Sarah Young (she/her) has been delving into the Underscore since 2011, when she had her first talk-through with Nancy Stark Smith at Eden’s Expressway in New York City. She has been a co-coordinator of the Global Underscore since 2020 and part of the Underscore +/- research group in Northampton, Massachusetts, US since 2013. She participated in the Underscore-based performance installation, Glimpse 2, at 92nd Street Y, NYC (2014) and attended Nancy Stark Smith’s January Workshop (2020) and Explore Underscore in Bremen Germany (2024). In addition to the Underscore, she’s interested in Nancy’s “States of Grace.” Sarah is a teacher and practitioner of contact improvisation, a Guild Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner, former director of Earthdance in Plainfield, Massachusetts, and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Morocco. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She will pursue her MFA at Smith College starting Fall 2024. She lives in Northampton, Massachusetts and Stolzenhagen, Germany.
Classes in Spiral & Root together with Meta Bobbe / 5 days – second week
THE UNDERSCORE
We deepen our abilities in contact improvisation and noticing composition through the Underscore, a framework for group dance improvisation originated by Nancy Stark Smith. Engaging in physical studies and group scores, we dance to investigate the phenomena that arises as we focus on various facets of the score. Then, we articulate the experience through speaking, writing, and drawing. We build on our understanding together—our individual backgrounds inform the experience, whether the Underscore is new or familiar to you.
