Embodied Stage Presence: Movement, Choice-Making, & Self-Expression

• Tuesday, May 20, 5:30pm - 9:30pm

Feeling lost on stage? Unsure what to do with your body? Embodied stage presence isn’t about being a dancer or having choreography —it’s about owning your space and bringing your fullest, most confident self into performance. In this workshop, we’ll explore movement as a tool for authenticity, self-expression, and connection with an audience. Through guided exercises and personal exploration, participants will tap into the movement that feels best in their bodies, play to their strengths, and break through hesitation or insecurity. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or someone who wants to feel more at ease in your body, this workshop will help you cultivate confidence, ease, and presence, transforming performance into an intentional exchange between you and your audience.

Particpants will be asked to submit two of your favorite "no-skip" songs—tracks you always feel compelled to dance to. These songs MIGHT be used in the workshop for performances, but moreso, it will help build a collaborative playlist to inspire movement and exploration throughout the workshop.

• Participants will be immersed in Detour Productions' approach to devised theater, experiential work, and drag artistry;
• Each workshop is facilitated by Detour collaborators, offering unique vantage points into the company's creative process;
• These workshops are geared towards advanced, pre-professional, and professional level dance & theater artists;
• Detour is offering sliding-scale tuition for each workshop, with no one turned away for lack of funds;
• All workshop venues are ADA accessible and have gender-neutral restrooms;
• Masks are encouraged, not required;
• If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

Saharla Vetsch (she/her) is a Somali American multidisciplinary artist rooted in the Bay Area. Saharla earned a degree in Performing Arts and Social Justice with a concentration on dance from the University of San Francisco. Her artistic and academic journey has been marked by a profound commitment to the transformative power of movement. Saharla’s teaching and performances encourage and celebrate the intersecting identities that make up who we are and inform how we all engage with the world and each other. She does this in the spaces of queer nightlife entertainment, early childhood dance education, and through collaborative dance performances. Saharla strives to be a beacon of self-expression, harnessing the liberating power of dance to ignite a sense of freedom through community.

Host or Publisher Detour Dance