The Full Story
Hi! My name is Amy Schoenheit and I am a professional teacher, choreographer, and performer currently living in Berlin, Germany. Born in Southern California, I began my dance education in a competition studio, competing and training in various styles of dance. In 2013 I studied at the University of California, Irvine, drawing a greater focus to contemporary dance. After receiving my Bachelor of Arts in Dance in 2015 I moved to Berlin.
In 2018 I moved to Dresden and begun my Master Degree in Dance Pedagogy at the Palucca University of Dance. I continue to work as a freelance dancer and teacher holding engagements with Berlin Fashion Week, Landesbühnen Sachsen, Johanna Roggen, Maxim Didenko, Natalie Wagner, M.over Company, and Kristin Mente, along with producing my works. In June 2020 I begun my Pilates Education with the Body in Balance Studio in Berlin.
Mission
In the summer of 2020 I completed my Master Degree in Dance Pedagogy at the Palucca University of Dance in Dresden. The pursuit of a master degree was orientated around my passion for the dance community and the overall health of the dancer. Over my three years of study I dedicated myself to the research of dance medicine, in particular a focus on how to bring injury preventative measures into the education of dance movement acquisition.
Vision
The core of my pedagogical philosophy is connection, how one connects to themselves, to others, and to their environment. Connection encourages autonomy as well as responsibility for others. Students become aware of how their individual decisions have an impact on the livelihood and safety of others. If dancers are able to trust the environment they learn in, safety is established which allows for the freedom to explore. Therefore, I have established three principles that I believe support my teaching philosophy, community, life-learning, and health. And my hope is that they are able to transfer what they learn in the classroom out into the world.