Hello, I’m amanda banks
I grew up in England dancing from the age of three, and have my mum’s and aunt’s teaching to thank for setting me on the movement path. Age 15 or so, a remarkable teacher and life-long friend, Anna Carlisle, nudged this path in the direction of contemporary dance. I trained at London Contemporary Dance School in the early 90’s, and lived the fortunate life of a dancer for many years, choreographing, performing, and teaching with dance companies in the UK and Europe. As a freelance practitioner I led workshops, residencies, and performance projects for dance professionals in Europe and Africa, and choreographed for professional and community performance events. I also worked with schools, investigating how creative movement can facilitate children’s body-and-mind development and support their academic learning. On moving to the USA in 2011, my teaching practice extended to include theatre and musical theatre actors, and adults in community settings.
Throughout my professional life, the legacy of Rudolph Laban has been present. Having been introduced to Laban by Anna in my youth, I continued with further training through the Laban Guild, UK. My thanks goes to teachers including Anna Carlisle, Walli Meier, Valerie Preston-Dunlop, Geraldine Stephenson, Marion North and Warren Lamb, for their inspirational teachings. More recently in North America, I trained with Laban/Bartenieff Somatic Studies International. I am deeply grateful to LSSI’s director Janet Kaylo, faculty Nadine Saxton, Charlotte Darbyshire, Amy Voris, and Amy Matthews, and guest teachers Penny Cookson and Dianne Woodruff for the transformational impact of their teaching. As well as enriching my application of Laban and Bartenieff, the training foregrounded somatic practice. Inclusion of body systems, experiential anatomy, and authentic movement was especially powerful for me, as taught by Charlotte and Amy Voris, who themselves trained with the Institute for Integrative Bodywork & Movement Therapy.
Today, somatic practice is central to my work and, whether I am working with actors, dancers, children, or 70-somethings, our embodied nature is primary.