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contact improvisation in context
Contact
improvisation is unique in the sense that it is at
once a social dance, a performance form, a choreographic tool for dance
making
and a compositional tool for dance improvisation. Its invaluableness is
therefore not just limited to the public sphere or the dance world
alone, but
effectively bridges the gap and blurs the boundary between the two.
Another
unique feature of contact improvisation is its focus
on process and experimentation as opposed to finished product. Even
when there
are spectators, the experimentation is what piques the curiosity of
onlookers
and invites a shared moment of discovery and attentiveness to the
present
moment. Therefore, besides the possibility of virtuosity and aesthetic
beauty,
the dance form invites the audience member to witness an act of
creation. When
employed in dance-making, contact improvisation is utilized in
partnering work
in ballet, modern, and contemporary dance, effectively increasing the
palette
of choreographic potential.
Contact improvisation is still a relatively nascent dance
form within South East Asia, unlike its neighboring counterparts such
as Taiwan
and Australia, and it was inevitably only a matter of time before the
flow of
creative and cultural information would head towards South East Asia.
Therefore, it makes sense to capitalize on the expertise afforded by
these
neighboring regions.
contact festival kuala lumpur
This is
where Contact Festival Kuala Lumpur steps in. It
will be the first major contact improvisation event in South East Asia
to
gather practitioners, teachers, dancers, students, and the public where
participants can exchange knowledge and study with the leading experts.
Participants will be in residence at Rimbun Dahan, a residential arts
complex
located just outside the edge of the city. They will be spending 6 days
from
morning till night in various activities to facilitate their own
investigation
into movement material and to find avenues for collaborating with
others. The
festival will culminate in a showing in an art gallery in the city,
intending to
showcase ideas and concepts that have either been germinating long
before the
festival or at the festival itself.
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a brief description of CI
Contact improvisation is a dance form where the physical contact
between two people provides the starting point for movement exploration. This is
done via active perception to subtle shifts in weight, balance, and momentum.
Contact improvisation encourages the development of a creative mind,
engenders spontaneity and expands ones physical abilities.
what happens in a class?
Contact improvisation classes aim to develop a
better understanding of basic skills such as listening, rolling, spiraling, giving and supporting weight, sliding, lifting, and falling.
These are taught in guided exercises
working in solo, in pairs or as a group. Other anatomical or
performance oriented exercises might also be explored, such as those
dealing with alignment, imagery, composition, states, and scores.
what happens in a jam?
A contact jam is an informal open space for
dancers to practice
the form. Dancers use the time and space to deepen their experiences,
explore
new things and find their own interpretation of the dance. There is
freedom and self-responsibility to go onto the dance floor, to change
partners or to just watch from the sides, respecting ones own needs
and wishes.
Sometimes there is music that supports the dance, at other times one only listens to their own movement, their partner and the
space.
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