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Return to Contact Improvisation at Earthdance
Contact Improvisation is a unique dance form that is difficult to describe without witnessing it. Contact involves the awareness and use of weight, gravity, and our bodies pathways and mechanics. The investigation into these issues with a partner or with our surroundings becomes contact improvisation. Following are several definitions of contact that have been gathered. Photographs and video also offer an opportunity to explore what contact is.
Definition of Contact Improvisation from Wikipedia
Contact Improvisation (CI) is a dance technique in which points of physical contact provide the starting point for movement improvisation and exploration. Contact Improvisation is a form of dance improvisation and is one of the best-known and most characteristic forms of postmodern dance. Full wikipedia definition and history here.
What is Contact Improvisation? by Jim Davis
Writing definitions of CI is an artform of its own, but not one I practice. This definition is here only for the sake of those who are surfing the Web and stumbled onto this page. Those of you already doing CI may as well go back.
I've never seen a definition of Contact that I really liked. For some people, it's a post-modern folk dance. For others, it's a process for finding new choreographic ideas. Some people perform it, others do it as a practise or discipline. Some people look at it and see gymnastics, or wrestling, or swing dance. What are the "mere facts" about it? It's usually done as a duet (but sometimes solo or in larger groups), it's usually in silence; and it's improvised. Dancers are as likely to be on the floor as standing, and sometimes they're flying on someone else's shoulders.
What is Contact Improvisation? by Ernie Adams
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 others movements. The dancing is unpredictable and inspired by the physical and energetic contact the partners share.
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