DANCE: Contact Improvisation (Catching Bliss)
Contact Improvisation is often categorized as a form of dance, but it barely fits there, in the conventional understandings of that word; there aren’t steps, right/wrong, or even rhythmic music to follow.
I enjoy it as an awareness practice that challenges and celebrates all my many layers, parts and aspects of Self, of Being. Presence, being present, is rewarded instantly with sublime sweeps of body through space, and at its most glorious, that sublimity is shared with a partner. And the partner may be known to you as a person, or be a total stranger – the magic works at levels beyond the mundane, so that doesn’t need to matter. Just presence and awareness matter, and the desire to connect with that one river that runs so deep through us all, and to share that connection with each other. Presence and awareness, connection and communion ~ This Is Bliss ~
Some quotes on CI:
“Contact improvisation is a movement practice where two or more people move together, dancing in and out of physical contact. Movement can be fast and dynamic or softer and more subtle. In this dance we may roll, spiral, spring, support and fall, learning how to do so safely in relation to the ground and to each other. It is suitable for anyone who likes to move, and can be as accessible and challenging to those with no previous movement experience, as it can be to the experienced dancer. It is sometimes a dancing form of clowning! Sensitivity, awareness, playfulness and presence are encouraged and enhanced, while the level of physical workout can be chosen by the mover.” (Author unknown)
More on “What is Contact Improvisation?”
“Contact Improvisation is a moving massage. It is a dance that fine-tunes your senses and wakes up your ability to listen and respond to what is happening in the moment. If you could do Aikido, surf, wrestle and dance at the same time, you would have an idea of what Contact Improvisation feels like. What makes Contact different from other dance is that partners are often moving in and out of physical contact while rolling, spiraling, springing and falling. They find ways to “enjoy the ride” and improvise while mutually supporting and following each other’s movements. The dancing is unpredictable and inspired by the physical and energetic contact the partners share.” (Ernie Adams, teacher and performer)
FALL, 2011:
And now, WORKSHOPS! Offered in Eugene monthly for 3 months:
Contact Improvisation Dance:
(Catching Bliss)
WORKSHOPS
Saturdays, 3 – 6 pm
OCT. 8 ~ NOV. 12 ~ DEC. 10
The REACH Center Loft
2520 Harris, EUGENE
$20/one ~~ $35/two ~~ $50 all three
(not sequential)
Come take the class, get in on how to make the magic! You’ve seen those rolling, surfing, smiley-glowing bodies at Coalessence and around town ~ and yes! you want some of that, too! A perfect addition to your weekend, the best massage you’ll ever have,
***PLUS***
a fair shot at a Sublime Moment!
Hey, what’s not to like?!
INFO/REG: 541-753-2255, or
tina@heartandsoulwellness.com;
preregistration with payment requested;
please see Contact page
******************************************
AND In Corvallis: Sunday, October 30
3:00 – 6:00 pm
at the new Downtown Dance, 223 NW 2nd Street,
near corner of Van Buren
$20
************************************
Private classes for individuals or partners always available; if interested in group classes in other locales, please contact me. For a visual intro, please follow these links:
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2365094610814514426&q=contact+improvisation (Karl Frost introduction)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltq6y06E8ew&feature=related (Martin Keogh on The Play of Weight)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
There is also a regular Contact Jam in Eugene, on Fridays, 6 – 8 pm, at Musical Feet Studio, 420 W. 12th (12th and Lawrence); $7 – 10 sliding scale; everyone welcome, any level. This is a great place to come and practice, see what we’re on about, and explore your own experience!
New, starting October 2011: the Corvallis Contact Jam resurrects! Now first and third Sundays, 4 – 6 pm, at Downtown Dance, 223 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis; $5.