Contact Impro Class ~ Sea Star Session

Over dit evenement

In this CI class we will explore a fundamental movement pattern: Core-Distal Connectivity. Your whole body is connected through your central core. When you were in your mother’s womb, life energy poured via the umbellical cord directly into your body at your center. Deep within each of us we know and bodily remember organizing life around this vital stream flowing into our innermost core. As we grew up, we may have lost touch with these connective pathways.

How do we regain a sense of this connectedness in our bodies?

Through playful exercises, we will (re)discover how the entire body can be organized by this pattern of connectivity. It begins in the central core of the body and radiates through the trunk to the limbs, down to the hands and toes. The ‘in-out’ rhythm is fundamental in this pattern. Like a star, we pulsate and emit energy from the center to move the distal ends, or bring energy and sensory awareness from the ends of the extremities back into the center. Getting a sense of our own center and claiming our own movement sphere (kinesphere), can help us move confidently and comfortably in the world.*

Looking forward to dance and shapeshift into seastars with you!

* 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘛𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘧𝘧 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘗𝘦𝘨𝘨𝘺 𝘏𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘺

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Contact Improvisation (CI) is a dance form founded in 1972 by Steve Paxton, a professional modern dancer and martial arts practitioner. It is based on the physical principles of touch, weight sharing (counterbalance), and a shared point of contact. Through playful movement research, we focus on how to efficiently use the physical forces acting on our bodies to guide our movements. Think about gravity, friction, momentum and centrifical force. The practice includes several skills one can technically develop; falling, rolling, sliding, counterbalancing, lifting, centering and breathing techniques, and responsiveness to our partners and surroundings. It involves learning natural movement patterns like spirals and crawling to move more efficiently and organically. Although the focus is on physicality, this dance form works through on many levels (social and psychological for example). It is a beautiful space to learn about relating; with oneself, the ground, the space and other people.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻
I am a passionate movement researcher with a background in physical therapy, yoga and dance. My journey into the world of Contact Improvisation started 6 years ago. Expressing myself through my body in this free form brings me in touch with a primal essence, where inuition takes the lead. There is something magical about it. CI awakens our ‘sentient being’. It asks for a continous presence and openness to the unknown. Like this, unforseen possibilities can arise and transformation (physically and/or mentally) can happen. It can be challenging, but also wonderfully flowing. I perceive CI as an art, a therapeutic tool, a social learning space, a political research area, and sometimes even as a spiritual practice. CI helps me get to know myself in relationality, and center myself in the world.

Next to my weekly classes with Otto Roth, I have attended multiple intensive courses with various teachers like Leilani Weis, Artem Markov, Tom Goldhand, Vega Luukkonen, Hugh Stanier, Katja mustonen and Christine Cole. Last year I initiated CI-Lab Groningen; a community-based dance class for movement research, and facilitated several jams and classes. Besides that, I co-facilitated CI camp Texel, a four day contact impro immersion in nature, which will happen again in September. For more info, check: contactimprovisation.nl