Move Your Body!
Summer 2025 Classes
Workshops are taught by residency company members and guest teaching artists.
Classes are $25 per session and held at The Yard unless otherwise noted below.
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Residency Workshops
Each guest residency company will teach a movement workshop specific to their style.
Photo: Janiya Pearson by Michelle Reid Photography
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Workshops and Master Classes
New and old friends of the Yard teach a variety of popular movement classes.
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Kids Do Dance
Our popular dance program for youth ages 6-12. Registration required.
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The VineYard Series: Yoga on the Vine
June 22 - August 15
Our 2025 programs - Registration opens April 24
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MOVEMENT SPEAKS: Modern Dance For Life with Naomi Goldberg Haas, June 30 - July 5
90 minute sessions start at 11 am. Registration is encouraged. Drop-ins are welcome.
This daily workshop series is for the dancer coming back to the studio seeking improved mental and physical health, social interaction, and greater quality of life. Enjoy moving with full expression and purpose that integrates the thinking body with the emotional body. Emphasis on correct alignment, articulation and connected movement. A floor work section influenced by pilates and yoga. Large adaptable phrases conclude the class with a moment of gratitude.
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The VineYard Series: Yoga on the Vine - June 22 - August 15
Vinyasa Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 am & Saturdays at 9 am. Mat Pilates Wednesdays at 8 am
To register visit https://www.yogaonthevine.com/classchedule
Join Lora Ksieniewicz and the team from Yoga On The Vine as they offer an invigorating and grounding vinyasa practice in the beautiful open-air studio at The Yard in Chilmark. This serene, covered space with barn doors that open up to nature invites you to move, breathe, and connect in rhythm with the natural world—without worrying about the elements. Rooted in the flowing, intentional yoga sequences that define Yoga on the Vine, alongside an approach to Classical Pilates that defines our sister studio, Aligned Pilates. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or newer to the mat, you'll be guided with clarity and care, surrounded by ocean breezes, birdsong, and the green, rural Chilmark landscape. -
Jody Sperling/Time Lapse Dance: Communi-tree Dance Workshop, July 9
90 minute sessions start at 11 am. All are welcome! No prior dance experience necessary. Registration is encouraged. Drop-ins are welcome.
An accessible movement workshop that facilitates embodied connections between ourselves and the natural world. We draw inspiration from the way trees collaborate via the “wood-wide-web” to form intricate, multi-species societies. Participants will practice rooting, standing tall, branching out, and forging new connections. The workshop culminates with Jody and company teaching a movement sequence from their dance Arbor. omatically-informed Movement Improvisation: You don’t have to be a dance professional to experience movement improvisation.
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Kids Do Dance, July 14-18 (Session 1)
Our popular dance program for youth ages 6-12 offers a dynamic, innovative approach to movement for young people led by dance educators.
Sessions held from 9 am - 12 noon at The Yard Studio, Chilmark.
Theme for Session 1: Metamorphosis in Motion.
Dive into a magical week of dance where young performers (ages 6-12) will explore the beauty and rhythms of nature through self-expression and collaborative dance-making. Inspired by the transformation of butterflies, campers will choreograph their own dances, blending movement, imagination, and the wonders of the earth. They’ll design their own butterfly wings, experiment with flowing fabric, and bring their ideas to life while mentored by dancers/teachers/choreographers from NYC and the Island. The week concludes with a special Friday performance, where the young artists will showcase their unique creations for family and friends.
$400 per session. Some scholarships available. Email info@dancetheyard.org for details.
Kids Do Dance is funded in part by the Couch Family Foundation.
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Red Clay Dance - AfroContemporary Dance Workshop - July 23
75 minute session starts at 11 am.
Afro-Contemporary Dance class, Intermediate/Advanced Level Movers
Come and learn the techniques that are the foundations of Red Clay Dance Company’s signature movement style. This class will explore the intersectionality of African Diaspora techniques found in Dunham and Chicago House. Class focuses on the Africanist esthetics of the supple spine, liberated pelvis, polyrhythms in the body, and dynamic range.
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Kids Do Dance, July 28 - Aug. 1 (Session 2)
Sessions held from 9 am - 12 noon at The Yard Studio, Chilmark.
Theme for Session 2: Movement for Change: Dance and Environmental Justice.
Young dancers (ages 6-12) will explore the power of movement to tell stories about the environment and the importance of protecting our planet. Campers will learn how dance can be a powerful tool for raising awareness about environmental issues, from climate change to conservation, and how it can inspire action for a more sustainable future. They will develop their dance technique while creating original pieces that reflect their thoughts and ideas on topics like protecting nature, advocating for clean air and water, and honoring the planet’s resources. The week concludes with a Friday performance where the dancers will showcase their work, sharing their voices for environmental justice with family and friends.
$400 per session. Some scholarships available. Email info@dancetheyard.org for details.
Kids Do Dance is funded in part by the Couch Family Foundation.
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Kids Do Dance, Aug 4-8 (Session 3)
Sessions held from 9 am - 12 noon at The Yard Studio, Chilmark.
Theme for Session 3: Dancing the Island.
Young dancers (ages 6-12) will spend the week creating original dances inspired by the beauty of Martha’s Vineyard. Drawing from the island’s coastal landscapes, farms, and vibrant communities, campers will develop their dance technique while exploring the creative process of choreography. With the guidance of experienced dancers, teachers, and choreographers from NYC and the Vineyard, they will collaborate to bring their unique ideas to life through movement. The week culminates in a special Friday performance, where they will showcase their dances for family and friends.
$400 per session. Some scholarships available. Email info@dancetheyard.org for details.
Kids Do Dance is funded in part by the Couch Family Foundation.
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Movement Scoring: A Summer Dance Workshop with Catherine Kirk: August 12-14 & Aug. 16
90 minute sessions start at 11 am.
Intermediate/Advanced modern dance workshop taught by Catherine Kirk. Catherine performed for The Yard last summer as part of the A.I.M by Kyle Abraham ensemble. Her choreographic phrase work uniquely pulls from a blend of contemporary, release, and post-modern modalities engrained with her own ancestral movement form. The class will approach movement with maximal sensation and less effort.
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Dance Theatre of Harlem Ballet Master Classes, August 21-23
90 minute sessions start at 11 am.
Venues: The Yard Studio and Vineyard Arts Project (TBD)
Master classes follow the standard form of warm up at the barre, center work and movement across the floor. Open to intermediate and advanced-level dancers, ages 16 and up.