The Ipswich Moving Co. and School has been bringing dance performance and education to the north shore for over 30yrs. Company Dir. Janet Taisey Craft. School Dir. Jenny Carlson.
The Ipswich Moving Company led by founder and choreographer, Janet Taisey Craft makes its home in a renovated barn in Ipswich across from the Ipswich River. For over 30 years, the Ipswich Moving Company (a professional modern dance company) and the Ipswich Moving Company School (an educational center for dance) directed by Jenny Carlson since 2003, have contributed to the artistic life of the North Shore and Greater Boston community.
In 1980, the Company and the Studio were incorporated as The Ipswich Dance Foundation, Inc. as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization. During the summer of 2003, the Studio underwent a major renovation of its facilities to better meet the needs of the School, Company and the community. The Studio now boasts a fully equipped performance/studio space and a smaller second Studio with sprung maple dance floors, walled mirrors and wonderful natural light.
DANCE COMPANY:
The Ipswich Moving Company offers modern dance performances in theatres, schools, outdoor spaces and galleries throughout New England. The Company performed at the internationally famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival for two summers in 2000 and 2001. Their Aerial Dance Theatre production, FREE FALL was aired on British Cable TV, produced on the worldart.com webcast and presented in the Boston Center for the Art’s 2003 Spotlight on Dance Series. The Company participated in the Massachusetts Educational Collaborative for ten years, offering artist-in-residencies in public and private schools throughout the north shore area. The Company presents ten to fifteen performances in Ipswich, Boston and Newburyport annually.
Since 1986, the Company has created original aerial dance productions that have been performed everywhere from theatres to art galleries to school gymnasiums and have expanded the scope, enhanced the technology, and fascinated audiences with the beauty of aerial dance. The Company has developed a unique form of aerial dance using tied climbing rope and fabric slings. Aerial Dance Workshops are offered by the Company throughout the year to dancers and members of the community.
SCHOOL:
The Ipswich Moving Company School of Dance offering classes and workshops throughout the year for children and adults. Movement and Expressive Arts Therapy and yoga are also part of the Studio offerings. The Ipswich Moving Company School of Dance is in its tenth year under the direction of Jennifer Carlson. The School offers instruction in ballet, modern dance, creative movement, and jazz styles.
In addition to ongoing classes, the School offers special workshops in Dance/Theatre, Aerial Dance, Yoga, Hip Hop, Contact Improvisation, and Meditation. The Studio is a resource for rehearsal and workshop space for the Ipswich Moving Company and other regional dance and theatre artists.
At Ipswich Moving Company School of Dance we focus on creative process, the love of movement, and artistic expression. Students leave our school with a creative sense of themselves. They value the importance dance plays both in their lives and in the artistic community at large. We embrace the serious dance student as much as the recreational dance student in our non-competitive, nurturing environment, which makes dancers of any level feel comfortable in expressing themselves.
We hold the same philosophy for our ongoing Adult Classes Adult Dance classes. It's all about the love of movement and embracing artistic expression. Whether you are a professional dancer, or simply someone who is curious about dance and looking to try class for the first time, you will be surrounded by a very supportive community. All of our adult classes are ongoing and you can drop-in at anytime.
