At the sunset of my first course in Contact Improvisation discoveries, conflicts, and growth surface as the most apparent memories. Learning how to distribute weight is something constantly addressed within modern dance pedagogy, so being able to apply this to different investigations of the form has proven beneficial to me as a dancer, improviser, and performer. Combining these foundations of dance with an organically conscious style of motion has lent itself well to choreography and other types of movement invention. Rather than appropriating haphazard, hetero-normative ballet partnering, Contact Improvisation offers an innovative, contemporary alternative to displaying relationships on stage. As I begin to formulate fresh choreographic works, the utilization of CI becomes all the more obvious.
My main conflicts arose from certain artistic dissonance amongst my peers. Often times when I felt it necessary to apply weight-sharing techniques there was hardly anyone available to explore this with. I struggle with certain concepts at times but if there is collective hesitance that ensures conflict. For instance, I still don’t believe everyone is equally willing for proper cooperative weight sharing, though that may be from our naiveté to the form. Many lifts and possibilities share the universal foundation of weight bearing. Perhaps it is a lack of confidence or the fluctuation of presence that appears within us all. Even a detail seemingly trivial as weight sharing or sensory awareness establishes connections and trust that can produce wildly visceral moments.
Retrospectively, Contact Improvisation is an immensely valuable tool for all practitioners of movement-based art. The esoteric attributes such as mind-body centering and the ability to be fully aware can cause collateral fortification of any dance technique. Partnering and contact are synonymous, and the communal aspect of this idiosyncratic form encourages movement exploration with limitless opportunity and happenings.
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