Wednesday, June 19, 2019

What is your definition of Contact Improvisation Dance?









































What is your definition of Contact Improvisation?

“Contact Improvisation (CI) defies any specific definition or historical analysis.


At the center of the experiment called Contact Improvisation is a (utopian?) proposal for democratic social relations reduced to its simplest form: an improvised encounter between two people. 


Referring to the usual choreographic process as a dictatorship of teachers and choreographers creating watered-down versions of themselves, CI attempts a less authoritarian form of leadership based on suggestion, invitation, improvisation, and collaboration. 



CI reflects the counter-cultural context from which it emerged.”
 -Keith Henessey


Interested in diving into more conversations about CI?


Join us at the wcciJAM from June 28-July 2 in Berkeley
Registration still open!
Photography by: Rob Kunkle
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  • Kaela Atleework If you haven't registered yet, you can still buy your tickets on the website:
https://www.wccijam.org/registration

    Or right here on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/349436572341269/
    wcciJAM | Prices & Registration
    WCCIJAM.ORG
    wcciJAM | Prices & Registration
    wcciJAM | Prices & Registration

  • Stephen Cosmos Arthur RE-EDITIED 06-19-2019: Since you asked and I completely feel obliged to answer: MY DEFINITION OF TRULY CONSENSUAL "Contact Improvisation" includes in a sense being honest about "Non-Contact - Improvisation." That is to say a situation where each participant enters the host dance facility of a Contact Improv before anyone agrees to touch anyone: everyone specifies who they do & do not want touching them and feeling free to gtfo & do 180 degree turn out the door exiting if they're convinced there is no compatible partners then and there. If someone says he/she "accidentally took too many viagras and is suffering from priapsism and wants a polyamory dry hump non sexual cluster tackle orgy in a room full of absolute strangers doing same to each and every other person there" that might sound kind of awkward, inappropriate, doublespeak to everyone else there, but hey at least such individual is honest and is asking if there's consenting partners into that. He/she is setting boundaries. In my case the opposite proclamation: Only do a contact improv as a single Man (me) with Woman single who I know both as heterosexual monogamous consensual with the purpose to test compatibility, to see if a complete consensual mutual seduction in our private home or motel is worth pursuing. (And that's honesty not very appreciated much at the local "contact improv dance" and other local liberal progressive lgbt /polyamory alternative lifestyle people pitifully throwing inflammatory "incel" pejoratives at me that "I objectify women". Maybe? but that's just your opinion that's got some loaded assumptions about me on your part, And Hey: at least I'm being honest!, so consequently don't dare show up, and consequently I don't have to worry about a lot of paranoia that's proven to be the case over and over again. There was a link on this group to an article where many young women in the Bay area Contact Improv dance somewhere (Berkeley?) had their extreme #metoo protest testimony shaming the allegedly aggressive horny men who got too close for the women's comfort & felt violated and offended. Were those accusations real deliberate, intentional or unintentional? Or were the accusers pretentious little bitches holding an entire business hostage filing frivolous lawsuits, deluded that Prince charming would be there and be the only one who touches them, while undesirables automatically read their minds and know their place and dance on eggshells around them? Who knows? No one needs that kind of stigma. No one needs miscommunication of boundaries! What's a dance worth any other way? Why does anyone suppose Dance choreographers is the #1 divorce rate occupation? Let that sink in!
  • How The First Rule Brought Metoo To Contact Improvisation
    CONTACTQUARTERLY.COM
    How The First Rule Brought Metoo To Contact Improvisation
    How The First Rule Brought Metoo To Contact Improvisation

    • Stephen Cosmos Arthur Michele Beaulieux if that's the facebook name of the same author lurking feel free to read and post your opinion.
    • Stephen Cosmos Arthur Re: Kate Trapnell: Attention advertisers you too can reach this prime demographic: white liberal self loathing self racist heterophobic demographic and get setup for false sexual assault allegations to get profiled as a "creepy white dude" for daring to talk about human reproductive interest.
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    • Stephen Cosmos Arthur As though I'm stupid why the average black man use to get Lynched in the South?
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    • Stephen Cosmos Arthur Anyways as side note for those who have knee jerked reactions to talking about sexual boundaries at contact improv and admitting sexual preferences and certain enticements tactffully: Here's an entirely different dance culture that seems not to have the hangups as severely as that #metoo paranoia that ruins life for everyone : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPqWwldJHI0 There's a "Joe Rogan reacts to Cuban Dancing" yt video interview with a Joey Diaz that's riddled with "locker room talk" that might be offensive to some, but he makes some interesting points: And THAT IS YES INDEED There is a tactful style of dance for pursuing a sexual partner that's well established in some cultures. For my haters who want to push that Incel pejoritive at me, convinced "I'm a creepy" cisgender hetero "white dude", please be careful to shoot the real criminal predators and not the messengers.
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  • Stephen Cosmos Arthur What do you think about my definition of "definition of Contact Improvisation?
" Kaela Atleework ?
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    • Kaela Atleework Stephen Cosmos Arthur I think it’s very specific, and holds a lot of relevant points. One of the things we love about contact is how many ways of interpretation there are around the world. Thank you for sharing yours here!
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