What is FoCo Technique™?:
FoCo Technique™ is an original contemporary dance technique developed by Yue Yin incorporated Chinese classical dance elements, folk forms, ballet vocabulary and contemporary movement. The technique draws inspiration from the essence of the five elements of the iChing — Earth, Wood, Water, Metal, Fire
What is FoCo Technique™ Class?:
The FoCo Technique™ class requires sophisticated understanding of dance technique and demands strong physical and mental stamina. The FoCo Technique training is 75 min and it starts with an active follow-along sequence including Activating, Rooting and Mapping. In each of these sections, students are led by the instructor to develop awareness in muscular structure and response in order to achieve precision and control, identify and embody rhythmic pattern and dynamic change, form strong interaction and connection with gravity and generate heat in the body to prepare for the choreography. In a 90 min dance class, either a specific phrase work will be created and taught in details or a guided movement research will follow after the final stage in FoCo Technique (mapping). Through learning and exploring the movement, students will experience the coaching style, utilize the FoCo toolbox to explore the quality of the movement in a performative fashion.
How do we train dancers in FoCo Technique™?:
FoCo Technique using a three stage training system to guide the progress of the training. The class is conducted in follow-along style and streamlined to a continuous flow and motion following the rhythmic scale Pulse, Drop and Flow.
Stage 1: Activating: Conditioning body and mind at the beginning of the session. Establishing bodily awareness, connection and isolation; Generating heat response within the whole body while paying special attention to upper body.
Stage 2: Rooting: Strengthening and grounding the lower body and enhancing the bodily relationship with the gravity by exercising different rhythmic progression as well as intensity in hips, knees and ankles.
Stage 3: Mapping: Threading, exploring and observing the transition and movement pathways externally and internally.
Following along a continuous movement sequence through three progressive stages, dancers will define tension, gravity, clarity and precision of the movement and develop a heightened sense of awareness and understanding of FoCo Technique™.
What is FoCo Elements Class?:
FoCo Elements class was developed by Yue Yin to introduce the FoCo training method to movers of all training backgrounds and technical levels. FoCo Elements class is taught under the guidance of Yue Yin and following the fundamental principles of FoCo Technique™, incorporating follow-along sequences, patterned and structured exercises and improvisation to explore the elements of FoCo through Activating, Rooting and Mapping stages. FoCo Elements class is currently taught by Grace Whitworth.
