Kelly Hirina is a citizen of both the U.S.A. and the Netherlands, Kelly currently resides in Amsterdam. She was introduced to Countertechnique in the early 2000s and became certified in 2020. It excites her that her research and the practice of Countertechnique align in various ways and she enjoys the resurgence of the technique in her professional life.
During her extensive career as a freelance dancer, she worked with a wide range of choreographers and directors, including Jakop Ahlbom, Krisztina de Châtel as part of Dansgroep Amsterdam, and most recently ICKamsterdam (Emio Greco / Pieter Scholten). As of 2017, she has been a certified teacher of Double Skin/Double Mind, the dance method of EG|PC, pilates and yoga.
She acquired her M.F.A. in Dance from the University of Michigan with research based upon the link between mind and body in dance training, rehearsal and performance. Her specific interest is in pedagogical methods that enhance intrinsic motivation, appreciation for learning (a process-oriented approach) and goal setting. Kelly is eager to further develop these interests on the dance floor with Countertechnique.
“Countertechnique is not only an extremely technical dance practice but makes learning and dancing magnificently fun. It encourages you to get on the floor, listen, try, test, fail, soar, play and enjoy.”
Class info:
Countertechnique, developed by Anouk van Dijk, is a movement system to help the dancer think about the dancing body, focusing on the process of incorporating information into action. Within a clear structure of exercises, the Countertechnique class enables dancers to move bigger, more fluidly and more spatially, while becoming stronger and more flexible.
By continuously and sequentially directing parts of the body away from each other in space, Countertechnique allows the moving dancer to work with an ever-changing dynamic balance. In Countertechnique classes, dancers are introduced step-by-step to the various tools – making sure, however, that the priority always lies with experiencing and enjoying the difference in moving, rather than first having to understand the tools intellectually.
