Lucy may © Magdalena Marszalek

Lu (Lucy) May — WIPSHOP (Work-In-Progress Workshop)

April 7 to 11, 2025

9:30 am to 12:30 pm (Mon-Fri)
Full week: $95 (taxes included)
Drop-in: $28 (Monday and Tuesday only)
Language of instruction: Frenglish (mix of French and English)
Questions can be asked in French and English

REGISTER

WAITLIST


CATEGORY

OBJECTIVE

The WIPSHOP is an invitation to shorten the distance between your solo improvisation/freestyle practice and its performance, in an intercultural community setting.

This workshop is intended for those wishing to develop an existing practice (even if it’s in its early stages). We will deepen our listening and questioning, as we zoom in on the generation of spontaneous movement; harvest our brilliant impulses; investigate the relationship between the past, the present, and the future; and develop trust and confidence in ourselves and others as we pursue self-determined creative aims.

CONTENT

Centred around the session (cypher), the WIPSHOP is informed by Lu’s extensive practice in both Contemporary and Krump creative process. Each day, we will check-in on the participants’ motivations, intentions, desires, and ambitions.

A brief and intense physical warm-up based on simple scores (structured exercises) will follow. Participants will then explore their freestyle from different angles, working alone and together—practicing observing and being seen by others in pairs and groups. Guided reflections, discussions, and explorations with speaking, writing, and mark-making will round out the WIPSHOP framework.

Lu modulates the flow and dimensions of the session through eclectic playlists and odd constraints. Resources and references for inspiration & further exploration will be provided, as well as homework tailored to the needs of the participants.

Workshop PaceWorkshop Features
Variable
Adaptable to the group’s needs
Exercises are adaptable
Subgroups exercises
Cardio exercises
High music or sound level

BIOGRAPHY

Lucy M. May (she/they) is a dance artist born in Eqpahak/Wolastokuk/Fredericton and based in Tiohtiá:ke/Mooniyang/Montréal since 2003. Her choreographic projects explore the materiality of human attention and our relationships to place and to each other. Improvisation resides at the heart of their work as a dancer, creator, and teacher, nourished by experiences performing with Marie Chouinard, Margie Gillis, Mouvement de passage, and practicing since 2018 the street dance Krump.

She battles as Pluto aka Ravage Grouch. Across Canada, she has lead workshops and classes for such organizations as RQD, Artère, EDCM, Toronto Love-In, Studio 303, Kinetic Studio, Fluid Fest, DansEncorps, Empirical Freedom, and Fada Dance. Interested in alternative ways of transmitting movement knowledge, she participated in the co-creation of the community gatherings The Surprise Party, Off_Script, and Slaughterhaus.