Susan Green’s dance classes are designed to develop mobility, freedom of movement and fluidity for dance technique and improvisation/composition. The Mitzvah Technique’s total body approach to postural alignment supports flow of motion, spiralling and refinement of movement qualities for the fine tuning of creative and performance expression during classes, rehearsals and performances.
Nehemia’s Mitzvah Technique, a dynamic and gentle discipline, uniquely taps into our innate ability to spring upward to reinforce our body’s balance with gravity. An upward rippling wave like flowing motion is triggered that extends from the base of the feet, through the top of the neck (occipital joint) to the skull. This complete follow through of total body motion spawns spirals, flow of motion, postural alignment improvements and a deeper breathing. It is a subtle yet powerful motion that can also be used as a movement motif.
The Mitzvah Technique and Dance Technique Class
The Mitzvah Technique is taught through a selection of chair, stool, barre, floor, wall and postural alignment exercises. These exercises are applied to dance studio practice to realign the skeletal framework and rebalance the musculature to physically undo tension buildups and stimulate a deeper breathing. Postural alignment and movement patterns are reeducated for more effective dance technique practice. Tools are given to help heal dance injuries and prevent future problems. The Mitzvah Technique’s practical applications are utilized before, during and after dance classes, rehearsals and performances. They can be used on their own or directly applied to existing dance exercises. Dancers are able to rehearse longer and take more classes with less tension, fatigue and strain and more expressive movement.
The Mitzvah Technique Dance Improvisation/Composition Class
A selection of Mitzvah Technique exercises are taught through solo, partner and group work. The students explore the Mitzvah Technique’s Mitzvah Mechanism as a stimulus for improvisation and composition. These exercises explore activating the Mitzvah Mechanism at various spatial levels to mobilize their spines through the rippling and spiralling motion. This flow of motion also helps to work through creative blocks to stimulate creativity. The students explore this new found freedom of movement, expanded range of movement quality and self expression through dance improvisation and composition. Dancers find gently powerful connections using the forces of gravity and momentum.
“I utilize the Mitzvah (Mechanism) Technique during choreography, performance, classes and teaching. It has helped my posture and greatly improved my dance technique and movement quality. I use it before dance activities, to increase range of motion and warm up, during, to maintain freedom and quality of movement and after dance activities, to undo tension build up and prevent problems. I use the Mitzvah Mechanism as a choreographic stimulus to develop movement themes.” – Susan Green
Susan Green has a B.Sc. in Honours Dance through the Department of Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. She studied and workshopped Lulu Sweigard’s Ideokinesis and Carol Bogg’s Effort/Shape. She danced professionally as a modern dancer and continues to perform, choreograph and teach. Susan was Certified as a Teacher of the Mitzvah Technique by the founder/developer M.Cohen-Nehemia in 1990.
Susan Green Co-supervised with Dr Vicky Galea, a 4th year independent study course. “The power of movement to heal. Explorations of dance and the Mitzvah Technique.” 2017 and 2018 McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
Dance Conferences
Healthy Dance Canada Conference 2022: Participation, Performance, Personal Wellness
The Mitzvah Technique: Chair and Floor Exercise Introduction Movement Workshop
International Association of Dance Medicine & Science – IADMS Conference in Montreal, Quebec, October 2019. Susan gave 2 presentations The first one was a poster presentation: “Integrating the Mitzvah Technique into dance technique class to help reduce fatigue and dance injuries”
Key points: Our body’s innate, upward rippling wave-like motion lengthens the spine, expands the upper chest, widens the upper back and frees the neck and head. The shoulders are given the support to drop down and mobilize freeing arm, shoulder, upper body, neck and head movements.
Susan presented during a round table discussion, the “Mitzvah Technique and Dance”at the Dance, Science and Somatics Educator’s Conference 2018 at the University of Buffalo
Susan Green teaches the Mitzvah Technique through the Hart House Fitness Centre, at the University of Toronto.
For more information: please see http://susangreendance.com
