(c.)ontact (i.)improvisation
Building skills and finding freedom in (c.)ontact (i.)mprovisation.
(c.)ontact (i.)mprovisation is an improvisational duet form of dance in which the point of physical contact serves as the focus in exploring a dance which is engaged, daring, and unexpected. By tuning into the movements of their partner, each dancer is able to expand their physical range, develop contemporary partnering skills, and gain access to an increased range of movement quality. In this workshop each dancer will find an enhanced sense of possibilities in their visceral dancing, moving from where their current comfort level and moving into the previously unknown.
These workshops focus on building on the fundamental c.i. skills of following the point of contact and the taking, transferring, and giving weight. Once these skills are established, the dance evolves to build beyond simply physics, but explores choice, volition, and compositional choice with the dance.
Initiated by Steve Paxton in the early 1970s, c. i. is practiced in dance studios, universities, and communities throughout the world by professionally trained dancers, and recreational dancers of all ages and abilities. The form has been applied to choreography and performance, art therapy, environmental activism, social activism, and disabled populations.