Facilitator(s): Amber Borotsik & Dave Horak

Actors are often told that they are “in their head” but what does this actually mean?  The
assumption seems to be that being in one's head is an undesirable state of being but is that
actually true?  And – here comes the million dollar question –  how does one get “out of
their head” and into a state of being that unifies mind and body? These are the questions
that provide the focus for this class, team taught by Dave Horak and Amber
Borotsik.  Please come ready to move, but also to think, speak and ponder this weird and
wonderful puzzle.

Bio:

Amber Borotsik

Amber Borotsik is an Edmonton based creator and performer keenly interested in the intersection between theatre and contemporary dance practices. To date, Amber has created three full length works (Scythe, Backwater, The Moon at Midnight) and numerous shorter works (Here. Like this.) in collaboration with her husband Jesse Gervais. The Moon at Midnight premiered in Edmonton then toured to Winnipeg (Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers), Calgary (The Fluid Festival) and Regina (New Dance Horizons) as a part of the Prairie Dance Circuit.

Amber has performed in both theatre and dance across Canada, the United States and in Japan; and has received three Sterling Awards (Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role – Little One, Choreography/Fight Direction and Independent Production – Scythe) and the TELUS Courage to Innovate award at the Mayor’s Evening for the Arts. Last fall she remixed choreography with Studio 303 in Montreal and Neighbourhood Dance Works in St. John’s Newfoundland as a part of the REMIX Exchange.

Dave Horak

Dave Horak is a director, actor, and teacher who has worked throughout Canada and the United States and is Artistic Director of the award-winning Edmonton Actors Theatre that has produced Stupid F##king Bird, A sort of adaptation of The Seagull, Burning Bluebeard, Fatboy, and The Waste Land. Other directing credits include Going, Going, Gone and The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (Teatro La Quindicina), Footloose, Curtains, and Company (MacEwan University) A Few Good Men (Keyano Theatre), Measures; The Musical, The Inspector General, Cloud Nine (Citadel Theatre Young Company), Sartre’s Shorts, Act Without Words (Surreal SoReal Theatre), and Eurydice (U of A Studio Theatre). Dave has taught at MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts Program, The Citadel Foote Theatre School, The University of Alberta and at Red Deer College. Dave holds BFA (Acting) and MFA (Directing) degrees from the University of Alberta and was a participant in the 2015-16 Citadel/ Banff Professional Theatre Program.