Kayla Schiltgen, a local screendance artist, will be holding creative movement classes at the Two Harbors Public Library this May for individuals ages 16 and older. Classes will be held May 2nd, 9th, 23rd, and 30th from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. The classes will explore “solitude and the natural environment”, and sessions will include a “warm-up, gentle stretching, playful dance activities tailored to the group, and a cool down.” Participants will be “invited to reflect on their experiences during class, contributing to the development of Kayla’s newest screendance film.” At the conclusion of the classes, each participant will receive an art postcard created by Schiltgen.
Schiltgen, a 2010 University of Minnesota graduate with a B.A. in Dance, she says of her art, “Guided by nature’s patterns, I explore my personal truth and mental health with profound honesty, prioritize felt experience over narrative structures, and assume all roles as choreographer/editor, dancer, and cinematographer in my screen dances. My approach reimagines traditional notions of dance performance celebrating radical authenticity and a lack of virtuosity so that audiences may find resonance in their own experiences. I call my choreography a tender rebellion, challenging societal norms by advocating for introspection and emotional vulnerability as powerful catalysts for personal, environmental, and collective healing.”
She is a fiscal year 2024 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This grant “provides support to help individual artists and culture bearers develop or sustain their creative practices and meaningfully engage with Minnesotans.”
The creative movement classes are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, with thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Kayla Schiltgen says she has a “special skill set in working with folks who have never danced before”, and all abilities are welcome to attend her creative movement classes. She calls the classes “creative movement” because they’re based on improvisation, feelings, moods, and emotions. The classes will also be a way to “see the community’s response”, and will help Schiltgen decide the storyboard for her new screendance, which will be filmed on the Superior Hiking Trail in September, which she plans to solo hike, camera in tow. “The film is really exploring solitude and the natural environment looking at gender, in particular the feminine experience of solitude.” She looks to ask the community about their experiences with solitude and the Superior Hiking Trail. “What stories do you have from being on the trail? What memories?”
“A lot of times, women who choose solitude get this, you know, it’s looked down upon,” Schiltgen says. “This film is inspired by this quote that essentially says, when a woman thinks alone she thinks evil.” This quote comes from the Malleus Maleficarum, a 15th-century witch hunt manual. Schiltgen goes on to say that this view says it’s not “an acceptable thing for a woman to choose to be by themself to choose something maybe a little different.” This screendance is a work-in-progress, as after filming is complete, Schiltgen will need to apply for another grant, learn about the technology she’ll use to complete the project, and finish putting it all together. Once it is complete, she plans to install it somewhere in Two Harbors. This film will be a more immersive experience, with multiple screens making it look like the viewer is walking alongside Schiltgen on the trail.
Participants can sign up for classes by visiting or calling the library, and they are welcome to attend any or all classes, or just drop in at the class. Participants are encouraged to bring a yoga mat for ease of stretching on the floor.
Kayla Schiltgen also has a performance August 24 of her new solo, “Is this magic?”, which blends live performance and screendance. It will be held at Lagom by Dept Two at 7:30 p.m. in Two Harbors.
