Dance Master Class of the Week

When Santa Barbara artists Misa and Stephen Kelly launched the SB-ADaPT Festival in 2011, they had no idea how it would grow. Short for “A Dance and Physical Theater Festival,” ADaPT brought together artists from around the world for a week of master classes, workshops, and performances. In the intervening year, the connections and collaborations that began then have continued to unfold. Inspired by the experience of hosting the festival, the Kellys have created ArtBark, an arts project through which they intend to take on a range of creative projects both here at home and abroad. Just last month, they held the second annual ADaPT Fest in Vienna, followed by a performance-artist exchange in Paris, and plans are in the works for another ADaPT Fest in Istanbul in the summer of 2013, followed by Santa Barbara in 2014.

In the meantime, Stephen and Misa are taking on a range of smaller projects that further their aim of fostering cross-cultural artistic collaborations. Next week, they’ll bring Israeli dance artist Nadar Rosano to Santa Barbara to teach a community master class.

Rosano is an award-winning dancer, choreographer, and physical-theater artist who teaches contemporary and release-technique master classes in Israel, Spain, Lithuania, Portugal, Germany, and Poland. In his hometown of Jerusalem, he directs Machol Shalem, an annual international dance festival.

Rosano’s teaching focuses on developing spatial awareness and flow, with an emphasis on points of initiation. His class will begin with floor work informed by yoga before moving into a series of standing exercises and finally to a combination. “He really tries to engage the dancers’ soulfulness and spirituality, as well,” Kelly explained. “He’s interested in liberating dancers by helping them move through negative impressions they have of themselves so they can be more connected to their physicality.”

Rosano’s master class will take place on Wednesday, July 25, at 10 a.m. at the Montecito School of Ballet (529 E. Gutierrez St.) and is open to the public. The cost is $13, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. To learn more or reserve a spot, call 569-0389 or visit artbark.org/educational-outreach.