In this 6th episode of the 2nd season we have talked with Joy Alpuerto Ritter. Former performer and associate choreographer with Akram Khan (UK) and many others (see below for full biog)
From 19' 20" onwards you can hear in detail what her class look like, but before that do not miss the other themes we talked about mainly the very insightful conversation about:
What is the difference between a dancer and a good performer
How spiritual practices can help to train performance presence
How Joy describes those rare moments on stage.
A few quotes from our conversation:
“[When I perform] it is almost like an outer force that is leading me, but I am also open to it”
“When I dance, when i move, I like to connect to nature. To element of fire, water, wind, animals… Animals, their intuition is so pure… I use that quality in my body”
“We all crave for those moments… after time, when you look back it is a strong memory, and it feels very extreme. Your body is so exhausted and tired that your mind just accepts what is happening to you… so you kind of transcend”
“You get into a state of TRUTH. You cannot pretend… you are just there. Even though it is really tough and you think, I am going to faint on stage, and your life has been poured time… those are the moments you think: this is quite a spiritual moment”
Join her classes the w/c 15th of February 2021 as part of the TWV Academy
https://twvonline.academy/
Joy Alpuerto Ritter was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. In her youth she was trained at the balletschool Armin Krain and learned Philippine Folk Dance in the cultural dance group led by her mother. In 2004 Joy graduated at the Palucca School in Dresden, Germany with a dance diploma. She started working as a freelance dancer with choreographers like Christoph Winkler, Heike Hennig, Wangramirez and Yui Kawaguchi. After expanding her repertory in urban dance styles, she became part of the Hip Hop and Voguing Ballroom culture scene in Berlin. In 2011 she joined Cirque du Soleil as a dancer and aerial artist for the Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour. Since 2013 she has been a dancer and rehearsal director of the Akram Khan Company where she continues her touring life all around the world. In 2016 she has been nominated as "outstanding female dancer" (modern) in the Performance "Until the Lions" by the UK National Dance Awards.With her own solo work „Babae“, she has found international response as a Choreographer and is one of the Aerowaves artists 2020. Since then Joy has been creating her own work and has been collaborating as a (an associate) choreographer with Akram Khan (UK), Ballett Black (UK), Chen Shi-Zheng (New York), Riz Ahmed (UK), Viviana Durante (UK), Yang Liping (China), Florence and the machine (UK).As a teacher Joy has been sharing her knowledge and created works at SEAD - Salzburg Experimental Dance Academy, DAF- Dance Arts Faculty in Rome, Motions Berlin, Marameo Berlin and Beijing Dance Academy in China.
