When expression emerges from sensations and body movement

Following Kim’s invitation to facilitate one of the festival weeks with the theme “Moving from Fear to Love”, we wondered what this evoked for us in this context. We consider these notions, in light of our human and dancing experience, in a continuum in which we navigate together rather than in a polarization.

CI is a practice that allows us to tame certain fears of falling, flying, relating, being seen dancing… to gain confidence step by step in oneself, with the other, to situate oneself and find a place in the group. And it is through states of relaxation and bodily release, states of presence to oneself and to the other, that we can take paths that might at first seem impressive or inaccessible to us, open up new avenues.

After revisiting the basic principles of Contact Improvisation in relation to gravity and touch (center/periphery, kinetic energy, weight adjustment, tonic modulation, fall, flight) to tune the group, we will move towards attentional and somatic work (organicity, fluidity, vitality of movement)

to support expression and improvised collective composition.

The creative hooks/supports are multiple: we will summon them through in vivo explorations in nature and using various devices that will interweave the art of jamming (circulating between the solo, duo, trio… the group and the space/environment) and “performing” (awareness of being seen and playing/guiding the attention of those who watch, how I look, am a witness, am with…).

In the background, the intention to move towards creativity while maintaining the quality of listening and kinesthetic organization, cultivating a spirit of pleasure, fun, curiosity.

For this week of training we ask participants to be comfortable with the fundamental principles of Contact Improvisation:

·       Touching/being touched

·       Changing levels while dancing

·       Falling to the ground safely

·       Adjusting my weight and modulating my tone according to the needs of the dance

·       Feeling my limits and those of my partner(s) while dancing

·       Navigating my own experience while dancing or jamming

·       Dancing alone, with a partner or in a group

See the second week with Matthieu Gaudeau

photo credit: Koolibri photographie