MARY CARBONARA

Over my 20+ years of teaching, I’ve seen different trends and styles come and go. I’ve watched modern dancers go in and out of dedicated periods of ballet training. I’ve seen yoga grow from a fad into an essential practice. I’ve seen the positive impact of somatic practices like Feldenkrais, Alexander and Gyrotonic on dancers’ health. I’ve watched ballerinas toss off their pointe shoes in favor of ankle socks. Dance is a fast-moving field of change, exploration and innovation

When I set out to talk with local dance teachers, my aim was to bring more attention to the many great and dedicated teachers we have here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Along the way, I’ve gained some great inspiration from teachers of young children—Takami Craddock and Corrine Nagata—teachers of adults, college students and professionals—Diane Frank, Nina Haft, Christian Burns, Katie Faulkner and Kara Davis—and most recently from two educators who between them have over 50

Most folks who find their way to my Absolute Beginner Modern Workshop are adults who have either studied danced once upon a time and always wanted to get back to it, people who are looking for a more satisfying way of exercising than what they’re used to, and individuals who are just plain curious. “What is modern dance anyway?” These days modern dance is an amalgam of different dance forms and traditions. Depending on the choreographer or teacher, there may be significant