Teaching

TEACHING MOVEMENT

 

Lisa Townsend is a movement educator based in the SF Bay Area. She received her early training on scholarship at the New York School of Ballet and later earned her MFA in Performance & Choreography from Cal Arts. Her deep exploration of movement invention and contemporary dance techniques has cultivated a keen understanding of how the human body can move with ease, efficiency, balance, strength, specificity, and flow. 

 

Lisa is also a certified Pilates and Gyrotonic™ instructor, and integrates this training with her understanding of anatomy, kinesiology, yoga, Laban/Bartenieff, and contemporary techniques to create her classes. Her practice fosters a collective awareness of breath, physical alignment and mindful movement, while honoring each student’s individual goals.

 

Lisa has taught for many schools including: ODC School, ROCO, Dance, Dance New Amsterdam/NYC, Hunter College (CUNY), California State Summer School for the Arts, Pasadena Dance Theater, University of the Pacific, Columbia College, Cal Arts, CDEA, Shawl-Anderson, ACDF, California College of Arts & Crafts, and A.C.T. MFA Conservatory.. 

 

Lisa manages her studio CoreContact in Bolinas California, offering weekly classes including: Contemporary Dance, Pilates Mat, Gyrotonic™, and ElderBody movement exploration.  Current Schedule (link) 

 

TEACHING THEATER

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In 2011 Lisa created a local youth theater program in West Marin for 7-17 year olds (B-CAST) and over the next 12 years taught acting, script writing, improvisation, voice and movement, and directed numerous theatrical productions.  Currently, she is an instructor for the youth training and performing company, Shakespearience!  

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Musicals/plays include: The Way Down (an Orpheus & Eyrudice tale), Singin’ in the Rain, HOOWIINKED!, West Side Story, Bugsy Malone, Mathida, The Play That Goes Wrong, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream

 

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TEACHING CONSENT FORWARD WORKSHOPS

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Lisa offers customized Consent Forward Practices Theater Workshops for youth, undergraduate/graduate programs and theater professionals, to help create consent-forward spaces in academia and beyond.