Huy Duc Dong

Huy Duc Dong is a passionate movement artist, dance instructor, and lifelong learner based in Leipzig. His love for dance began later in life when he discovered “Popping” at age 16 – his first discipline within dance culture. Over the past few years, he has deepened his passion for the dance style “Waving,” finding in it not only his artistic voice but also deeper insights about himself. Thanks to the support of his mentors, JayBadu, Jesse Sykes, and currently Slim Boogie, his understanding of the human experience – the body, emotions, and relationship to music – continues to expand. Through their influence, Huy has developed a clear mission: to show others that living authentically and following one’s passions can lead to a truly fulfilling life. People themselves are Huy’s greatest source of inspiration, as he continually discovers and understands new things through shared experiences. For him, learning is an endless journey into the world of art and humanity. To pass on his mission, he teaches not only private students of all ages but also regularly at “Heizhaus” in Leipzig. With his crew “kleinParis,” he is committed to fostering new talent to strengthen the dance scene in central Germany (Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia) and to help people discover themselves and their own dance style.

Impulse at go plastic STUDIO LAB:
WAVING-Workshop »SURRENDER YOURSELF«
Tuesday, December 10; from 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 11; from 3 – 5:30 p.m.

Dive into the question of who leads whom in dance: Are we the ones giving meaning to music, or does music make us come alive? In this workshop, we will delve into this intriguing question and seek answers together. These insights will help us unlock new movement potential that often lies dormant within us. The focus will be on the dance style “Waving,” but we’ll also leave room to push boundaries and explore new territories. Together, we will engage with Huy’s philosophy, which emphasizes the importance of getting to know yourself – physically and emotionally – before truly discovering dance. Experience a workshop where we explore the mind, body, and heart as one. When “mind, body, and soul” are in harmony, movement becomes authentically tangible – not only in dance but in everyday life as well.

The workshop is offered at an open level. Drop-ins are only possible on the first day (Tuesday, December 10th), as the concepts build on each other. Please bring something to write with.

Level: open level
Language: German & English

Swantje Henke

Swantje Henke is an actress and audio describer for theater, dance, and film. She made her stage debut at the Berliner Ensemble, working with directors such as Einar Schleef, Christoph Schlingensief, and Werner Schroeter. Later, she became a member of the Burgtheater in Vienna, where she collaborated with Einar Schleef once again. As a freelance actress, Henke has performed at renowned venues including the Schaubühne Berlin, Deutsches Theater Berlin, Hebbel am Ufer, and the Sophiensaele. In 2020, she discovered audio description through a workshop with Jess Curtis (Gravity Access Services). Since then, she has worked as an audio describer for organizations such as HAU Berlin, Theater der Jungen Welt Leipzig, Radialsystem, Tanzhaus NRW, Berliner Ensemble, Schaubühne Berlin, and Theater an der Parkaue.

Impulse at go plastic STUDIO LAB:
Audio-Description Introduction-Workshop
Wednesday, December 12; from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

In this introductory workshop on audio description (AD), the focus will primarily be on gaining an overview of the different AD methods. What is the difference between a free-form AD and a scripted AD? What is essential for self-description or the description of characters? What should be included in an introduction, and how can a tactile tour be designed? We will address these and other questions, and through exercises, we’ll have the chance to try out some of these concepts ourselves.

Level: open level
Language: German

Šuka Horn

Šuka Horn was born and raised in Germany, where he began training in breakdance at the age of 12. During his dance studies at Codarts University in Rotterdam, he completed an internship with “18 monkey dance theatre” in Bangkok. After graduating, he worked with R.O.P.A. in Spain and created a solo piece with the support of Dansateliers Rotterdam. In 2020, Šuka relocated to Athens to join Dimitris Papaioannou’s production “Transverse Orientation”, which led to the creation of “INK”. After finishing a four year long world tour with those productions and his workshops he decided to move to Leipzig and focus on developing his research and teaching. Šukas “Upside Down Inside Out” workshops have been taught in Universities, Companies, Festivals and Studios in 18 different countries.

Impulse at go plastic STUDIO LAB:
Workshop »Upside Down Inside Out«
Saturday, December 14; from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday, December 15; from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The workshop aims to inspire the participants to move with playful joy and a sense of harmony. Together with some basic knowledge about the body, these qualities allow us to safely develop skills and expand personal abilities. A part of Šuka’s ongoing quest is to simultaneously develop both external and internal qualities and to learn how to combine a love for raw physical challenges with an interest in mindful and efficient movement. The workshop will explore both floor work and standing movement, influenced by Šuka’s training in contemporary dance, acrobatics, and urban dance. We will also explore movement games to bridge the gap between training and real-life situations. Šuka says: “My own curiosity and experience with a variety of approaches to developing the ‘body, heart, and mind’ have influenced the way I move, think, and teach.” If you feel like moving upside down from the inside out, then this is the right workshop for you!

Level: advanced / professional
Language: German / English

Compagnie Training go plastic / Cindy Hammer

Monday, December 9; from 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, December 10;  from 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Cindy Hammer ‘s training is composed of three parts: a full-body, intensive warm-up; various technical exercises to practice movement sequences; and a section focused on working with improvisation and movement concepts. The training is aimed at professional dancers and advanced practitioners.

Level: advanced / professional
Language: German & English

Compagnie Training go plastic / Susan Schubert

Thursday, December 12; from 9 – 10 a.m. (free warm up class)
Friday, December 13; 10 -11:30 a.m.

Susan Schubert‘s company training is designed to prepare both body and mind for the day. Additionally, Susan incorporates somatic work with improvisation, focusing on spatial, temporal, and bodily awareness.

Level: open level
Language: German & English

Yoga Class with Luise Knofe

Wednesday, December 11; from 10 – 11 a.m.

In this yoga session, we will practice dynamic Vinyasa yoga, emphasizing seamless transitions between asanas in harmony with the breath. This flowing yoga style promotes relaxation and rejuvenation. Luise tailors the practice to meet the specific needs of a dancer’s body, aiming to release tension and address overworked muscles while fostering a sense of calm in the mind.

Level: open level
Language: English

Lunch-Brunch-Q&A with go plastic

Wednesday, December 11; from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

We invite you to a cozy lunch in a festive pre-Christmas atmosphere. Let’s look back together on the year 2024 and (hopefully not too anxiously) glance ahead to 2025. We want to connect with you, chat, laugh, reflect, and, of course, enjoy food and drinks together.

Nam Tran Xuan

Nam Tran Xuan is an open and versatile dancer from Chemnitz. His focus is on hip hop with influences from house, breaking, waacking, popping and a general interest in different forms of movement such as Tai Chi. This results in an original dance style of harmonious and flowing movements combined with his authentic way of expression. His previous experience and knowledge have been acquired over the last 16 years through competitions within the scene, show performances, a very formative year abroad in Canada and a large number of workshops by nationally and internationally recognized dancers in various dance forms of street & club dance. On his way to develop himself and his dance in various aspects with the help of friends and mentors, he and his crew “Chapter Raptor” opened their own dance studio “Room – Hip Hop Spot” in Chemnitz in 2021 to promote the local dance scene. Nam has also been working in the independent scene since 2021 as a dancer for the company “Miller de Nobili” from Dresden with numerous performances such as at the 2022 Dance Platform in Berlin, the Festspielhaus Hellerau – European Center for the Arts and RIDCC 2023 in Rotterdam. He has also gained further experience as a dancer in productions by choreographers Los Informalls, Joy Alpuerto Ritter, Fang Yun Lo and Saïdo Lehoulh, which has influenced his still young artistic practice.

Impulse at go plastic STUDIO LAB:
»STORYTELLING I FEEL YOUR DANCE«
Saturday, April 6 & Sunday,
April 7; each from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

In street & club dance culture, the focus is on expressing one’s own individuality. With the help of music and one’s own movement vocabulary, (personal) stories are constantly being told, feelings expressed and shared – at home, outside in some corner of the city, in the studio, in the club at jams and parties, on stage. In this workshop, participants will learn techniques, approaches and concepts on topics such as groove, isolation and understanding music in order to gain new inspiration for their own dance or freestyle. We will then work together on various tasks to research the form of “storytelling”, mainly from the perspective of street and club dance. Among other things, we will analyze and try out how the different techniques can be used to express certain emotions, how shifting certain parameters of the same technique can change the narratives and how external influences, such as music, affect our decisions while dancing.

go plastic Compagnie-Training with Cindy Hammer

Cindy Hammer has been working as a freelance choreographer, dancer and performer in (inter)national projects for over ten years. Her artistic practice is characterized by this relationship; choreographing and producing her own works as part of her company goplastic, as well as working as a dancer and performer in productions by companies, choreographers and directors such as Paula Rosolen / Haptic Hide, Johanna Roggan, Romy Schwarzer / thegutscompany, Anna Till, Joseph Hernandez, Charles Washington / pinkmetalpetal, Barbara Lubich, VeraIlona Stierli, Avatara Ayuso, Rosie Herrera and many more. and many more. In her movement practice she is in constant search of influences and researches intensively in and for urban styles and their histories, features and characteristics. These findings flow back into her work as a choreographer and performer.

Impulse at go plastic STUDIO LAB:
»go plastic company training«
Thursday, April 4 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Cindy Hammer’s company training consists of three parts: a full-body, intensive warm-up, various technical sets to practise movement sequences and a part in which improvisation and movement concepts are worked on.
The course is aimed at professional and advanced dancers.

Morning Class Warm Up with Joao

Brazilian choreographer and performer Joao holds an MA in Choreography from the Palucca University in Germany. His work focuses mainly on the theme of communication, combining the creation of movement with other performative elements such as the spoken word, the manipulation of the stage set and theater. He combines his work as a dance artist with his previous theater training, which he completed in Brazil. A graduate of Arts Umbrella Dance in Vancouver, Canada, Joao danced for five years with the Graz Opera Ballet, Austria, and freelanced for institutions such as the Venice Biennale, Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg and Wen Wei Dance, performing both as a dancer and actor. He is currently developing choreographies that deal with the theme of post-truth and the movement of demise in the vertical body, and is creating works for the Festspielhaus HELLERAU and the dance company Landesbühnen Sachsen.

Impulse at go plastic STUDIO LAB:
»Morning Class Warm Up«
Friday, April 5 from 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, April 6 from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 7 from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

The Warm Up class aims to explore how we can use our bodies to reinforce or change what we say, especially through movements we make while we are speaking. When we want to emphasize something, we often tilt our heads or use our hands. In this class we are encouraged to include the movements of our body to support or change what we are saying. We want to develop a deeper understanding of our body and use it fully to complement or even contrast the communication with our voice. This will get us in the mood for the workshops that follow.

Eat & Greet

– the culinary go plastic Q&A round, where everyone asks and answers questions –
Thursday, April 4 from 12:00 – 2:30 p.m.

For the 10th edition and thus a mini-birthday of the go plastic STUDIO LAB, there will be another Eat&Great with Cindy and Susan from go plastic. Eat, drink and tell each other stories. Whether on the topics of dance, artistic work in the collective, training, practice or simply our favorite fairy tales, scary stories, personal anecdotes; it’s story time.