Alexander Technique for Dancers
2026-06-20 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
INTRO TO THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE FOR DANCERS
with Larry Young, AmSat certified teacher
In this 90-minute introductory workshop, dancers will learn core AT principles and basic anatomy to help release chronic tension, improve dynamic alignment, and prevent injury. Discover how to enhance your stage presence and execute movement with grace and efficiency.
• Redefine Your Technique: Learn to stop habitual, unnecessary muscular gripping so you can direct your energy exactly where it needs to go.
• Injury Prevention: Understand your natural biomechanics and how to protect joints during high-impact sequences and demanding choreography.
• Unleash Expression: Shift your focus from “looking right in the mirror” to the organic process of moving, granting your body greater emotional and theatrical range. We will explore how to move more in accordance with the way the body is actually designed.
Workshop Details • Date & Time: Saturday, June 20 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
• Location: MAGMA, Gloucester, MA
• Cost: $20 in advance, $25 day-of
BUY NOW
About Larry Young:
Larry is an AmSat certified teacher, completing training in 1992. The American Society for the Alexander Technique (AmSAT) is the largest professional organization of teachers of the Alexander Technique in the United States. Larry came to study this technique thirty years ago to learn how to become comfortable in his body and to help improve his violin playing and singing, but quickly discovered that using it also greatly improved mental attitude as well. He has studied with the late Marjorie Barstow, who was the first person to graduate from F.M. Alexander’s first teacher training program in 1933 as well as with numerous second generation teachers including Nelly Ben-Or, Mara Sokolsky, Bruce Fertman, Betsy Polatin, Jessica Wolf, Barbara Conable, and David Gorman. Larry is currently studying with Penelope Easten.

Drawn to Life
2026-06-21 15:00 - 17:00
An exploration and celebration of movement through the mediums of drawing and dance. Participants will be guided through exercises designed to enhance expression and depiction of movement through pose exploration and simple drawing exercises.

Appropriate for movers, artists, and humans of all backgrounds; no technical training required.

Facilitated by Jeremy Frias, $10-20 suggested donation. SIGN UP NOW or at the door

Please feel free to email jeremyfrias@gmail.com with any questions and/or accommodation requests.

Summer Series: Contemporary + Improvisation
2026-07-02 18:00 - 20:00
Summer Series: Contemporary + Improvisation
Thursdays Nights 6-8pm
All July, check out our Contemporary Dance Technique and Improvisation approaches with rotating guest teachers! All levels, some dance experience suggested.
$15 for one class, $20 for both.
July 2 – Sarah Slifer Swift – cancelled due to heat
July 9 – Molly Tupper – SIGN UP
July 16 – Betsy Miller – SIGN UP
July 23 – Sarah Slifer Swift
July 30 – Dawn Pratson

Workshop with Molly Tupper
2026-07-09 18:00 - 20:00
Molly Tupperis a dance educator, performer and choreographer on the North Shore. She studied dance and education at Smith College. She teaches ballet, modern dance, dance composition and Grounded Aerial bungee to all ages and abilities. Molly’s contemporary class includes a full-body warm up, floor work and choreographic phrases. Improvisation class will move through guided personal movement exploration and group compositional scores.
One class for $15 or both for $20
6-7pm Contemporary Dance SIGN UP
7-8pm Improvisation SIGN UP

Love Blast
2026-07-10 19:30 - 22:00
Music Concert: Love Blast
Friday, July 10 from 8:00 pm-10pm at MAGMA
Doors open at 7:30 pm
Join the group Love Blast with Greta Bro on vocals, Stan Strickland on Saxophone and Flute, Mitchell Kossak on piano and vocals, Bruce Gertz on bass, Ricardo Frota on violin and percussion, for a Concert MAGMA Dance Studio, 11 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA 01930.
Love Blast is a collective of musicians from the Boston region who seek to uplift people and help transform culture and consciousness through their soulful explorations of music. Their concerts blend vocal and instrumental improvisation with popular and original compositions that draw on Soul, jazz fusion and world music.
There will be plenty of seats , refreshments and also plenty of room for dancing! MAGMA, Movement Arts Gloucester MA, is a center for classes, performances, workshops, and events.
Tickets Sliding scale $15-30 BUY NOW
tix also available at the door

Workshop: The Great Woven Adventure
2026-07-11 14:00 - 16:00
The Great Woven Adventure – The Fabric of Play
Art is the portal. Play is the way. The Quest is the adventure that weaves our way home.
Step inside Andy’s tapestries and Come Questing With Us! We’ll play and we’ll move. We’ll make sounds and tell stories. We’ll explore our deeper selves and claim the threads of our own becoming.
Andrea Pritchard (Andy) is an artist and Interplay certified leader. Julien Roberts and I will be guides on your Quest with us, but you will be your main and featured guide.
Cost: $20 BUY NOW or at the door

When the People Could Fly: a Somovement Journey
2026-07-12 16:00 - 18:30
Facilitated by Hadley Mays
Trance Dance, experiential anatomy and somatic movement for an integrated
body-mind and soul journey
This experience situates itself within a perspective, that there is no separation between the physical and the spiritual dimensions: the human experience is a spiritual experience, and the human body is both the material of and gateway to infinite dimensions of spirit and cosmos. We can navigate these dimensions through ecstatic and kinetic states of consciousness. Come fly with me: flight as dance, as soul venture, spirit journey and kinetic trance. Dive into a place where your vast interiority opens into the deep space of manifold intelligence.
The Practice begins with somatic movement to prepare our bodyminds for trance and the extended ranges of our somatic perceiving. Then we Trance Dance, a blindfolded ritual dance process using breath, movement, and rhythm. Trance Dance is a co-creative call to action with the sacred spirit world; our intention sets a course, our soul unfolds.
Cost: $25-40 sliding scale, no one turned away for lack of funds – BUY NOW
The Facilitator

Hadley Mays is a certified practitioner of the Trance Dance ritual, created by Wilbert Alix and Frank Natale from collected shamanic traditions and practices spanning over 40,000 years. She has lived, worked, trained, healed and played in altered states, trance and the visionary realms throughout my life in many different countries, cultures, and contexts.
Brief Bio
Hadley Mays is an interdisciplinary theater & movement artist, teacher of contemporary performance, and workshop facilitator, and I am currently on faculty at Boston Conservatory. She holds an MFA in Theater and Contemporary Performance, graduate studies in Psychology and Counseling, and many years of experience and independent research in culture, ritual, and performance studies.
Other details: Please wear comfortable clothing you can move in and something that you can use as a blindfold. Parking in Gloucester is free on Sundays, and there is a municipal lot catty cornered from MAGMA.

Workshop with Betsy Miller
2026-07-16 18:00 - 20:00
Class Description: Juicy Moves Modern Dance
This is an eclectic contemporary release technique class that pulls from a range of stylistic and philosophical approaches.
Class begins with a full-bodied floorwork-to-footwork warmup designed to activate our core and connect breath with movement while finding ease through anatomically efficient pathways. Through structured improvisations and set exercises, we will explore dynamics, weight shifts, flow, and the thrill of momentum. Class will finish with a juicy, high-energy dance phrase. This is an environment where we can explore movement, take risks, laugh, sweat, and ask questions.

Cost $15 for the first hour, $20 for 2 hours: SIGN UP

Betsy Miller Bio:
Born and raised in rural Ohio, Betsy Miller is a dance artist, educator, and facilitator now based in Salem, Massachusetts. Her choreography blends improvisational practice, ritual, athleticism, and theatricality through collaborative practices, and has been presented in venues across the country, from Jacksonville to Seattle and Las Vegas to Boston. She has performed with Lostwax Multimedia Dance and Fusionworks, and has appeared in works by Kathleen Hermesdorf, Heidi Henderson, Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp, Audrey MacLean and Rachel Boggia, and in collaborations with Matthew Cumbie, Lida Winfield, Meghan McLyman, and Shawn Hove. Miller was a 2025 and 2018 Salem Public Art Grantee, 2023 and 2017 Bates Dance Festival Artist in Residence, 2019 Next Steps for Boston Dance Awardee, and a 2016 Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Choreography Fellow. Currently serving as Associate Professor of Dance at Salem State University, Miller has been on faculty at Providence College, Connecticut College, Dean College, and AS220, and regularly teaches and performs as a guest artist throughout New England and beyond. She holds an MFA in Dance from The Ohio State University and a BA in Dance from Connecticut College.

SING
2026-07-17 18:15 - 19:30
SING meets every 3rd Friday of the month from 6:15-7:30pm
Led by Lisa Bouchie, SING uses a variety of improvisational structures to jump right into the joy of singing with others. No musical experience necessary, all are welcome!
Suggested donation $10-15, pay at the door, no advance registration required

Outlaw Championship Wrestling
2026-07-18 18:00 - 22:00
OCW: Blood Under The Sun
OCW is back once again with even more action. A Gloucester street fight open challenge, the OCW World title is on the line and much more!
Get your tickets via Eventbrite: CLICK HERE

Workshop with Sarah Slifer Swift
2026-07-23 18:00 - 20:00
Find ease, articulation, increased awareness and imagination through dance techniques, choreographic phrases, and improvisation scores.
6-7pm Technique, 7-8pm Improvisation
$15 for one hour, $20 for both BUY NOW

Contra Dance
2026-07-25 19:00 - 21:30 | MAGMA, 11 Pleasant St., Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
Easy to Learn New England Style Contra, Square & Circle Dances
with Caller Rose Sheehan, and musicians George Clements and Nathaniel Diamond-Jones
$15-25 sliding scale per person, notaflof, under 16 free
BUY TIX ONLINE Tix will also be available at the door.

The Crystal
2026-07-26 16:00 - 18:00 | MAGMA, 11 Pleasant St., Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
The Crystal is a contemplative dance practice using Authentic Movement, in which the mover becomes the oracle and the witnesses reflect and refract using silence, sound, movement and automatic writing. A profound experience of vulnerability, intimacy and connection.
suggested donation $10-20, pay at the event or ONLINE HERE

Latin Dance Social
2026-07-26 18:30 - 21:00
MAGMA welcomes Andres Giraldo from Salsa y Control dance studio and company for a one hour beginner salsa class followed by practice time. Lesson starts at 6pm, open dancing time is from 7-8pm.
SPECIAL PERFORMANCES: The Salsa y Control performance team will be there to perform, showcasing their latest routines they are readying for the Boston Salsa Festival.
Entry is $10-15, sliding scale – BUY ONLINE NOW, or at the door
MAGMA is on the top floor of the Brown Building at 11 Pleasant Street in Gloucester, a beautiful historic ballroom with ocean views.
All levels welcome, no partner required. Feel free to bring drinks as we do not sell any beverages.

Workshop with Dawn Pratson
2026-07-30 18:00 - 20:00 | MAGMA, 11 Pleasant St., Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
Technique 6-7pm
Improvisation 7-8pm
$15 per class, $20 for both SIGN UP
Class Description:
Dawn will teach some of her favorite movement sequences and improvisational structures, drawing from 40+ years of learning, teaching and performing. Warm-up and technique will focus on breath, grounding, flow, relaxation, alignment and experiencing body parts isolated and integrated which then move through space.
In the improvisation class we will work with individual and group scores that play with time, space and energy.
Bio:
Dawn Pratson is a musician, dancer, choreographer and educator with a background in arts therapy. She earned her BA in music and dance from the University of Hartford/Hartt School of Music and her master’s degree in Creative Arts in Therapy from Hahnemann Medical College, now Drexel University. A flutist, Dawn studied with Jeananne Celli, Thomas Nyfenger, John Wummer and Stanley Aronson, and currently studies with Elivi Varga. She has been studying piano most recently with Peter Simpkins and Jeffrey Nations. Dawn is a life-long student of movement and dance; significant dance studies included ten years of Humphrey-Limon and Graham technique and choreography with Ina Hahn, Laban Bartinieff training with numerous teachers, experiential anatomy/somatics with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and Nancy Topf, authentic movement and martial arts.

Jeannette Neill's Day of Dance
2026-08-08 - 2026-08-09
Once again, we are excited to have Jeannette Neill back at MAGMA to offer classes with fabulous faculty in our beautiful studio!
This year, we will also be presenting an informal, in-studio performance on Saturday, August 8, 2026 featuring works by: Sarah Slifer Swift, Laura Dow, Jeannette Neill, and The OYT Dancers
AUGUST 8 SCHEDULE

3:30pm – 5:00pmHORTON TECHNIQUE (Intermediate/Advanced) with Jim Viera, $30 per person

6:00pm – 7:30pmIN-STUDIO PERFORMANCE ​Featuring a performance by The OYT Dance Company, $5 suggested donation per person
AUGUST 9 SCHEDULE​

9:00am – 10:00amACTIVE STRETCH (All Levels) with Sarah Slifer Swift, $15 per person

10:00am – 11:45amJAZZ (Intermediate) with Jeannette Neill, $30 per person

12:00pm – 1:00pmTAP (Beginner / Intermediate) with Laura Dow, $15 per person

1:15pm – 2:45pm

LYRICAL JAZZ (Intermediate) with Sue Murray, $30 per person

For more information, contact Jeannette at jeannette@jndance.com.​​
(Cash, Check and Venmo @jeannette-neill accepted)
​ ** FREE Sunday parking at all street meters and parking lots in Gloucester! **

Ecstatic Dance with EIR
2026-08-15 19:30 - 22:00
As summer begins its final exhale, we gather to celebrate the warmth, vitality, and abundance of the season before gently transitioning toward autumn’s invitation of reflection, surrender, and deeper listening.
Join us for an evening of movement, music, community, and healing as we honor this seasonal threshold together. Through dance, breath, meditation, and sound, we’ll celebrate the radiant solar energy we’ve cultivated all summer while opening ourselves to the quieter wisdom of the months ahead.
No dance experience is necessary—only a willingness to move authentically and connect with yourself and those around you.

What is Ecstatic Dance?
Ecstatic Dance is a free-form movement practice where there are no steps to learn and no way to do it wrong. Instead of dancing for others, you dance from within.
Guided by an intentional musical journey, participants are invited to:

Move however your body wants to move
Release stress and stored emotion
Connect with yourself and your community
Celebrate joy, play, presence, and freedom
Experience meditation through movement

The dance floor becomes a shared space for authentic expression, healing, and connection.
Cost is $25-40 sliding scale BUY NOW or at the door

Ecstatic Dance Guidelines
To create a safe and intentional container, we ask everyone to honor these agreements:

Dance barefoot (or wear soft dance shoes if needed)
No talking on the dance floor
No phones or photography during the dance
Alcohol and substance-free event
Respect personal space and boundaries
Dance however feels authentic—there is no right or wrong way
Come with an open mind and an open heart

Evening Schedule
7:30 PM
Gather & Stretch
7:45 PM
Opening Circle & Guided Meditation
8:00 PM
Ecstatic Dance Journey
Live vocals and vibrant DJ set by EIR
9:45 PM
Crystal Bowl Sound Healing Integration
10:00 PM
Closing Circle
Come as you are. Leave more connected. Move. Feel. Be Free.

Movement Research with Myles Kercher
2026-08-16 14:00 - 16:30
Movement Research Workshop
with Myles Kercher
ALL-LEVELS WORKSHOP with Myles Kercher focused on led improvisations, authentic movement practices, and movement research methods to expand your range of motion and creativity.
Ages 16+
Cost: $20 SIGN UP NOW

Nutcracker Audition
2026-08-29 13:00 - 14:30
MAGMA is pleased to announce that in the Fall of 2026 we will be producing an all-styles Nutcracker “Kingdom of the Sweets” for December productions at MAGMA. All children in our Fall 2026 classes will perform. Some rehearsals will take place during class time, some will take place on Saturdays in November and December, with performances on December 11, 12, 13.
Audition for soloist roles (ages 9+):
Saturday August 29, 1-2:30pm, open call for ages 9-18 at MAGMA. Prepare for a basic Ballet barre, contemporary across the floor, plus an opportunity to show your own style. SIGN UP
Alternately, children who attend the Ballet Boost Week August 24-27 can use that as their audition.
