Before starting this module I was apprehensive to what these sessions were going to entail. I wanted to really throw myself into these lessons but the thought of dancing more intimately with another classmate made me nervous, as that is a style of dance I have not attempted before. Saying that, I was excited to see if I felt a significant difference improvising movements with partners, rather than improvising movements by myself, which I did last year in the Improvisation module.
My knowledge beforehand of contact improvisation was a brief connection with the choreographer and artist Steve Paxton, and how he influenced it to the way it is today.
At the beginning of this session I was shown two different pieces, which involve two very different examples of contact improvisation.
The first piece was La La La human steps. This duet was captivating because of its fast paced tempo and the aggressive quality that the male and female dancers showed. There were many strong and powerful movements, which showed off their strength. For example, balancing on each other’s bodies using just the strength of one body part.
The second piece, which involved contact improvisation, was called blush, performed by Ultima Vez. This was significantly different to La La La human steps, because it was choreographed. This piece involved softer dynamic movements and seemed like it portrayed more of a storyline. I personally think this piece was more interesting, because I believe it had a deeper meaning, which everyone would have their own personal perspective on. Looking at these pieces gave me an understanding on how this module could include all sorts of possibilities and ways of portraying contact improvisation, which made me excited to think what I could achieve by the end of this module. Could I achieve a stronger sense of qualities to my movements, which I struggle with now, by the end of this module?
One of the exercises in this session involved having a partner watch us improvise, and for them to see if there were any habitual movements I had whilst improvising. I think this exercise was useful, because it made me aware of my habits before I began the module. I was then able to start thinking about how I could try and stop the habitual movements, and try some other movements that I wouldn’t normally do.
Steve Paxton states “Improvising could not be taught, though it could be learned.” (Paxton, 2003) This makes me realise that through participating in these contact improvisation lessons I will improve, as I will always be learning and discovering new things about my body through practicing the style each week.
We then performed an exercise involving all the class, where we walked around with our eyes closed and our arms in front of our bodies. If you then made contact with someone, you would have to hug them. The main focus was to be aware of the environment around you, but without visibly seeing it. At first I wondered how this could be possible, as I’m surely going to walk into people. However, as the exercise went on, I felt more confident relying on my other senses, rather than my sight.
Throughout this session I could feel my body adapting to the idea of letting go and to experiment with different movements. However my main goal throughout this module will be to find shapes and move my body with different dynamic qualities. Not only that but to explore my body’s capability within contact improvisation.
Paxton, S. (2003) Drafting Interior Techniques. In: Nancy Stark-Smith (ed) A Subjective History of Contact Improvisation. In: Ann Cooper Albright and David Gere (eds) Taken by Surprise: A Dance Improvisation Reader. Middletown, Conn: Wesleyan University Press, 175-184.
Heitkamp, D. (2003). Moving from the Skin: An Exploratorium. Contact Quarterly/Contact Improvisation Sourcebook II, 28(2) 256-264.