Shadow Tender Movement & Mask-making Workshop

In this 2-day workshop, we draw on our somatic, material, and conceptual research for the Shadow Tender project to explore the ways in which our bodies construct and store memories, identity, and power.

Carl Jung described the Shadow as the aspect of the psyche which contains those parts of ourselves that we do not wish to acknowledge - things that make us feel ashamed, frightened, weak, or powerless. In rejecting our own Shadows, we unconsciously project them onto others, creating monsters and enemies that are more revealing of our own fears and darkness than anything else.

Integrating movement, guided improvisation, dialogue, and mask-making, we lead our participants through a series of “material storytelling” exercises to create an encounter with their personal Shadows rooted in curiosity, compassion, and discovery. Our aim is to access the gifts buried in the rich dark soil of the Shadow, and look beyond our ego’s defenses to ask: Who is the monster, here? How do we create the monstrous? How does it create us? What lies beyond the fear?

Please bring a journal to write in. This workshop is open to all levels of movers & makers. Workshop fee includes all crafting supplies and mask-making materials.

Nov 17th: 1:30 to 7:30pm // Nov 18th, 3:30 to 6:30pm // Cost: $150 for both days, all materials included (15 students max)

Bios:

Natalya Kolosowsky is Russian-American director, performer, and interdisciplinary artist based in Portland, OR. She was born in Siberia but grew up in the Sonoran desert, which created a life-long interest in the bridging of seemingly opposing realities, histories, and perspectives. Shaped by her experiences as a bicultural and bilingual artists, she focuses on the construction/destruction of identity through costume, performance, and illustration.

Natalya received her classical ballet training under Kee-Juan Han and went on to study and perform in circus arts, improvisation, butoh, and physical theater throughout the West coast. She was the founder and artistic director of the site-specific performance group Anatomia Dance Collective, and has worked on projects with Flam Chen Pyrotechnic Theater, the Salzburg State Theatre, Michael Curry Design, and Degenerate Art Ensemble, among others. Her work has been performed and exhibited at a variety of venues in the United States, Europe, and Asia, including the the Museum of American Illustration, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the 2015 Prague Quadrennial, the A.A. Bakhrushin Theatre Museum in Moscow, and the Taipei National University for the Arts. She holds a BFA in Visual Communication and a BS in Psychology from the University of Arizona as well as an MFA in Costume Design from the University of Oregon.

http://www.natalyakolosowsky.com

Maria Thomas is multidisciplinary artist, martial arts instructor, and stunt woman based in Portland, OR. Her passion for martial arts and dance, as well as her experiences with chronic illness have fueled a fascination with the way we use our bodies to communicate, navigate, and integrate with our surroundings. Her current work uses creatures and characters from folklore and mythology to explore growth, decay, and transformation.

Maria has over 18 years of experience in multiple martial arts, and is a 3rd degree black belt in Tang Soo Do. She has over 14 years of teaching experience with diverse populations and is one of the only women trained under Bill Kip in both the coaching and attacker roles of the FAST adrenal stress self-defense training. Maria has choreographed and performed in internationally award-winning martial arts demonstrations, and provided stunts and creature movement for stage, television, performance, independent film and VR projects. She currently teaches the self-defense curriculum at Reed College and runs the Tang Soo Do program at Aim High Academy of Martial Arts. Maria holds a BFA in Visual Communication from the University of Arizona.