CONTACT IMPROVISATION: PRINCIPLES + PRACTICE
WITH CHRIS AIKEN + ANDREW HARWOOD | JUNE 1 - 5
CONTACT IMPROVISATION: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE With Chris Aiken and Andrew Harwood
In this workshop, dancers will investigate how foundational principles of contact improvisation, including the dynamics of touch, moving support, yielding and reaching towards, collaborative improvisation, and perceptual tuning, can support inspired dancing. Through guided practice, we will develop our capacities for movement, creativity, and heightened awareness. Our practice will center around communal and individual respect for ourselves and one another.
SCHOLARSHIP + WORK TRADE
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We offer 3 full scholarships for Black, Indigenous and People of Color [BIPOC] folks in each session. As well as 3 Work Trade spots in each session. If interested please select 'BIPOC Scholarship' OR 'Work Trade' when registering via the link below. For more information about the work trade exchange, go to the Work Exchange page.
ABOUT THE FACILITATORS
Chris Aiken works as a dancer, performer, dancemaker and teacher. His research seeks to uncover the relations between dance, poetics, science, philosophy, ecology and design. For many years, he has been developing an eco-poetic model of creativity and ethical behavior that seeks to connect the poetic imagination with ecological awareness and resonance.
Aiken is internationally recognized for his work in dance improvisation performance and pedagogy, as well as within the field of contact improvisation, a partnered dance form created by Steve Paxton in 1972 that changed the field of post-modern and contemporary dance. He teaches and performs regularly throughout North America and Europe, as well as in Asia.
Andrew Harwood has been dedicated to improvisation as a performing art for nearly 40 years and is recognized worldwide as a specialist in instantaneous choreography and contact improvisation. Since 1976, his work has evolved through ongoing collaborations with several artists from various disciplines and through exploration into performance, composition, spatial design and various movement techniques. His improvisation work is influenced by the practice of gymnastics, athletics, yoga, modern dance, Alexander technique, Aikido, Release Technique, and a variety of somatic approaches.
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