Christian Canciani

My classes during the Prix will focus not on one specific technique, but will be based upon proposing a tool box to the young dancers, where through elements of contemporary and modern dance, they will explore a range of movement found in the work of many contemporary choreographers of our time.

With a focus on rhythm, coordination, use of space, dynamics and improvisation, my goal is to enable these young talents to explore dance in a manner and language complementary to classical ballet and also to permit them to show their own personal ideas and interpretations.

Christian Canciani is the Head of the Dance Department of the Palucca University of Dance Dresden, since ten years. Born in France, he trained in the techniques of Limon, Cunningham and Nikolais, with Trish Brown, Susan Klein and at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in New York.

Dancing for the Companies of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane, Elise Monte, Kevin Wynn and Ballet Hispanico, this fuelled his imagination and clarified his direction in choreography, dance teaching and yoga.

He has collaborated with composers such as Lester Bowie, Olu Dara, Max Roach and Don Pullen.

Holder of an MA Degree as a Contemporary and Modern Dance Teacher from the Superior Conservatoire of Lyon, he has been twice honoured with the Choreographic Award from the French Ministry of Culture.