Heidi Weiss

HEIDI WEISS

Modern Dance Weiterbildung
Intensive Studies – 
American Styles

Künstlerische Gesamtleitung
Kennerin aller Stile und Dozentin des letzten Intensivierungs-Wochenendes
Mitbegründerin und Dozentin der Weissmann-Technik

HEIDI WEISS, USA

Heidi was born in New Jersey. She moved to Philadelphia for her intensive dance studies and received her BFA in Modern Dance from the University of the Arts in 1992.

She choreographed and performed in the USA with Group Motion, a Philadelphia based Company and from 1992-95 and with Karen Bamonte in 1996.

In 1997 she moved to Germany and founded the Company “Zen in the Basement” with Jennifer Mann. They have created many works together which have been presented in theatres and festivals in the EU and abroad. Heidi has been teaching various modern techniques for many years. She has developed with Jennifer Mann the “Weissmann technique”, which she continues to teach in workshops and Universities. Heidi was a Professor at Palucca Schule Dresden from 2004-07.

She has been a guest artist in residence at Virginia Commonwealth University (USA). In addition she has been a guest at Duncan Conservatory in Prague, London Contemporary (the place) in London, SEAD in Salzburg. She has also given training to many companies such as Sasha Waltz and DV8. This past fall, she travelled to New Delhi, India and taught for 5 weeks the students of The Danceworxx.

Heidi continues to perform with Jennifer Mann; their most recent duet “Do or Die”, was presented in the 19. Tanzwoche Dresden. The piece will be extended and premier at Dock 11 Berlin in October.

Heidi is a new member of the TanzZeit team, teaching in Grundschulen, as well as giving training to the Jugend Company. She has been a teacher of Limon, Horton, Graham, Contemporary, Partnering, Choreography and Composition at Dance Academy balance 1 in Berlin since 2007.

THE WEISS-MANN TECHNIQUE

Jennifer Mann and Heidi Weiss were educated in a variety of modern techniques such as: Graham, Horton, Cunningham, Taylor and Humphrey-Limon. As they began developing their own distinct, more Contemporary teaching style, these older and more conservative techniques remain strong roots and play an integral role in their teaching. For example- the use of the spiral and the use of the back from Graham, skeletal alignment and core strength from Horton, clarity from Cunningham, earthbound weight shifting from Taylor and of course the fall and recovery from Limon. In addition to these older forms have come newer influences such as the Alexander technique, Release, and Yoga. In combining new with the old, the Weiss-Mann technique can be described as well structured with a logical and thorough warm-up, but also an organic style with the emphasis on breath, volume, space and flow.