Jack Waldas

… is the natural expression of ourselves. When we feel „moved“, that something in us wants to move too. Allowing that movement to come forth is the art of dance – everything else is technique, a learned skill.

My ballet classes are grounded in working knowledge of bio-mechanics, biotensegrity, yoga, Spiral Dynamics and common sense. The organic nature and function of our bodies create the form and movement of dance, not the other way around.

Modern Dance gives us the freedom to find our own natural expression. The set classical form gives way to the flow of movement encouraging each of us to express our unique qualities. Here technique and dance vocabulary are merely the means with which we develop a personal language

Organic Ballet

Organic Ballet is an approach to practicing classical dance. It unifies this highly developed dance technique with human movement nature. As a concept it:

➤ Recognises a harmony between the physiology of the dancer and the dance itself

➤ Appreciates organic movement patterns – round, wavy, spiralling, and expansive – as innate to ballet

➤ Focuses on creating movement out of deep inner action, and not only from external shape

➤ Supports the individuality of each dancer by emphasising the personal optimum

➤ Values ballet technique as a tool of the dancer – and not the dancer as a tool for technique

➤ Incorporates sensory awareness exercises to enliven the dancer’s whole-body coordination

➤ Remains open to new discoveries, such as exploring the growing knowledge about the fascial system and its role in human movement.

More than a nice stretch:

Yoga offers everyone the opportunity to become more conscious of being human, of that which connects us all. It is a practice that leads us to living our true nature, to being ourselves. All the physical poses, stretches and acrobatic moves are a game, encouraging us to find the play of life.

In my classes I combine the flow of vinyasa with sensible, organic alignment, allowing our bodies and selves to find their most healthy and happy way of being. Letting the breath guide our way, this „pranification“ leads us to a playful yogic practice, developing a natural union of breath, movement, and awareness. In this way yoga, dance and bodywork become more and more a unified practice.

Anandansa® is a teaching method that unites physical expression and spiritual consciousness, dance and yoga. In yoga we are moving energy within our bodies to awaken an extraordinary awareness. In dance (as a performing art) we are projecting our energetic self outwards to give others an extraordinary experience. Anandansa is a teaching method that playfully combines these internal and external orientations to enrich the students experience of his art-from and of his life.

 

 

Jack Waldas

Following his dance education at Ballet School New York, Jack danced with New York Theater Ballet. In 1993 he moved to Europe, where he danced as a Soloist with Nationaltheater Mannheim, Stadttheater Augsburg and Landestheater Innsbruck and Linz.

During his long dance career he tested the effects of yoga on his own body and emotional self. Yoga served him as a warm-up and tool of focus for the daily training and rehearsals, it helped his muscles recover from the strenuous schedule and it supported him in injury prevention.

At the end of his active dance career Jack devoted himself to furthering his knowledge of dance, yoga, body work and health-oriented movement. He completed educations in Prana Flow® yoga, Anusara®  yoga, Spiral Dynamik® body mechanics, as well as studying dance medicine, yoga therapy, thai massage and Tai Chi. He also holds a MA in dance pedagogy from the Bruckner University of Linz. The combination of these experiences led him to develop his own teaching methods of Organic Ballet and Anandansa® – Yoga Dance..

As a teacher he focuses on inspiring young people to find their own expression in dance – a healthy, high performance and unique way to move. He is a ballet teacher at Iwanson International School of Contemporary Dance, works with the Bayerisches Staatsballett Ballett Extra, and gives dance workshops internationally. He has taught at the Folkwang University of the Arts, the Ballett Akademie der Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, the Brückner University in Linz, Akademie für Zeitgenössisches Ballett Linz, Tanzmedizin Deutschland Congress, Tanzbüro Basel, Bad Lemons Project Munich, Tanzquelle Munich, Yoga Dance Festival Stockholm and Spiraldynamik Akademie Zürich. Jack lives in Munich with his two daughters.