A morning class for experienced contemporary dancers, to resdicover sustainable, soft and spacious movement in a professional and inclusive room.

Techniques explored are drawn from holisitc and low-impact movement modalities, extending the body's range and pace without burning it out. Over time, you will use these skills to dynamically adapt the class to your own body and body cycles, developing self-awareness and adaptability in your dance practice.

This an independent artist-run class, which was started in 2026 to fill a gap in our local scene for professional artists who may not be practicing often enough to feel comfortable attending other advanced classes, and for intermediate and vocational dancers curious about the intersections of physical practice and self-care.

It's designed for anyone who feels at home in the complexity of pro class, while also being responsive to individuality and a desire to move fully with ease.

“I don’t normally feel comfortable in technique classes but came away feeling genuinely welcomed and included. Patrick created such a warm, supportive, and inclusive environment where everyone could participate in their own way. It was a joyful experience I’d happily recommend to anyone looking for a welcoming, encouraging space to move and connect.

I was surprised by how much I learned in such a short time – I developed movement techniques and creative skills I didn’t know I had, and it gave me the confidence to explore movement in a completely new way.” – Interdisciplinary artist & performer

Is this class for me?

If you are:

a dancer or physical theatre practitioner with at least three years of practice, recent or not

someone who enjoys intermediate but inclusive classes, and exploring nuanced movement skills for mobility and fluidity

open to exploring and responding to your own body and needs in a class that treats dancers equally and respectfully across students’ individual journeys

curious about (re-)engaging with your practice in a holistic, generative way that meets you as you are

Then this class is intended for you.

If you are:

looking for an accessible class to begin your journey with dance

prefer to come into classes where you'll be challenged with a lot of quick instructions and little space to unpack things

solely interested in processes, techniques or values that align more with exclusivity or elitism

mostly interested in this class because you’re curious about learning from a teacher whose body is different to yours, or interested in working with or learning from disabled artists

Then this class isn’t intended for you. But feel free to check out the beginner, pro or seniors classes at your local dance organisations and companies.

Please note this class is taught by a teaching artist, not a qualified dance teacher, and techniques are drawn from the teacher’s own choreographic and movement practices. It is intended to compliment the practices of trained dancers, and is less accessible for dancers who don't have as much technical experience with contemporary or ballet. If you're not sure if you have the right experience level for this class, you're welcome to reach out to me first so we can discuss your goals and needs for participating equally in this class.

Class Plan

9:30am - 9:40am Grounding & Check-in (mindfulness & number check-in)

9:40am - 10am Warm-up (floor & standing)

10am - 10:15am Sequence 1 (floorwork)

10:15am - 10:30am Sequence 2 (standing & balance)

10:30am - 10:45am Sequence 3 (travelling)

10:45am - 10:55am Sequence 4 (devised with students)

10:55am - 11am Cool-down (stretching & self-guided recovery)

To offer a holistic and responsive learning environment for all dancers, each class is capped at 15 students.

About the teacher

Patrick Gunasekera (he/him) is an interdisciplinary dancer, choreographer, producer and emerging teaching artist based on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar. Since 2014 he has created several improvised and ritual score-based solo works, and since 2023 developed a choreographic focus on contemporary narrative ballet. He currently maintains movement practices in contemporary, ballet, and improvised performance. He has taught dance classes independently since 2024, mainly exploring responsive and inclusive class structures, and teaching techniques developed through his own highly interdisciplinary and bodily autonomy-focused performance practices.

Detailed Access Info

​ King Street Arts Centre in the CBD. Getting here from Perth Train Station is an 8-minute walk / 10-minute flat manual roll with lopsided paths. Getting here from Perth Busport is a 7-minute walk / 10-minute manual roll with one long uphill (flat on the left). It is next to CPP His Majesty's carpark on Murray St.

​ Entrance on Murray St has a sliding door, 2 steps, a break, then 3 steps. Accessible entrance on Munster Lane has a locked sliding door - please email me ahead of time if you want this entrance on the day.

This class will usually be in Studio 1, and occasionally in a different room. Here is how to find each studio:

• Studio 1: Take lift to Level 2, turn right. Door is on the left, opposite Green Room.

• Studio 2: Take lift to Level 2, turn left. Door is on the right, opposite hallway to kitchen.

• Studio 3: Take lift to Level 2, turn left. Keep going down the hallway to the end of the metal ramp, door is on the left.

You will need to take your shoes off in Studios 1, 2 and 3.

If you're bringing wheels, please wipe them down as best you can on the doormat before entering Studios 1, 2 or 3.

Lights are a mix of adjustable warm and natural lighting.

Music through speakers is mostly acoustic and grounding, volume can be adjusted. Sometimes I play music in the background while giving instructions, but we can work without background music too.

A wellbeing corner with stim toys and breathing exercises will be set up near the entrance, you are welcome to sit out there anytime.

Studio windows can't be opened. The teacher wears an N95 mask, and spare N95 masks and hand sanitiser will be available in the wellbeing corner.

​ All rooms have some air conditioning, but as the building is quite old it's best to dress appropriately for the weather. The green room (also on Level 2) has better air conditioning if you need somewhere to cool down in after class.

Studio 2 has a mirror along one wall that can't be covered, Studios 1 and 3 have mirrors that can be turned around.

This is a consensual touch-only class, and will not involve physical contact unless a student requests physical guidance from me to help them learn a particular step.

I have a responsive teaching style, so the speed and complexity of movements are determined by the capacity of everyone in the room - I’m used to giving different options the room can choose from, and appreciate being told what works best for different dancers and sensitively integrating this range into the class.

My teaching process involves verbal instructions and guided movement exercises, visual demonstrations and breakdowns of planned sequences, and clear and practical prompts for discovering new movements or nuances yourself through improvisation. It matters to me that the steps and ideas we learn are delivered in ways that are affirming and helpful for you. I check in about and work at the preferred pace of the room, and will sometimes give the room a task to do themselves while I individually work with students who learn best with more time or one-on-one help.

You are always welcome and encouraged to adjust movements and instructions to make them work for you. If you ever feel stuck doing this, you are welcome to speak with me, or I’m happy for you to find your own process yourself – please let me know if you’d prefer some aspects of the class to discreetly include more time, so you can keep up with everyone else while developing your own approaches to the tasks.

If you have any questions, concerns, requests or feedback about this class, I would love to hear from you - please click "Contact host" under the event dates at the top of the page, or in the Host section below.

Header illustration by p gunasekera