Stuart Waters
2009/10
My Scholarship from LUTSF was to cover the expenses to fly to New York to study Klein technique with Susan Klein herself for one week. Although Klein technique did not become an integral part of my practice as a contemporary dance artist it was an important trigger in a chain of events that changed my career.
At the time of the scholarship I had recently finished two very long full time contracts with touring companies. At this point I was searching for a resolution to the never-ending question, “what next?” I was searching for a way to deepen my existing skill set and develop new skills through fresh experiences with a different perspectives and knowledge.
In reflection being awarded the Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund was a profound moment even though I was not fully aware of it at the time.
Stuart Waters
At this point my career had heavily been about delivery, I wanted something back for my body and mind. This introduction to Klein technique opened the door to a more somatic approach to my practice. This experience also opened up my mind and the questions just kept coming. I wanted more self- development as a simultaneous training to go along side my performing and teaching career. Naturally this lead me to seek out the areas I felt were missing from being a performer and dance leader. The space to enquire became very attractive leading to self funded training at international contact festivals, teaching and training dancers in Ethiopia, being accepted onto the Dance Uk mentoring programme and embarking on a Masters degree at The London School of Contemporary Dance.
In reflection being awarded the Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund was a profound moment even though I was not fully aware of it at the time. It was a stepping stone that has fed my desire to learn and develop, as well as drip feeding into my own delivery and passing on the knowledge I have experienced as a dance leader and choreographer. This somatic experience also features in my delivery as a performer looking inside my self to find authentic ways to be present in the moment during performance.