Maura Garcia

Dancer/choreographer Maura Garcia collaborates within communities to create stories of identity and place. She is fascinated by stories that have been hidden and the unexpected connections that arise when they are rediscovered. Originally from North Carolina, Maura is an Indigenous woman (non-enrolled Cherokee/ Mattamuskeet) who brings her own mixed-blood southern story to all of her work. She collaborates to create multi-media, interactive shows and engage via arts projects and experiential workshops involving everyone in the creative process. Maura uses her art to form connections, to uplift Indigenous cultural values and to explore the rhythms of the natural world.

Maura Garcia works to inspire and empower people through dance via:

• Contemporary Indigenous Dance – celebrating southeastern Indigenous culture via multi-media solo performances and place-specific group dances incorporating local performers. Current Touring Work:
  • Aniwisgo’i
  • They Are Still Talking
  • Center Place
  • EveryBODY’s Dance
• Community Arts Projects – long-term collaborative projects exploring hidden stories through dance and other art forms
• Workshops – teaching ways to respond to experiences via movement; choreography masterclasses and residencies
• Wellness – movement-based support groups and empowerment programs for survivors of domestic violence and sexual trauma

*ALL PROGRAMS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH OR SPANISH

Press Kit: http://www.mauragarciadance.com/p/blog-page.html?m=1

• 1 NIGHT: FULL PERFORMANCE
  • Full Evening of Work SOLO = $2500
  • Full Evening of Work DUO = $4000
  • Full Evening of Work TRIO = $5500
• 1 NIGHT: SHARED PROGRAM PERFORMANCE
  • Shared Program option SOLO (30 minutes) = $1850
  • Shared Program option DUO (35 ‐40 minutes) = $3375
• 1 WEEK: 2-3 PERFORMANCES + 3 OUTREACH ACTIVITIES
  • 2 to 3 Shows (Full Evening of Work SOLO)  + 3 Outreach Activities = $5000
• 1 WEEK: 2‐3 PERFORMANCES + 4 OUTREACH ACTIVITIES
  • 2 to 3 Shows  (Full Evening of Work DUO)  + 4 Outreach Activities = $6700
  • 2 to 3 Shows  (Full Evening of Work TRIO)  + 4 Outreach Activities = $8500
• SITE‐ SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE(S):
  • Same Day Preparation & Performance option = $2500
  • 2 Day Preparation, 3rd Day Performance option =  $3500

Community/Educational Activity:

• Lecture Demos/Masterclasses/Workshops = $500 per each
• Non‐performance culminating residencies = $2500 per week
• Longer‐ term projects/residencies = $5000 per month, $30, 000 per year

Choreography Workshops:
Participants are guided through a challenging and innovative dance class complete with warm-up, conditioning and a chance to learn original Maura Garcia Dance choreography. One workshop generally runs for 1.5 or 2 hours.

Dance-Story Workshops:
These workshops allow people to move, learn and have fun while exploring the oral tradition through dance. Students interpret stories through self-created choreography and group dance collaborations. Classes run from 45 minutes – 2 hours.

Movement Response Master Classes:
Experiential, movement-based classes that teach participants techniques for using movement to respond to…whatever. Whether it be a story, a math lesson, a personal experience, a painting or a tree, movement response classes explore how events and objects can be interpreted, understood and explored via dance. Participants leave with deeper appreciation of whichever subject is being explored. Movement Response workshops can be modified to suit people with all types of physical abilities from those in wheel chairs, to passersby in street clothes to professional dancers in a studio. Movement Response classes are offered as one-time sessions or 1-2 week residencies with the variety and depth of tools explored increasing with the length.

Showtime Workshops:
Choreography + Costumes + Performance = a show. That’s exactly what participants do in these workshops. Students learn how to create something for presentation from beginning to start using concepts from the Movement Response workshops and found-object art-making techniques. Showtime Workshops can be done over the course of a 2 hour master class and/or as a multi-session residency.

“Sources of Movement” Lecture Demonstrations:
This lecture introduces audiences to behind the scenes processes used to create choreography and convert everyday events into movements. In addition to outlining choreography-generating techniques and providing examples of how they can be used, Maura demonstrates the techniques via audience participation activities. She also discusses the stories behind her own choreography. Demonstrations typically run 45 minutes – 1.5 hours

Maura Garcia Dance designs and facilitates engaging workshops that activate the mind & body, while still fitting neatly within curriculum standards. All workshops are designed to engage the key skills of connecting, creating, speaking and listening. The following are offered as classes for students or as arts integration professional development workshops for educators:

ALL PROGRAMS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH OR SPANISH

Cycling Seasons (grades preK – 3):
A fun exploration of the cyclical patterns of the seasons through dance. Students learn about the concepts of repetitive systems through guided group motion and explore seasonal differences via self-created choreography.

Algebraic Rhythms (grades 6-12):
An experiential class that explores algebraic concepts through movement. With a focus on common algebraic formulas, students are able to develop a deeper understanding of processes in a low-pressure, fun environment.

The Mechanics of Flight (grades 3 – 5):
A journey through the basics of what makes things fly and what keeps them grounded. Lift,Weight, Thrust and Drag are all explored through group choreography and interpretive movement.

Dancing Their Stories (all ages):
An experiential, movement-based class using movement to respond to historical texts or stories. Chronological order, characters and actions are all recreated through dance. Minds and bodies are activated same time, allowing students to develop a new relationship with the narrative.