Learning How to Listen to Audio Description for Dance Critically

Audio description for dance performances is still very rare, but that doesn’t mean that blind and visually impaired audiences should be satisfied when the audio description on offer is of low quality. Students are going to get to listen to many, many examples of audio description for dance, and talk about what works and what doesn’t work, and what we might change in order to improve it.

Saturday, February 24, 2024:
Our Memories Are Real: The Disabled Dancer’s Body

This self-audio description workshop is designed for disabled artists interested in creating self-audio described movement art for one another. Many arts education programs and performing arts institutions have used dance as a tool to police, judge, objectify, and exclude human bodies. It is our belief in the Dark Room that dance at its highest form of artistry should only be used as a tool to express creativity, to explore the infinite physical sensations of movement, and to cultivate human empathy. In this workshop, disabled artists will be given frameworks to safely explore and memories of body policing, judgment, objectification, and exclusion, and will have opportunities to explore integrating storytelling, visceral sensation, and self-ownership through self-audio described dance.
* This workshop is by invitation only.

Image description:

On an orange and tan background, black text reads:

DARK ROOM BALLET WITH KRISHNA WASHBURN

Audio Description for Dance

A LIMITED SERIES OF VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS

SATURDAYS FROM JANUARY 20 TO FEBRUARY 24

ON ZOOM FROM 4 PM TO 6 PM (EASTERN/NEW YORK TIME

MORE INFO/REGISTER AT LINK

OR VISIT DarkRoomBallet.com

Outdoors at sunset, two barefoot dancers wearing flowing white dresses with dark trim and upswept hair stand at a distance while in similar motion, facing away from each other with heads turned to the side, one arm arched above their heads with a palm facing up  and the other bent towards their sides with a palm out.

Categories
News / Announcements

No Diagram Anatomy returns for November & December 2023!

Image description at the end of post

Announcing a new series of three no-diagram anatomy workshops open to all (with priority given to blind and visually impaired students), no prior experience required.

Sponsored by Movement Research, all workshops take place online via Zoom.

To register for any or all workshops, please write to info@darkroomballet.com as soon as possible to complete the registration process.

Saturday, November 18, 2023:
The Dark Room Presents No Diagram Anatomy – The Respiratory System

This highly detailed workshop is a complete analysis of the organs, muscles, nerves, and connective tissues associated with the human respiratory system. In this workshop, we will use movement, touch, breathing, and conversations to not only cultivate scientific knowledge related to the respiratory system, but also initiate a higher degree of body awareness and neurological learning pertaining to how we breathe. Evolutionary history and the marvels of human variation will also be addressed in this workshop. No prior knowledge of human anatomy, dance, or self-audio description are required to participate, but all students will come away with deep anatomical knowledge, reduced movement anxiety, and tools to start learning how to talk about movement in a visceral way. Let’s get right down to the real nitty gritty!

Material covered in this workshop will include:
  • The organs and organ components of respiration
  • The muscles and nerves tasked with facilitating respiration
  • The biochemical processes of respiration and how they affect the body
  • The connective tissues that support the respiratory system

All students will receive the complete script of the workshop two days beforehand, and the script can be reviewed either before or after the workshop.

This workshop is designed for the educational needs of blind and visually impaired people and does not use diagrams.

Saturday, December 9, 2023:
The Dark Room Presents No Diagram Anatomy – The Spinal Complex

This highly detailed workshop is a complete analysis of the spinal complex, which includes the skeletal spinal column, the spinal cord and related nerve plexuses, and the layers of musculature that enable spinal movement. In this workshop, we will use movement, touch, and conversations to not only cultivate scientific knowledge related to the spinal complex, but also initiate a higher degree of body awareness and neurological learning pertaining to our spines. Evolutionary history and the marvels of human variation will also be addressed in this workshop. No prior knowledge of human anatomy, dance, or self-audio description are required to participate, but all students will come away with deep anatomical knowledge, reduced movement anxiety, and tools to start learning how to talk about movement in a visceral way. Let’s get right down to the real nitty gritty!

Material covered in this workshop will include:
  • The bones of the spinal column
  • The connective tissues of the spinal complex
  • The spinal cord itself and its emergent nerve plexuses
  • The layers of torso muscle that act on the spine and create movement

All students will receive the complete script of the workshop two days beforehand, and the script can be reviewed either before or after the workshop.

This workshop is designed for the educational needs of blind and visually impaired people and does not use diagrams.

Saturday, December 16, 2023: The Dark Room Presents No Diagram Anatomy – The Iliopsoas Complex

This highly detailed workshop is a complete analysis of the iliopsoas complex and surrounding pelvic tissues, including the components of the pelvic floor. In this workshop, we will use movement, touch, and conversations to not only cultivate scientific knowledge related to the spinal complex, but also initiate a higher degree of body awareness and neurological learning pertaining to our spines. Evolutionary history and the marvels of human variation will also be addressed in this workshop. No prior knowledge of human anatomy, dance, or self-audio description are required to participate, but all students will come away with deep anatomical knowledge, reduced movement anxiety, and tools to start learning how to talk about movement in a visceral way. Let’s get right down to the real nitty gritty!

Material covered in this workshop will include:
  • The skeletal framework of the iliopsoas complex and pelvic floor
  • The muscular components of the iliopsoas complex
  • The connective tissues of iliopsoas complex and pelvic floor
  • The nerves and nerve plexuses of the iliopsoas complex and pelvic floor
  • Overview of the organs associated with the pelvic floor

All students will receive the complete script of the workshop two days beforehand, and the script can be reviewed either before or after the workshop.

This workshop is designed for the educational needs of blind and visually impaired people and does not use diagrams

*All of these No Diagram Anatomy topics were requested by current Dark Room students! If you are a current or prospective Dark Room student who wants a nitty-gritty anatomy workshop on a specific part of the human body, Krishna will honor your requests for her next semester of courses!

Image description:
A workshop informational poster, anchored at the left with an an abstract image of two dancers with blurred features, wearing flowing, sleeveless, rainbow-colored dresses. A third dancer is just out of frame, and additional arms are visible, along with slender legs and pointed toes.

On black and white backgrounds, contrasting text reads:


DARK ROOM BALLET WITH KRISHNA WASHBURN Announcing a new series of 3 no-diagram anatomy workshops open to all (with priority given to blind and visually impaired students), no prior experience required.

November 18th
The Respiratory System

December 9th
The Spinal Complex

December 16th
The Iliopsoas Complex

3 SATURDAYS 4 PM to 6 PM via ZOOM

CLASS & REGISTRATION INFO AT LINK IN BIO

Categories
Krishna's Thoughts News / Announcements

4 Audio Description for Dance Summer Workshops to go!

Image originally shared on Instagram: On a purple background, a white stylized continuous line drawing shows a dancer standing on one leg with the foot en pointe (on tiptoe) with the other leg bent at the knee, foot pointing back. The dancer's back is arched, head thrown back and arms spread out wide at the shoulders. On each side of the dancer white text reads: 70+ people have attended the Dark Room Audio Description for Dance Summer Workshops ... so far! Join us at LINK IN BIO or DARKROOMBALLET.COM

70+ people have attended the Dark Room Audio Description for Dance Summer Workshops so far!

There are 4 workshops to go — join us again or for the first time. Students at all levels of vision, dance and audio description experience are welcome!

🎙️ Saturday, July 29: Narrative Components in Audio Description for Dance

✍🏼 Saturday, August 5: Script Preparation Strategies for Audio Description for Dance: Multiple Pathways!

🤔 Saturday, August 12: Yeah, But Was It Good? Learning How to Listen to Audio Description for Dance Critically

🩰 Saturday, August 19: Three Traditional Ballet Variations Explored Through Pedagogical and Theatrical Audio Description

For more info & to register:

Dark Room Presents: Audio Description for Dance Summer Workshops: Saturdays, from July 8 through August 19, 2023


Some of Krishna’s thoughts from recent workshops that social media doesn’t have:

Describing from physical sensation: Whether you start from the inside, or need to start from the mirror with the goal of finding what’s inside, remember that being able to identify and describe physical sensation is a learned skill that comes with practice, just like dancing, just like describing. Personally, I think that spending time thinking about how movements feel in our bodies has intrinsic value, a way of learning about ourselves and learning to trust our bodies and our perceptions. Even if you’re an audio describer exclusively, having understanding, knowledge, and empathy for physical sensations in your own body will only help you in cultivating your skills of describing other people’s movements.

Describing who is dancing: All dances are different and all dancers are different! Always know the names and pronouns of the dancers in the performance you are describing, and it is a common thing in dance performance for performers to portray characters whose names and pronouns are not their own! When a performer is in character, use the character’s name and pronouns, but if someone is dancing as themself, using the dancer’s real name and pronouns is a simple and incredibly helpful addition for your audience. And for dancers: when you are performing, think about your role in the performance, what you contribute to the piece as a whole, and think about how to explain it in words.

Describing emotion: Remember that emotion is why dance exists! Emotion is the birthplace of dance, and everyone deserves to share in that experience. Conversations between audio describers and dancers, choreographers, and the entire creative team can be incredibly fruitful when it comes to emotional communication. Emotional expression is a wonderful and fascinating thing, because all humans experience it, but each one of us expresses it outwardly in our own, unique, authentic way; dance combined with strong audio description can be an incredibly powerful tool for empathy.

Describing within a structure: I know that it is common for audio describers to have very limited access to dance rehearsals, maybe just dress rehearsal at best, but just because it’s common, that doesn’t mean that it’s good. If you are an audio describer who can ask for more time and more access, please do it! You deserve it and your audience deserves it. If you create dance performances, start thinking about audio description at the start of your rehearsal process, not the end! Some of the most wonderful art created for blind audiences today had an audio describer in the rehearsal studio on day one (shout out to Kayla Hamilton!). Having an audio describer as a part of the creative team is something I advocate for.

Categories
News / Announcements

Dark Room Presents: Audio Description for Dance Summer Workshops: Saturdays, from July 8 through August 19, 2023

image described in caption
A blue toned flyer with white text that shows some of the information on this page, superimposed over a faint image of Krishna dancing with legs planted and arms extended in her home studio.
  • Saturday, July 8: Four Strategies to De-Center Sight in Audio Description for Dance (past session)
  • Saturday, July 15: Experimentation in Vocal Tonality for Audio Description for Dance (past session)
  • Saturday, July 22: Body Language, Movement Shorthand, and Mime for Blind Audiences (past session)
  • Saturday, July 29: Narrative Components in Audio Description for Dance (past session)
  • Saturday, August 5: Script Preparation Strategies for Audio Description for Dance: Multiple Pathways! (past session)
  • Saturday, August 12: Yeah, But Was It Good? Learning How to Listen to Audio Description for Dance Critically (past session)
  • Saturday, August 19: Three Traditional Ballet Variations Explored Through Pedagogical and Theatrical Audio Description (past session)


 

These seven tuition-free workshops are designed to address many different topics pertaining to audio description for dance from many different approaches.

Like all Dark Room curriculum, all of these workshops are designed for the educational needs of blind and visually impaired learners, and these workshops are meant to serve specifically: blind and visually impaired dancers, blind and visually impaired audio description consultants and editors, audio describers of all vision levels, access professionals working for arts organizations and educational institutions, choreographers, dramaturges, and performing arts educators.

Registration is now open! To register for any of these tuition-free workshops, please send an email to info@darkroomballet.com

New students who have never studied in the Dark Room before will need to fill out an intake form. Most audio description courses are very expensive, and almost none of them focus exclusively on dance in their subject matter, so please register at your earliest convenience!

About the instructor:

Krishna Washburn is the Artistic Director and sole teacher for all Dark Room courses. She teaches traditional blind dance technique at the introductory, open, and professional levels, dancer’s anatomy for blind and visually impaired learners (No Diagram Anatomy), and audio description for dance. She holds a M.Ed. from Hunter College and multiple certifications through the American College of Sports Medicine with special focus in biomechanics. She is the Co-Director, along with choreographer Heather Shaw, of Telephone, an educational documentary film that explores artistic philosophy pertaining to audio description and documenting the multiple artistic forms of audio description for dance. Krishna is one of very few blind educators working in the field of dance and audio description, but hopes that will change very soon.

WORKSHOP DETAILS:

NOTE: All workshops take place via Zoom beginning at 4 PM (Eastern/New York Time) and run approximately 2 hours; some may run longer depending on participation.

Saturday, July 8: Four Strategies to De-Center Sight in Audio Description for Dance



When developing audio description for dance, even for blind artists, there is an expectation that the audio describer will “say what is seen.” What if this approach isn’t adequate to express the artistic ideas of the dance? What are strategies that audio describers and dancers can reach for instead? In this workshop, students will learn four strategies to help break them out of the “say what you see” box, and also learn about a popular strategy that might be better off left on the shelf.

 

Saturday, July 15: Experimentation in Vocal Tonality for Audio Description for Dance


Most audio description used to support television and film is recorded with a neutral tone of voice. However, we here in the Dark Room propose that dance is a very different art form that deserves a different approach to audio description. Be ready to listen to some interesting examples of audio description, practice using the voice expressively, and pair sound and movement together in artistically effective ways.

 

Saturday, July 22: Body Language, Movement Shorthand, and Mime for Blind Audiences


Although there are common cultural assumptions about popular body language and movement shorthand, it’s important to remember that they are all learned and not universally known! We’re going to break down some body language assumptions, find ways to integrate effective audio description, and explore the wonderfully hilarious world of mime and exaggerated body language.

 

Saturday, July 29: Narrative Components in Audio Description for Dance


One of the greatest challenges for audio describers of dance is balancing movement description with essential narrative components. While some dance companies provide narrative information about dance in a synopsis before the performance, we here in the Dark Room argue that the synopsis is inadequate to help blind and visually impaired audiences truly immerse themselves in the art. Learn how to connect story and movement through examples and creation.

Saturday, August 5: Script Preparation Strategies for Audio Description for Dance: Multiple Pathways!


Where do audio description scripts come from? It depends! This workshop will discuss multiple approaches to getting started on an audio description script, depending on multiple factors: access to artists involved with the project, prior knowledge, type of audience, style of performance, timeframes, and so on and so forth. This is a great introduction to script writing for audio description novices, and a great opportunity for audio description fans to express themselves.

Saturday, August 12: Yeah, But Was It Good? Learning How to Listen to Audio Description for Dance Critically


Audio description for dance performances is still very rare, but that doesn’t mean that blind and visually impaired audiences should be satisfied when the audio description on offer is of low quality. Students are going to get to listen to many, many examples of audio description for dance, and talk about what works and what doesn’t work, and what we might change in order to improve it.

 

Saturday, August 19: Three Traditional Ballet Variations Explored Through Pedagogical and Theatrical Audio Description


Are you a blind or visually impaired dancer who needs an audition solo? Are you a blind or visually impaired ballet lover who would love a deep-dive into some traditional ballet dances? Are you an audio describer of traditional ballet performance who wants to learn multiple approaches to capturing the magic of ballet in language? If so, this workshop is for you! Learn solos from traditional ballet repertoire: La Fille Mal Gardee, The Nutcracker, and Giselle.