Contact improvisation is a form of dance that happens in physical contact between two or more bodies, with an emphasis on sharing the weight of the bodies, relationship to gravity, acrobatic lifts using momentum and inertia, listening to the direction of movement, and sensing the structure of the other body. Contact improvisation dance is a continuous co-negotiation of movement direction, velocity, and depth of touch. Solo dancing and moving with another without physical contact are also part of the practice of contact improvisation. 

 

In the practice of contact improvisation, I am interested in the effortless sharing of weight, the ability to suspend, expand and soften in movement, and how the body sensitizes to another body. The practice of contact improvisation has deepened my understanding of the impact of touch and being touched on moving and being human. In dancing, I navigate from the spiraling flow of movement to various shared improvised moments that vary between proximity and distance of bodies. 

Contact improvisation is reciprocal communication, being close and distant, a relationship without verbality. It is first and foremost a form of dance.