Giada’s process as an educator is anchored in service to others and international collaborations that allow artists to practice compassion and understanding towards each other and conflicting viewpoints. She has dedicated much time and research in debunking the idea of ballet as an elitist art form, instead nurturing the appreciation of the many shapes and sizes of the moving body in the ballet vocabulary, and of gender fluidity in the ballet studio. Giada has been fine-tuning her approach to ballet and taking the time in each class to challenge the value system that reinforces harmful body images. Unpacking ballet's cultural construction, continuously improving her teaching language, nationally and internationally, with diverse populations, abilities, backgrounds and intentions has been in support of the training of her students who might feel marginalized in the studio.

The residency in Barcelona will concentrate on the concept of embodiment as a convergence of the full human in the studio. Giada’s somatic work, which takes inspiration from many healing and conditioning modalities such as Bartenieff, Yoga, Pilates, Reiki, embodied physiology, meditation and mindful practices, will serve as a grounding exercise for the group to come together as a collective. The participants are invited to discover the complexities, mysteries, and intelligence of their own body as a point of entry into the ballet vocabulary. The one hour somatic work will be followed by an hour of center barre and center work. The space is meant to be fertile and open to questions, to journaling, to investigation and to reflection. Feel free to stand aside and write your thoughts or jut down an idea sparked by your own personal research in class.

The radical call of action for this class and the entire week long residency is to be fully present, trusting and joyous of one’s capability and fullness allowing for unhindered collaborations with other creatives and art forms.