Contact Improvisation

In most forms of dancing, performers carry out their steps with a distance that keeps them from colliding with each other. Dancer Steve Paxton in the 1970s considered this distance a territory for investigation. His study of intentional contact resulted in a public performance in 1972 in a Soho gallery, and the name “contact improvisation” was coined for the form of unrehearsed dance he introduced. Rather than copyrighting it, Paxton allowed it to evolve and spread. In this book the author draws upon her own experience and research to explain the art of contact improvisation, in which dance partners propel movement by physical contact. They roll, fall, spiral, leap, and slip along the contours and momentum of moving bodies. The text begins with a history, then describes the elements that define this form of dance. Subsequent chapters explore how contact improvisation relates to self and identity; how class, race, gender, culture and physiology influence dance; how dance promotes connection in a culture of isolation; and how it relates to the concept of community. The final chapter is a collection of exercises explained in the words of teachers from across the United States and abroad. Appendix A describes how to set up and maintain a weekly jam; Appendix B details recommended reading, videos and Web sites. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

"Caught falling is the inside-out of Nancy Stark Smith's life through the kaleidoscope of the dance form contact improvisation. The books itself is a multifaceted crystal-fourteen years in the making." -- blurb.

In Sharing the Dance, Cynthia Novack considers the development of contact improvisation within its web of historical, social, and cultural contexts. This book examines the ways contact improvisers (and their surrounding communities) encode sexuality, spontaneity, and gender roles, as well as concepts of the self and society in their dancing. While focusing on the changing practice of contact improvisation through two decades of social transformation, Novack’s work incorporates the history of rock dancing and disco, the modern and experimental dance movements of Merce Cunningham, Anna Halprin, and Judson Church, among others, and a variety of other physical activities, such as martial arts, aerobics, and wrestling.

Books about contact improvisation are hard to find and it is even more difficult to find books containing specific exercises, instructions and ideas on how to lead a Contact Improvisation workshop. Each Contact-teacher has his or her own area of interest--a complete survey has not yet been published in spite of growing public awareness. This book ......

What happens when artists take touch as a starting point for embodied research? This collection of essays offers unique insights into contact in dance, by considering the importance of touch in choreography, philosophy, scientific research, social dance, and education. The performing arts have benefitted from the growth of an ever-widening spectrum of tactile explorations since the advent of contact improvisation (CI) in 1972. Building on the research proposal CI offers, partnering forms such as tango, martial arts, and somatic therapies have helped shape the landscape of embodied practices in contemporary dance. Presenting a range of practitioner and scholarly perspectives relevant to undergraduate students and researchers alike, this volume considers the significance of touch in the development of 21st century pedagogy, art-making, and performance philosophy.

You went to your first Contact Improvisation (C.I.) class, or a friend invited you to the weekly jam, and you’re captivated. Or perhaps, you’ve been dancing and investigating for years. What’s next? What discoveries await you in your dance? In 1972, Steve Paxton convened a group of athletes and dancers to research the principles of Contact Improvisation. Since then the form has matured into a worldwide, collaborative experiment with no central control. Everyone who enters adds their findings and permutations to this inherently unfinished dance form. Dancing Deeper Still is a sourcebook of essays on Contact Improvisation, a philosophical treatise, and a handbook. This compilation of 30 years of writings is meant to accompany and support your investigation as you discover new pathways and dynamics in your dancing. It includes chapters on: Contact Improvisation in performance Boundaries and sexuality Political activism Dancing while aging Expanded teaching research notes Advanced skills Whether you are the improviser who savors the slow rivers of sensation...or who delights in spontaneous acrobatics...or any of the bountiful realms in between, this book was written for you. Your discoveries enrich the community-held body of knowledge in our ever-evolving form. I invite you to dance deeper still. Martin Keogh dances, teaches, and researches Contact Improvisation. His love for the dance has taken him to 31 countries across six continents. Keogh was named a Fulbright Senior Specialist for his contribution to the development of the form. Martin spent time in monasteries in Japan and Korea and was the director of the Empty Gate Zen Center in Berkeley, CA before he discovered the world of dance. He is the author of: As Much Time as it Takes and the anthology: Hope Beneath Our Feet: Restoring Our Place in the Natural World. He lives with his family by the Salish Sea in British Columbia. martinkeogh.com

A conceptual framework for understanding the development of improvised dance in late 20th-century America

The Physical Actor is a comprehensive book of exercises for actors. It is carefully designed for the development of a strong and flexible physical body able to move with ease through space and interact instinctively on-stage. Annie Loui draws on her training with Etienne Decroux, Carolyn Carlson, and Jerzy Grotowski to bring Contact Improvisation into the theatrical sphere. She explains how it can be used to develop alert and embodied listening skills in the actor, and how to apply it to working with texts on stage. This book will guide the reader through a full course of movement skills, including: Partnering skills Spatial awareness for groups and individuals Fine motor control through mime Heightened co-ordination and sustained motion New for this edition are additional partnering exercises, in-depth applications of contact improvisation to monologues and scenes, and a chapter on devising physical theatre performances.