Policies: Before registering for classes & workshops, please review our registration policies in full. For questions, contact us at the front desk.
Description: This workshop is a part of a 4-session series that invites participants to explore movement as a rich creative practice for artistic expression, deeper perception, and community connection. Rooted in the belief that movement is a universal human activity rather than a specialized skill, this series treats the body as a natural medium for creative inquiry. This space warmly welcomes artists, non-artists, and anyone curious about how the body can deepen our relationship with ourselves and the world around us.
Level: Beginner, Ages 16+
Please note: Registration for this workshop will close Saturday, August 8 at midnight.
Workshop Details
Individual & Collective Explorations: Drawing from visual art, sound, somatic practices, and improvisation, we will investigate how internal impulses become outward actions, and how those actions translate into creative form. Each workshop follows a beautiful progression of attention—shifting gently from self, to environment, to relationship, and finally to community. Through guided movement, mark-making, listening, and observation, everyday actions like walking or reaching are transformed into intentional creative acts. Participants are encouraged to engage physically at their own pace, cultivating presence, imagination, and a safe space for discovery.
Inviting Discipline: At its heart, this series is about nurturing a dedicated monthly studio practice. While tangible artworks, performances, or collaborative projects may naturally emerge from our time together, our primary focus remains on the development of the practitioner. Through regular engagement, reflection, and artistic inquiry, you will deepen your capacity for attention and expression. Ultimately, this practice is as much about developing ourselves as it is about creating work.
Workshop Structure: Each session is thoughtfully broken down into three distinct parts.
- Arriving & Warming Up: We begin with gentle movement, breathing, and awareness exercises designed to help you settle in and become attentive to yourself and your surroundings. All activities can be adapted to accommodate a range of physical abilities, experiences, and health needs.
- Guided Exploration: Investigating specific sensory prompts, somatic textures, and improvisational exercises.
- Creative Practice & Reflection: Translating movement into form, featuring open opportunities for shared observation and community reflection.
More Workshop Sessions: Please use links below to register for another session.
- Friday, September 18 from 5:00 – 8:00pm
- Friday, October 16 from 5:00 – 8:00pm
- Friday, November 20 from 5:00 – 8:00pm
About the Artist: An interdisciplinary dance artist, choreographer, performer, and educator with over 30 years of experience, Christian Burns’ work merges classical ballet training with improvisation and somatic practice. His inquiry often centers on how we move, perceive, and connect through presence, exploring the intersection of choreography, improvisation, and lived experience. He has performed with leading international companies including Alonzo King LINES Ballet, James Sewell Ballet, and The Forsythe Company, and co-founded influential spaces for experimentation such as The Foundry and Parsons Hall Project Space.
Burns was invited to the Donkey Mill Art Center as our first long-term Artist in Residence supported by the prestigious Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts grant. Throughout his residency, he has guided our community in motion—from site-specific movement explorations to collaborative art and reflection sessions—designed to bridge the worlds of visual art, movement, and embodied awareness.
About Our Programs: As a place of convergence, the Mill serves as both a community and a physical place–celebrating the power of the arts, bringing people, ideas and perspectives together. We are proud to offer adult and youth programs that focus on awareness of one’s individuality in the contexts of family, community and the natural world. Our exhibitions provide a space to reflect, share perspectives and grow as a community. Our classes & workshops are designed to inspire creativity, foster connections, and provide enriching experiences for all participants. We invite you to join us in the studio.
