Three women stand in a plain white room, with one woman in a black shirt and face mask facing forward while two others stand with their backs to the camera.

Chronic Pain Project

General Admission

We are often told that movement is part of pain management, but hardly ever given options that are realistic within our pain levels. While our main image of Irish dance is the virtuosity of Riverdance, it is, fundamentally, a folk dance in which all community members participated. &quot;Old-style&quot; Irish dance is relaxed and accessible, leaving room for individual flare and modification. In this workshop, we will take advantage of the inherent structures of Irish dance to find movement pathways that feel good and allow us to be in community with each other. It&#39;s an opportunity to build relationships with our bodies, our community, and movement in general. Participants may want two sticks or similar object that is comfortable for them hold. They may also want to ensure a comfortable chair is available and/or space where they can walk at least 2 steps in any direction. Jo Troll is a disabled queer art-maker, teacher, and creative life coach with a particular focus on using tradition as a means to build connection and community. Through teaching and community building, they actively work to create space for folks who &ldquo;slip through the cracks&rdquo; of other existing systems. Jo has studied Irish dance with Kieran Jordan since they were 11 years old, holds a graduate diploma in dance from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and is experienced in a variety of traditional percussive dance practices. They perform around Boston and virtually, including as part of OnStage Dance Company&rsquo;s Residency Program, Dancing Queerly, and Meraki&rsquo;s Y.A.M.S. The House Sessions and teach regular virtual adult dance classes with students across the US and in Canada. Jo also coordinates queer dance workshops in a variety of styles to create safe, accessible dance space and loves every opportunity they get to dance with others!

We are often told that movement is part of pain management, but hardly ever given options that are realistic within our pain levels. While our main image of Irish dance is the virtuosity of Riverdance, it is, fundamentally, a folk dance in which all community members participated. "Old-style" Irish dance is relaxed and accessible, leaving room for individual flare and modification. In this workshop, we will take advantage of the inherent structures of Irish dance to find movement pathways that feel good and allow us to be in community with each other. It's an opportunity to build relationships with our bodies, our community, and movement in general. Participants may want two sticks or similar object that is comfortable for them hold. They may also want to ensure a comfortable chair is available and/or space where they can walk at least 2 steps in any direction. Jo Troll is a disabled queer art-maker, teacher, and creative life coach with a particular focus on using tradition as a means to build connection and community. Through teaching and community building, they actively work to create space for folks who “slip through the cracks” of other existing systems. Jo has studied Irish dance with Kieran Jordan since they were 11 years old, holds a graduate diploma in dance from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and is experienced in a variety of traditional percussive dance practices. They perform around Boston and virtually, including as part of OnStage Dance Company’s Residency Program, Dancing Queerly, and Meraki’s Y.A.M.S. The House Sessions and teach regular virtual adult dance classes with students across the US and in Canada. Jo also coordinates queer dance workshops in a variety of styles to create safe, accessible dance space and loves every opportunity they get to dance with others!

Chronic Pain Project

Dancing through Pain: Using Irish Dance to Connect with our Bodies with Jo Troll

General Admission

Free

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