Contact Improv Dance

Service Description

Contact Improv is a movement practice that originated in the 70s as a way to explore dance through touch, attunement, and physical awareness. By simultaneously and keenly listening to both how our body wants to move and how the other's body is moving, we find ourselves in a creative and surprisingly fulfilling flow that emerges at the pace of our own needs. These bi-weekly dances give us the opportunity to discover something new about movement and to build connections with ourselves and others through physical and energetic attunement. There are no steps to learn and no expectation to be a "good dancer" - rather, there is simply the experience that emerges when we are in some form of contact with one (or more) other people and the space in which we are dancing. For this unique style of dance to be safe and conducive to a fulfilling and creative experience, we operate on a foundation of radical consent. We explicitly give ourselves permission to say "no" and are free to walk away from a dance at any moment. This allows us to also freely say "yes!" to our body's impulse to explore creatively with each other. Each session will begin with an introduction and workshop to explore the fundamentals of contact improv, followed by an open movement jam space. You are invited to bring a friend you’d like to move with! Wear comfortable clothing that is easy to move in; many folks like wearing knee pads for exploring floor-work but that is entirely optional. These workshops are led by Niikah and Keats, who are both avid lovers of contact improv dance. They are excited to keep building a community of folks who are interested in also sharing this movement practice on a regular basis. Every other Tuesday, 7-8:30pm @ BeWell Marquette $10-$20 suggested donation