Leslie Baker

LESLIE BAKER (MTL) — The Six Viewpoints

Nov. 11 to 15, 2019 – 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Mon.-Fri.)
$75 with the support of *Emploi-Québec (or $145, non-eligible rate)
$17 drop-ins Mon.-Tue. unless full (or $31, non-eligible rate)
Open to artists of all disciplines / Bilingual teacher
Capacity: 25 people, priority for full week attendance

This workshop will introduce participants to the Six Viewpoints improvisation technique, addressing essential performance concepts such as being present, active listening, spontaneity, and ensemble playing. The Six Viewpoints has become one of the leading performer training techniques in the United States. Growing out of the 1970’s postmodern dance world of New York City, Mary Overlie created the Six Viewpoints by separating live performance into six categories; Space, Shape, Time, Emotion, Movement, and Story (SSTEMS). Theatrical Director Anne Bogart subsequently developed this technique in the 1980’s. Both approaches allow a group of performers to create intuitively, developing performers mental flexibility, emotional articulation, and commitment to physical expression.

Open to dancers, actors, directors, designers, musicians, writers and choreographers, this physical workshop offers an introduction to a common language and practical methodologies for performer training, creative research, or staging a new work.

Performer, director, and teacher, Leslie Baker’s interest spans both theatrical and captured performance, performance installations and interventions. She employs gesture, sound, text, and images in a non-hierarchical approach, exploring various means of performance communication. Baker is an instructor in the Six Viewpoints, having studied with Mary Overlie, Wendell Beavers and Anne Bogart. For 30 years Leslie has explored the Six Viewpoints as a tool for research, creation, and performer training. During her career, Leslie has had the opportunity to assist Robert Wilson and collaborate with Richard Foreman, Leeny Sack, Peter Bottazzi, Bettina Hoffman, Micheline Chevrier and Tedi Tafel, amongst others. Her solo, Fuck You! You Fucking Perv! was awarded Best Production and Best Actress METAs. Most recently, she directed Clean Slate (La Chapelle, March 2019) for Talisman Theatre. Leslie has led workshops and presented her work Internationally, as well as taught at the National Theatre School of Canada, University of Costa Rica and Concordia University.


All workshops are for professional performing artists. Some require advanced dance training.

Registration – Please contact (514) 393-3771 or at info@studio303.ca. To reserve your spot, payment is required 2 weeks before the start of the workshop.

Payments – check, cash, credit card (3% fee) or by Interac transfer (write to info@studio303.ca for procedures)

Who can benefit from the subsidized rate by Emploi-Québec?
– Artists or cultural professionals, Canadian citizens or permanent residents living in Montreal
– Foreign workers with a temporary work permit living in Montreal
– Employment Insurance or social assistance recipients are welcome (please notify your agent at Service Canada or MTESS)

– Part-time students

 Who has to pay the full rate?
– People residing outside Montreal
– Full-time or foreign students

Reimbursement policy– No reimbursement possible without a good reason (ex: sickness or injury).

Studio’s accessibility – Consult this page for detailed information.