’I AM WITH YOU’
the opportunity to create alongside the one and only judith Sánchez RUÍZ is finally here…
hope is our dream. the time is now. are you ready?
THE GROUNDBREAKING PROFESSIONAL CONTEMPORARY DANCE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM (PCDCP) returns in the fall for FIVE WEEKS OF IMMERSIVE EXPLORATION AND CREATION
UNDER THE VISIONARY GUIDANCE OF ESTEEMED CHOREOGRAPHER JUDITH SÁNCHEZ RUÍZ
explore reality through art as you SHAPE THE FUTURE OF DANCE through creation.
Photo credit: Ah Liu, Hong Kong
This visionary project boldly empowers each participant to contribute their concerns, backgrounds, and insights.
Together, we transform these individual voices into a powerful collective expression, a moving story, and an unforgettable experience that will leave an indelible mark on our Berlin community.
The creation process will involve 3 hours of work per day for 5 weeks, culminating in 2 performances at Eden Studios in Berlin, Germany.
Internally, the weeks will be divided between 2 internship teachers, who will share responsibilities and teach together for 4 weeks.
The classes will be mentored and discussed with PCDCP students and JSR Company.
the creation: Identity as a Narrative Element and Powerful Tool for Protest and Activism
join us as we craft a new era in
movement and meaning.
the program
The Professional Contemporary Dance Certification Program is dedicated to equipping artists who have completed intensive study programs at the diploma and B.A. level or sufficient dance intensive practice not shorter than 5 years. It is designed for passionate artists with an interest in continuing their professional path to become performers and educators of the highest quality in the contemporary performance field. The opportunity gives participants the rare experience of intimate training with a world renowned choreographer, performer and teacher who’s 30 years of international experience champions a non-western perspective.
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Judith Sánchez Ruíz Company’s Professional Contemporary Dance Certification Program will award a Certificate of Completion to participants of each 5-week program. Those seeking certification are assessed on their pedagogies, methodologies, ability to structure a class effectively, and interest in progressing education research.
All participants in the 5 Week Intensive are eligible to become certified as teachers of Functionality and Perspective in Dance and Your Own God.
Certification is offered based on the oversight and agreement of members of the JSR-PCDCP Artistic Advisory Board. Certification affirms your ability to teach these specialized practices, either in future iterations of Judith Sánchez Ruíz Company’s Professional Contemporary Dance Certification Program or elsewhere.
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Proof of completion of contemporary dance education program, B.A., or equivalent is required.
Selection criteria will focus on the applicant's artistic individuality, improvisational talents, intellectual enthusiasm, and a keen interest in exploring movement.
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Location: The Eden Studios, Studio 190, Berlin, Germany
5 Week Intensive: September 15th - October 18th, 2025
Showings and Presentations: October 17th & 18th, 2025
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The PCDCP will maintain a comprehensive archive of all research, debates, presentations, and classes, ensuring they are accessible online exclusively for students in the program. PCDCP is committed to keeping all materials related to the investigation of improvisation, technique, partnering, and methodologies easily available to our students. By archiving this material, we will guarantee the preservation of knowledge offered as artists and researchers to this program.
we want to ensure that new, effective methodologies, techniques, and research become permanent contributions to the dance community…
while also supporting other significant pedagogical approaches within the community such as Susan Klein Technique™ and Janet Panetta’s functional ballet methodologies. Ensuring a continued progressiveness and nuanced understanding of movement is the mission of the PCDCP.
The program will function as a practical space dedicated to the preservation and sharing of research systems, by promoting discussion, archiving and the transmission of these practices and knowledge to future generations among its dancers and educators.
the curriculum
These trainings aim to awaken individuals' innate movement potential from a functional standpoint, laying the groundwork for an artistic platform where movement possibilities are continuously refined for original compositions. Through a transformative methodology, participants explore new avenues in mind, body, and spirit, fostering a desire to contribute meaningfully to performance and pedagogy. By embracing discomfort and vulnerability, our approach challenges conventional wisdom, allowing for the emergence of diverse movement approaches. The journey is documented, making the composition process both enjoyable and urgent when shared with others.
A note from our founder: “As a performer of over 30 years, I believe Release is one of the most formative techniques for performers. Why? Release is healthier, fostering a deeper connection to our humanness. It strips away unnecessary tension, creating a more open and organic mind-body connection. Release, along with improvisation, becomes the perfect doorway for performance artists in the contemporary world to discover their unique voice and path.” - Judith Sánchez Ruíz
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These classes are based on more than 15 years of investigation by Judith Sánchez Ruíz on the release techniques. Functionality & Perspective give dancers many ways to understand movement’s initiation in the body, allowing them to understand the functionality from a creative approach, leading to specific organic movement qualities while working with the imagination. Participants will focus on the importance of being grounded, creating an understanding of the shifting of weight, clarity of movement, attention to detail, precision, and dynamics in a multi-directional approach.
These sessions will encourage the body to question and practice task-oriented exercises, equations, and scores.
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Your Own God's research is based on JSR's choreographic process and experience as a performer of diverse techniques and styles throughout her long international career. This class triggers the uncomfortable zone, breaking habits effectively.
Your Own God's tools, sourced methodologies and practical exercises aim to unlock the mind from imitative academic dogma (that imposes a mainstream style and decorative content). It focuses on each participant's individual awakening and exploration of our functional and artistic potential. The dancers practice how to reset the mind through radio exercises, ramifications, and associations of vocabularies that will guide a much deeper connection.
Improvisation exposes dancers to a different perspective on performance, where vulnerability is part of the artist's sense of being. The class presents an opportunity to fully engage in our own creative practices, moving from a casual point of view to a more compositional approach. Thus exploring the relationship between set material and Improvisation in relation to space, time, and other bodies, students learn how to redirect their knowledge and tools to the flow while discovering new ways of practicing and developing scored and structured performance. -
Our teaching methods are crafted in response to the diverse requests of students from around the globe. The program facilitates collaborative learning—you will discover techniques for creating structured exercises and lesson plans. We engage in a collective exploration of class formats and teaching methods, co-create innovative exercises within a workshop environment, and engage in meaningful discussions about teaching strategies, educational theories, and the creation of optimal learning environments.
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The creation process will involve 3 hours of work per day for 5 weeks, culminating in 2 performances at Eden Studios in Berlin, Germany.
Sánchez’s pedagogical contributions include problem-solving methods that promote student advancement, uncover individual performativity, and deconstruct Eurocentric biases within educational frameworks.
create alongside Judith Sánchez RuíZ
As a globally celebrated Afro-Cuban artist, JSR challenges artistic boundaries by embracing raw vulnerability and a unique blend of structured and improvised choreography. Her vision: to cultivate a global dance network where exploration, innovation, and progress empower artists to thrive. This initiative prioritizes female artists, advancing the frontiers of contemporary dance research, and amplifying diverse voices with empathy, responsibility, and a profound vision for the future.
JSR is revisiting her groundbreaking "diary process," delving deeper into the raw, existential physicality that lies at its core. This movement will resonate like a powerful chorus, a visual poem painted across the stage, instilling a shared human sentiment, and reflecting our collective experiences without dictating the narrative of our choices.
The JSR Company, through its commitment to diversity and education, remains dedicated to expanding knowledge and welcoming students from all backgrounds and cultures.
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A) For performers and improvisers
B) For educators seeking to create innovative teaching methods. Each day starts with collective sessions, groups work together in the first part of the day, and in the second, separate into specialized groups receiving customized mentoring and peer support.
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Individuals who aim to become accredited teachers of Judith Sanchez Ruiz's methodologies, including Functionality and Perspective & Your Own God, must successfully complete an evaluation after participating in two or three sessions of the JSR-PCDCP program. Certification is awarded with the endorsement of the Advisory Board.
This certification is particularly beneficial for artists with a background in organic functional training and a release-based approach, as well as improvisational skills and experience.
As the program nears completion, PCDCP invites local dance institutions and the Berlin community to participate in sample classes during presentation weeks. All outcomes of these engagements are documented systematically, creating an archive that becomes a valuable resource for certified instructors seeking future reference or engaged in research on these pedagogical approaches and techniques. -
We will host spirited discussions on pressing dance, art, or research topics, all within a nurturing community that champions inclusivity and equal opportunity for learning.
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We promote engaging exchanges with local dance institutions through community trial classes and public presentations. Our suite of activities is purposefully crafted to strengthen communal ties and foster collective wellbeing, enriching your journey beyond the confines of technical proficiency. During the 5 Week Intensive, members of the local dance scene will be invited to engage with the program through performances, trial classes, and public discussions.
FAQs
requirements:
Proof of completion of contemporary dance education program, B.A., or equivalent is required.
Selection criteria will focus on the applicant's artistic individuality, improvisational talents, intellectual enthusiasm, and a keen interest in exploring movement.
Application
Please submit a detailed artistic curriculum vitae, a concise introduction letter outlining your personal motivation, a photograph, and a video link (YouTube or Vimeo) that showcases an improvisation in one sequence shot based on no music.
Application must be submitted by
APRIL 7th, 2025*
*extended deadline
Selection Process & Fees
Once the artistic committee has evaluated your materials, those selected will be contacted.
FEES & PAYMENT OPTIONS:
Total Fee: €1,700 19% VAT € 323.00
Total amount: € 2023.00
Inscription Fee: A non-refundable payment of €900 is required by May 1st, 2025
Second installment payment deadline: August 1st, 2025