Contact Improvisation
Since I know nothing at all, I shall simply do
whatever occurs to me.
-- C.G.Jung
Contact improvisation (CI) is a 32 year old art sport investigating the possibilities of bodies
moving through contact. It centers around the study of the body's innate
behavior in dealing with precarious situations and changing
circumstance. The possibilities are infinite and the journey has been
extremely rewarding so far.
I first encountered CI at Burning Man one colorful
day. It was love at first sight.
Since then, I have had the opportunity to
learn and explore with an array of prominent teachers in the field (Jesse
Curtis, Keith Hennessey, Karl Frost, Kathleen Hermesdorf, and others in
the Bay area) and to
learn that CI extends beyond any definition I might give it.
Some of the issues I engage in through this form are:
- awareness, internal and external
- non-verbal communication
- gravity
- functional movement and alignment principles
- relationship between will and surrender
- relationship between giving and receiving
- spectrum from the more kinesthetic to the more narrative/psychological
- partnering skills
- dancing from the emotional body
- walking, lifting, crawling, falling
The states of being that arise from the the practice are the reward
itself. The investigation opportunities are many, the generating of new
vocabulary is empowering, and the release effect of learning to be in the
flow is profound.
My growth in this form is marked by a growing acceptance
of disorientation, by the expanding awareness of my body's ability to organize
and take care of itself, and by an increase in trust and confidence in my
ability to stay with the moment with my partner, and meet the needs of
each changing moment. I also enjoy the improvisation aspect of the work,
as I see improvisation as imagination spontaneously relating with form.
Contact improvisation is a very strong and powerful experience, especially
for those that have not been exposed to any kind of partnering movement
practice. It is for this reason, that I wish to teach contact. I want to
pass onto others the simplicity and accessibility of this form.
I am currently collaborating on a series of workshops in Rome for the
spring of 2005 and some workshops with Karl Frost in
the spring/summer of 2005. We are also planning a run of the
show Axolotl during this
time.
Contact philosophy.
Please contact me for more information.
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