With several EU restrictions on international travel soon to be eased, this July we're able to once again host the OBOC in the spacious studios of our partner Henny Jurriëns Studio (HJS) in Amsterdam from 24 July - 3 August! Working for ten full days with Countertechnique Founder and former Chunky Move Artistic Director Anouk van Dijk, Master Countertechnique Teacher Nina Wollny, Senior Countertechnique Teachers Jenia Kasatkina and Elita Cannata, Countertechnique Teacher Lauren Langlois and Alexander Technique expert Tom Koch, the OBOC offers a wealth of information and lots of lush dancing, to both first time and returning participants.
The OBOC Intensive is for professional dancers and advanced dance students interested in pursuing a long, healthy and successful career in dance. First time participants will gain a detailed introduction to the distinct elements and methodology that form Countertechnique, while returning participants will have the opportunity to deepen and expand their understanding. Through physical practice, theory, discourse and creative workshops, participants will gain a set of practical tools that they will be able to draw from and apply in their daily dance practice and through performance seasons.
The 2021 OBOC Intensive in Amsterdam will run for ten full days. Daily Countertechnique classes and Practical Tools sessions will be run by Countertechnique Founder Anouk van Dijk, and either Master Teacher Nina Wollny or Senior Teacher Jenia Kasatkina. In addition to this, Countertechnique Teacher Lauren Langlois will offer insights in Anouk van Dijk’s extensive choreographic repertoire for Chunky Move, Countertechnique Teacher Elita Cannata will run additional Countertechnique classes to her infamous techno beats, and Alexander Technique teacher Tom Koch will introduce his specific approach of Alexander Technique for dancers, in both plenary and individual sessions. As main elective workshops, Anouk van Dijk will invite you into her creative process, and Nina Wollny will share her fascination for the paradox of performing. The OBOC will conclude with a sharing of the various workshops.
OBOC Amsterdam takes place in an intimate setting at the spacious Chassé Dance Studios, and only offers spots up to 48 participants. Previous editions have drawn a mix of participants from all around the world. The OBOC is the ultimate opportunity to immerse yourself in Countertechnique, and also an amazing event to meet other dancers, teachers and choreographers who are interested in pursuing long, creative careers and who love dancing!
Sat 24 July – Tue 3 August 2021 (day off: Thu 29 Jul)
All days: 9:30 am - 6:00 pm
Applicants must be able to attend the entire period
The full cost for the intensive is 975 EUR. A one-time Application Fee of 10 EUR (reduced 2021 rate) is required for all applicants.
Applications close on Thursday 3 June 2021 at midnight. Applicants will be notified by Sunday 13 June 2021.
Due to the limited number of places, we ask you to submit a personal motivation statement and CV for consideration in PDF format, together not exceeding two pages. An additional online dancer's reel is required, which should include footage shot in a studio (improvisation or choreography). Applications are considered based on motivation and entrance level.
Find the registration form here: Apply Now
For any additional questions, please consult our FAQ page
The OBOC will be held at the Chassé Studios in Amsterdam, located in Amsterdam-East. We will be using three spacious studios, measuring 24 m x 18 m, 27.5 m x 11 m, and 8 x 10 m (for Alexander Technique only). All participants are responsible for arranging their own housing, but options to explore will be provided by the organisation.
Anouk van Dijk is a choreographer, artistic director and the creator of the movement system, Countertechnique. From 2012 - 2019, she was the Artistic Director of renowned contemporary dance company Chunky Move in Melbourne, Australia. Currently Anouk van Dijk works as a freelance choreographer and is the Artistic Director of Countertechnique.
Anouk van Dijk spent the first ten years of her career as a lead soloist for Rotterdam Dance Company and Amanda Miller’s Pretty Ugly Dance Company. From early on, she was attracted to choreography and from the late nineties committed herself exclusively to the conception, creation and performance of her own work. In 1999, Van Dijk founded her own company, anoukvandijk dc, dedicated to creating work that sought to provide an insight into the many facets of the human experience through the lens of contemporary dance.
During her tenure of Artistic Director of Chunky Move in Melbourne, Australia, she created several large scale productions, amongst others An Act of Now (2012), Complexity of Belonging (2014, with Falk Richter), Depth of Field (2015), Rule of Thirds (2016), Common Ground (2018). In 2019, she was commissioned to create Distant Matter with the artists of Staatsballet Berlin in 2019. She has also created works in collaboration with writer/director Falk Richter for Schaubuehne Berlin, Schauspiel Frankfurt, Duesseldorf Schauspielhaus, and recently for Munich Kamerspiele the multi-disciplinairy show TOUCH (2020). Currently Anouk van Dijk is preparing a large work for Skanes Dansteater and Malmö Opera and Symphony Orchestra (premiere December 2021).
In her career Anouk van Dijk has created more than thirty full-length works that toured to the world’s leading festivals and venues including Adelaide Festival, Sydney Opera House, Schaubuehne Berlin, Dance Triennale Tokyo, American Dance Festival, Theater der Welt (Hamburg), SPRING International Performing Arts Festival and Festival d'Avignon. Read more about Anouk in this interview.
Nina Wollny is a performer and Master Teacher Countertechnique. From 2002-2012, she was a featured artist in all of Anouk van Dijk's work, including Amour Fou (2003), Borrowed Landscapes (2007), and An Act of Now (2012). She has performed in Safe Places (2016) by Anouk van Dijk and Falk Richter at Schauspiel Frankfurt, and in their work Trust (2009-2019) at Schaubühne Berlin. As a freelance performer, she featured in Falk Richter's staging of David Bowie's Lazarus in Hamburg. Since 2013 she has been a core ensemble member in the works of choreographer Jenny Beyer, amongst others performing the works DÉBUT and Fluss (2018). Since 2016 Nina has also been working with Mia Habib Productions in Oslo, and has performed in A song to..., ALL - A physical poem of protest and most recently How to die - Inopiné.
Alongside performing, Nina Wollny has been teaching Countertechnique since 2004, and has been instrumental in the development of the technique over the past fifteen years. Together with Anouk van Dijk, she has been running the One Body, One Career Intensive since 2006 and the Countertechnique Teacher Training program since 2012. She is also Program Manager for the Countertechnique organisation. Her classes and workshops are popular around the world, and she has been representing Countertechnique at various cities in Europe, Asia, North-America, Russia and Australia. Read more about Nina in this interview.
Jenia Kasatkina is rehearsal director, choreographer and Senior Teacher Countertechnique. Currently Jenia is working with Norrdans (Sweden) as their rehearsal director, and with Holland Opera (Netherlands) as a choreographer. Jenia also collaborates frequently with Anouk van Dijk as her choreographic assistant and rehearsal direcor. Jenia studied contemporary dance at the Rotterdam Dance Academy (Codarts). After graduation in 2009, she has worked with several companies and choreographers such as: Anouk van Dijk, Jack Gallagher, Arno Schuitemaker, Leine&Roebana, Norrdans, De Stilte, United-C, ALBA theaterhuis, Korzo Productions, among the others. In 2012 Jenia became a certified Countertechnique teacher and since then she is teaching extensively at different places and companies in Europe and beyond, such as Skånes Dansteater (Sweden), Norrdans (Sweden), Cullberg (Sweden), Danish Dance Theatre (Denmark), Codarts Rotterdam University of the Arts (Netherlands), AHK Amsterdam University of Arts (Netherlands), HJS Amsterdam (Netherlands), De Stilte (Netherlands), TSEKH International Centre for Dance and Performance (Russia), BaletMoskva (Russia), Open Look St. Petersburg International festival (Russia), Tanzquartier Wien (Austria), Ballet Landestheater Linz (Austria), Staatstheater Kassel (Germany), Tanztheater Braunschweig (Germany), Dance Theatre Heidelberg (Germany), among the others. Read more about Jenia in this interview.
Lauren Langlois is performer, choreographer and Teacher Countertechnique. Lauren has been touring with Peeping Tom since 2020 for Triptych: The missing door, The lost room and The hidden floor. She studied classical ballet at the Marie Walton-Mahon Dance Academy in Sydney before training in contemporary dance at the New Zealand School of Dance. Lauren began her career with the Australian Dance Theatre from 2008-2010, performing and touring in two of the company’s major works G and Be Your Self. In 2011, she joined Sydney Dance Company under Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela, performing in LANDforms, 6 Breaths, We Unfold, The Land of Yes and The Land of No.
In 2012, Lauren relocated to Melbourne to join Chunky Move for Keep Everything, created by Antony Hamilton, for which she nominated for the Helpmann, Green Room and Australian Dance Awards. Since then, Lauren has been collaborating with Anouk van Dijk intensively, performing in An Act of Now (2012), 247 Days (2013), Complexity of Belonging (2014) and LUCID (2016). For her work in Complexity of Belonging, she received the 2015 Green Room Award for Best Female Dancer. Lauren has also collaborated independently with Force Majeure, Lucy Guerin Inc, Stephanie Lake Company, Antony Hamilton, Prue Lang, Chamber Made and Ross McCormack. Lauren was the recipient of the prestigious 2017 Tanja Liedtke Fellowship and has since been commissioned to choreograph works for the New Zealand School of Dance, Footnote New Zealand Dance Company, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Chunky Move and Sydney Dance Company.
In 2016, Lauren became a certified Countertechnique teacher and enjoys teaching students and professional dancers in Australia and overseas. Read more about Lauren in this interview.
Certified Teacher of the Alexander Technique
Tom Koch pursued his Bachelor of Arts in Theater, with a minor study in History of Science, at University of Missouri-Kansas City. After being certified to teach in 1987 by the American Center for the Alexander Technique in New York, he was a pioneer in integrating the Alexander Technique with ballet movement and education, particularly for resolving chronic pain and repetitive injuries. He was for years the Alexander Technique teacher for William Forsythe’s groundbreaking Ballet Frankfurt (later the Forsythe Company). He has also taught group and private lessons for Netherlands Dance Theater, Tanztheater Wuppertal (Pina Bausch), the Dutch National Ballet, Sydney Dance Company, Chunky Move, La Biennale di Venezia College Danza, Codarts University, L’Artère, Studio 303, Henny Jurriëns Studio in Amsterdam, and many others. For fifteen years, he has collaborated with his former student Anouk van Dijk to teach the annual One Body, One Career Intensive (OBOC) for dancers, in Amsterdam and Melbourne, and more recenty also Montréal. His work is not limited to dance, but includes a wide range of artists in all forms of dance, music and theater. He also has taught the technique to doctors, writers, scientists, secretaries, architects and police agents. In recent years, his private practice focuses mainly on helping those with chronic pain find improved movement and living strategies. Read more about Tom on his website.
Elita Cannata is a Senior Countertechnique Teacher and a rehearsal director. Born in Italy, Elita is currently based in Amsterdam. She has studied Countertechnique since 2005 and performed for anoukvandijk dc in 2007 and 2008. She attended her first Countertechnique Teacher Training (CTTT) program in 2014, returned to the CTTT in 2018 and progressed to the level Senior Teacher.
Elita Cannata graduated with a Bachelor of Dance in 2007 at Rotterdam Dance Academy / Codarts in the Netherlands and in 2011 got her MA in Theories of Performing Arts at the Università degli Studi in Bologna. During and after her graduation she danced for José Navas, Megumi Nakamura, anoukvandijk dc, Cathy Sharp Ensemble, Compagnia Tpo, Tan Temel, Samuele Cardini, Lynsey Peisinger, Fabio Liberti, Itzik Galili, David Middendorp, and Fabrizio Favale, among others. Next to her dance and teaching career, she has worked as a rehearsal director with Project Sally and Another Kind of Blue. She is now a returning guest teacher Countertechnique at Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT). Read more about Elita in this interview.
Elita Cannata, Jenia Kasatkina, Lauren Langlois, Anouk van Dijk, Nina Wollny
Sat 24 Jul – Wed 28 Jul,
09:30 – 18:00
Fri 30 Jul – Tue 3 Aug,
09:30 – 18:00
Henny Jurriëns Studio (HJS)
Amsterdam (NL)