Florian Lochner of the choreographic duo FLOCK | Photo by Justin Epstein

The FLOCK co-founder led partnering workshops and shared his artistic journey with Kaufman students.

By Georgia Ehrlich ’29

On Friday, January 30, USC Kaufman welcomed artist Florian Lochner to the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center. Lochner is one half of the contemporary dance company FLOCK, founded with fellow artist Alice Klock. Together, they direct, choreograph, produce, and perform works presented throughout the U.S. and Germany. During his visit, Lochner led partnering workshops for first-, second-, and fourth-year students, participated in a special Q&A, and spoke about his and Klock’s journey creating their company.

Lochner and Klock met while dancing with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where a lasting friendship sparked their early collaborations. During off-hours from rehearsals, they spent time playfully exploring movement in the studio. The goal was simple: enjoy each other’s company.

Wanting to share that joy and experimental spirit, they began posting rehearsal moments on social media. Their work gained traction for its rawness and vulnerability, revealing an audience drawn to their connection. With this momentum, they expanded their practice, officially founding FLOCK in 2017 and continuing to evolve ever since.

From the beginning, gender-neutral partnering became a central point of curiosity. During the Kaufman Hour Q&A, Lochner shared how he and Klock often felt confined to gendered roles of “lifter” and “lifted.” They sought a more equal partnership—one where both dancers could bear weight and move weightlessly.

As their choreography and company developed, gender-neutral partnering remained at the core of their practice. Today, whether teaching workshops or creating new work, they prioritize exercises that explore physical and emotional relationships, emphasizing community, joy, and intuitive connection.

Kaufman dancers were guided through a series of partnering and weight-bearing exercises focused on resistance and trust. Students explored points of connection, created tension, and allowed that tension to generate new pathways of movement. They were then taught an excerpt of FLOCK repertory and challenged to transform the phrase into a duet.

As Lochner describes dancing with Klock, “sometimes we forget whose arm and whose leg is whose,” experiencing a kind of symbiosis where the two become one. This sense of oneness resonated with Kaufman students, who left the workshop energized by the rapture and flow embedded in the FLOCK practice. Though partnering can feel daunting, Lochner’s gentle and affirming guidance made the work approachable and fun.

During the Q&A, Lochner shared that when he first met Klock, he “wondered who this beautiful creature was,” instantly knowing he needed to dance with her. He added that working together “never did and still doesn’t feel like work, but like spending time with my best friend.”

Having transitioned from company dancers to company directors, Lochner and Klock offer firsthand insight into a career path many Kaufman students aspire to. Building FLOCK independently, they serve as valuable mentors and leaders. Lochner emphasized that persistence and belief in their artistic voice were essential to their success.

From FLOCK’s choreographic voice to its origin story, their work stands as an example of how following artistic intuition, joy, and connection can shape an expansive career in the movement arts.