Thierry Guiderdoni program2024-01-18T17:32:49+00:00

Forsythe’s improvisation technique

Forsythe’s improvisation technique is broken down into what he calls “modalities,” which are about 30 movement concepts, such as shearing, collapsing, folding, and matching. Once you improvise ways of moving your body in the different modalities, they become “reminder tools,” giving you a whole new set of ideas to use to trigger movement variation or invention.

Though born out of the ballet vocabulary, Forsythe’s technique is not just for dancers and choreographers; it can be of value to any creative artist. It opens up avenues that allow you to expand your ideas of what you thought your body could do . It’s about rediscovery and rethinking your previous education/knowledge and taking it down a different path.

with Thierry Guiderdoni

Thierry Guiderdoni was born in Nice, France. He undertook his dance education at the Academie de Danse Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo under the direction of Marika Besobrasova. In 1982 he was awarded the Professional Prize at the Prix de Lausanne; he joined The Stuttgart Ballet the same year. From 1991 to 2004 he was a member of Frankfurt Ballet. In 2005 he was appointed Ballet Master and Artistic Assistant to William Forsythe, and also his Agenda Manager at The Forsythe Company. Thierry Guiderdoni is currently freelance stager and rehearsal director for The Forsythe Productions.