Where: Greenwich Dance Academy
When: 17th – 21st October 2011
The teacher: Davide Di Pretoro was born in 1983 in Colleferro (Rome), Italy. He started to dance in 1996 in a small dance school in his home town and in 1999 he went to the National Academy of Rome where he trained in Classical Ballet and Cunningham Technique. Davide completed his studies in Balletto di Roma and AID (Associazione Italiana Danzatori) also in Rome. In 2002 he won a scholarship to go to New York to study in Merce Cunningham Dance School and in the same year he worked with Compagnia Danza Prospettiva in Rome under the direction of Vittorio Biagi. Then, in 2003, Davide moved to France working as freelance with Compagnie Yvann Alexandre and Compagnie Georges Momboye. In 2005-2006 he worked with Compagnie Thor of Thierry Smits in Bruxelles. The season after Davide joined Ballet Preljocaj where he stayied until 2009 performing Angelin Preljocaj’s works. In 2009-2010 he moved to The Netherlands to join Dans Groep Amsterdam under the direction of Itzik Galili and Kriszina De Chatel. Davide joined Wayne McGregor | Random Dance in 2010.
The class: This class, taught by Davide Di Pretoro, explores the diversity of dynamics through the technicity of movements. It brings the focus to awareness of our bodies, the specificity of each part and the use of the center as a very important tool in moving in the space. Shifting the weight, falling, catching, expanding or reducing our extremities on different levels, testing and challenging the physical ability, freeing the body through strength and control.
My verdict: It just so happens, after speaking about Merce Cunningham, one of the base technique influences for Di Pretoro is Cunningham technique. Moving through a series of curves, and a warm up akin to ballet, the class works every part of the body, enveloping space with movement.
I thoroughly enjoyed this class. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed adagio focused exercises, or allegro. Systematically developing the class similarly to ballet, no muscles felt neglected and I could feel my focus, proprioception and sense of space expanding over the 90 minutes. Another perk to exercise based classes is the feeling accomplishment through repetition of exercises. However much I love moving through a free-form warm up, with my attention focused primarily outside myself, I don’t get the same sense of inner satisfaction.
The end phrase learned was taken from the style of the company Di Pretoro is currently working with: Wayne McGregor | Random Dance. I loved this style. Being physically reactive, playing with contrast, working through the articulations of the spine, moving in and out of the floor, there was a sense of continuity and flow with the movement. I’d be keen for more of this!