Back Contact improvisation Catalan Contact Improvisation German Kontaktdanco Esperanto Contact improvisación Spanish Kontaktimprovisatsioon Estonian Kontakti-improvisaatio Finnish Contact Improvisation French קונטקט אימפרוביזציה HE Contact improvisation Italian Improwizacja kontaktowa Polish
| Also known as | CI, Contact, Contact Improv |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Creator | Steve Paxton |
| Famous practitioners | Steve Paxton, Nancy Stark Smith, Lisa Nelson |
| Parenthood | modern dance, postmodern dance,[1] martial arts (Aikido), somatic practices (Release Technique) |
| Descendant arts | Underscore (Nancy Stark Smith), Material for the Spine (Steve Paxton) |
Contact Improvisation (CI) is a postmodern dance practice that explores movement through shared weight, touch, and physical awareness. Originating in the United States in 1972, contact improvisation was developed by dancer and choreographer Steve Paxton, drawing on influences from modern dance, aikido, and somatic practices.[2] Contact Improvisation emphasizes the interplay of gravity, momentum, and improvisation, fostering an experimental approach to movement that invites both professional dancers and newcomers into its global community.[3]
The practice involves continuous physical touch between dancers, where gravity, momentum, inertia, and friction shape their interactions.
The dance is further described by Paxton:
"The exigencies of the form dictate a mode of movement which is relaxed, constantly aware and prepared, and onflowing".[4]
Known for its open "jams," contact improvisation is both a social dance and a tool for movement research, offering a unique blend of physicality and mindfulness.[3] Formally, contact improvisation is a movement improvisation that is explored with another being. According to one of its first practitioners, Nancy Stark Smith, it "resembles other familiar duet forms, such as the embrace, wrestling, surfing, martial arts, and the Jitterbug, encompassing a wide range of movement from stillness to highly athletic."[5]
Contact improvisation has evolved into various formats, including performance art, experimental dance, and education. Figures like Nancy Stark Smith, Lisa Nelson, and Nita Little played significant roles in broadening its influence, integrating the practice into postmodern dance traditions and contemporary performance studies.[6]
- ^ Banes, Sally (1987). Terpischore in sneakers: postmodern dance. Middleton, CT: Wesleyan University Press.
- ^ Novack, Cynthia J. (1988). "Looking at Movement as Culture: Contact Improvisation to Disco". TDR (1988-). 32 (4): 102–119. doi:10.2307/1145892. ISSN 1054-2043.
- ^ a b Novack, Cynthia Jean., Sharing the dance, Univ. Of Wisconsin Press, 1 January 1990 ( ISBN 0299124444, OCLC 925081573, read online ), chapters 2, 3, and 4.
- ^ Paxton, Steve (March 1975). "Contact Improvisation". The Drama Review. 19 (1): 40–42. doi:10.2307/1144967. ISSN 0012-5962.
- ^ Nancy Stark Smith et David Koteen (2013), Caught Falling. The Confluence of Contact Improvisation, Nancy Stark Smith, and Other Moving Ideas, Contact Editions, p. xii
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