Maxine Heppner

Working since the 1970’s in Canada, Far East Asia & Europe, her practice strives to not presume aesthetic preferences, but to examine impulse, energy & the expressive natures of their many forms. Her work is characterized by her dedication to somatic intelligence as the source of all arts expression & positive human interactions.

Her company, Across Oceans Arts, approaches art as a collaborative activity whose fundamental experience is a physical one, creating platforms for artists & public to share creation across viewpoints, generations, abilities, histories. Signature programs include The Choreographic Marathon professional exchange, 7 Days of Creation mentorships, ti KRIMA, & P.R.E.P. master classes & studio interactions. 

Maxine balances creation with teaching & mentoring in movement arts and across disciplines, invited worldwide to teach her integrated movement-voice technique, embodied musicianship, and the “cycles practice”, her performance-creation method based on neurological patterning & energy impulses.

She is also an Action Theatre© teacher. Maxine founded the dance department and wrote foundation dance curriculum for Ontario as dance department head at Claude Watson High School for Performing Arts (1982-86), & was head of modern dance at Koffler Centre School of Dance (1977-91). As well as invited artist for companies worldwide, faculty positions have included (Montreal) Concordia Contemporary Dance Dept, LADMMI & Studio 303 (1993-2001), (Toronto) York University, University of Toronto, University College; also (Indonesia) Institut Kesenian Jakarta, ISTI national arts college network; (Athens) Duncan Centre for Dance Research; (Singapore) Substation, Lasalle and Nanyang Arts Colleges; Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts,VietNam National Academy of Dance, Philippines National Congresses, Centre Choreographique d’Angers, France. www.acrossoceans.org