What is Contact Improvisation?

* CONTACT IMPROVISATION AND THE ‘JAM’ *

Though Contact Improvisation practitioners at all levels of the form develop technique and skills through classes, workshops and devoted teachers, the principle learning space for the form of Contact Improvisation is the ‘jam’.
The jam is necessarily a rather wild place.
Lifted from jazz vocabulary, a ‘jam’ is simply an extended period of time in which improvisors use their skills and vocabularies to discover composition and dialogue with one another. It can serve as a place to skill-build, to develop work for choreography and performance, or simply to engage with one another as dancers. In order for Contact Improvisation (or any type of improvisation) to happen there need to be a relatively open ‘fields’ of space, and abundant time for dances to develop.

The open-ness and unstructured quality of this space is exciting and can open up enormous possibilities for new movement pathways, unexpected compositions, breathtaking falls and catches but it can also lead to some less enjoyable or even harmful things. Everything from boredom and chaos (which are not necessarily bad) to misunderstandings, injuries or negative experiences (which are not things we want) can occur inside the relative anarchy of a jam.

As improvisers we are always working to build our consciousness and awareness around our behaviors inside of these spaces both as individuals and as a group. Here are some resources we’d like to share to ‘prep’ participants, especially new arrivals, and to give you some context and tools to work with in both classes and jams:

 

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* FIELD CENTER CI CLASS + JAM GUIDELINES *

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Here in United States [eg: turtle island] we live in a complex, touch-deprived society and culture. Elements of our internal identities and external appearances including our gender, our age, our size, our race and our internal/external body image all play significant roles in how we see our bodies AND how we are seen in our bodies. We do not live in isolation – rather are constantly adjusting and navigating our self image through the contexts of our culture, our society, our upbringing and our surroundings.
The power/import of these elements shift constantly as we grow and change in relation to our bodies, as the society around us changes, as we move from environment to environment and even as our internal state changes from day to day.
It is only natural that these realities will play out inside of a form like Contact Improvisation.

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It is safe to assume that we cannot know the ‘stories’ of the bodies we are encountering in a jam, no matter how well we think we know those stories or how long we have been dancing. Proceed consciously and with deep listening. Use consent-based approaches in the space. Be aware of projection.

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• Someone dancing alone is in solo. They are not necessarily ‘waiting’ or looking for contact and they are not in-between dances. They are dancing.

• We invite people not to give impromptu lessons or to ask if someone wants to ‘learn some contact’ during the jam. Why?
  Are you sure you have something to teach them and that you’re the one to teach it?
  Are you sure you are getting an authentic ‘yes’ from them? (no’s are often harder than yesses)
  How long does this ‘lesson’ last?
  INSTEAD we encourage agency among beginners to ask for guidance from more experienced dancers. The classes also offer ample teacher-student time.

• Take breaks! You can sit and watch as long as you want. Witnesses and an ‘audience’ are great for the jam and a wonderful way to learn.

• Explore approaches to help you feel safe in the space ‘Say no until you feel the yes‘ ‘Say yes until you feel the no‘  (both good options)

• Contact Improvisation inherently involves risks. Serious injury, though rare, is a possibility! By taking part in the Jam you acknowledge this fact and take responsibility for your own safety. Know the limits of your skill. While it’s worthwhile to take mindful risks, don’t put yourself in physical situations that your skill level does not support. You might find that doing a movement at half speed allows mind and body to cooperate better. Never assume that risk is something others you are dancing with are game for.

• This Jam is NOT a place for sexual behavior, overt or implied. If you experience or witness a dance that makes you uncomfortable, you may choose to share your discomfort directly with the dancer(s), or to check out your perceptions with another person in the community including the teacher. It may turn out that you are projecting/misinterpreting, or you may be naming unacceptable behavior, but it often helps to get feedback and reflection. It is also important to accept and admit that feelings of intimacy, connection or stimulation may naturally arise during a dance and there is nothing wrong or ‘bad’ about this, we simply encourage those experiences to be discussed or unpacked elsewhere.

• Unwanted sexual advances and touching are NEVER acceptable and anyone experiencing this should stop the dance immediately, tell their partner “NO” and/or share their experience with a facilitator or anyone else in the dance space that can help. Sexual propositioning IN the jam space [even on the sidelines] is not ok. The whole wide world is yours to do that on and in your own time, we are here today to train and make work inside of dance. Please take a moment to think how and whether your behaviors with class/jam particpants might effect their desire to return and take that seriously.
  Below are some pictures from the 2018 West Coast Contact Improvisation Jam where women, queer folx, people of color and allies gathered to stage a sit-in during a jam to bring awareness to sexualized behaviors, non-consensual touch and predatory behavior that have led to feelings of discomfort and lack of safety for some people.

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​Here at the Field Center we are serious about learning the form of Contact Improvisation, while understanding the historical biases, blindspots and harm that have occurred by practitioners of the form.

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• We have a 2-3 strike rule around inappropriate behavior in the class/jam space. Patterns of sexual or unsafe behavior that are reported to us will be taken very seriously and can/will result in suspension or expulsion from the jam space. If you’d like to know more about this policy please reach out to a facilitator.

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WHAT TO WEAR TO THE JAM?

Always and of course express yourself!

AND here are some tips that make dancing and training CI more smooth, fun and safe for you and those who are dancing with you. 

 

• Wearing a shirt that can be tucked in makes it easier to be upside down without having to adjust your clothing or having it obstruct yours or someone else's vision.

 

• Pants. Finding the right dance pants is a lifelong quest… 

      Here are some things to look for:

• • getting pants that don't slide when you’re upside down

  • aren’t slippery so there is a little friction to hold on to

  • cover your private bits [front and back people, cover that lovely bumcrack please] well so that more dancing positions are available, especially with partners who may appreciate more coverage

  • stay on well and aren’t a tripping hazard as your move freely, allowing you maximum comfort and range of motion

  • do not have buttons or zippers or loops or big holes to avoid scratching and tripping

 

• Bare feet will give you more grip, stability and sensitivity on the floor, allowing for a safer dance. Socks are awesome and warm and can be perfect for warmup and slidy solo dancing.

 

• Covering midsection, knees and shoulders provides better sliding and padding as you roll and tumble. Consider your comfort with how much exposed skin and sweat you want to slide along the floor. Consider someone else’s comfort with your exposed skin. 

 

• Be mindful if dancing with jewelry. Preferably remove anything that can get caught or scratch. Choose zipper-free clothing.

 

• Securing your hair away from your face to open up vision and create less chance of your hair getting pulled or caught during dancing 

 

• We encourage you to trim and file your nails [or to dance mindfully if long nails are part of your style] and your toenails (!!) before attending to avoid scratching yourself or your partners.

 

• We ask that you clean your body and wear clean clothing to attend! Cleanliness and mindful scent support a hygienic and pleasant dancing environment. Although body odor and perfumes can be delightful, it may deter someone from being in contact with you.

 

• Kneepads can be helpful for sensitive knees and during training, when we spend a lot of time in the same poses supporting weight. Ones we recommend can be purchased here:https://globalunderscore.com/product/kneepads/ Some dancers choose to let go of kneepads to train using various other points to take weight and create new habits around knee use. And others choose to wear them to protect their knees. Your choice:)

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*Some of our wording is borrowed from the Moab Jam safety guidelines, which are wonderful: http://www.moabjam.com/sites/default/files/MoabJam_Guidelines.pdf

A brief and simple list of some helpful approaches to CI from Dance Magazine:  http://www.dancemagazine.com/rules-of-contact-improv-class-2529732730.html

A wonderful article about the newcomer experience by Kathleen Rea: https://contactimprovconsentculture.com/2018/01/02/the-newcomer-experience-in-contact-dance-improvisation/

Here are some articles by Taja Will, Keith Hennessy and others that discuss intersectionality and how CI spaces can heal, harm or be implicit in the marginalization of different groups [download the pdf] https://contactquarterly.com/cq/article-gallery/view/ci-intersections.pdf

A wonderful list of articles from marginalized voices and folx interested in issues around intersectionality including gender/race/sexuality and whiteness can be found here: http://www.sharingweight.com/articles/christenson-freeing-the-mind

An article about what to wear to a Contact Improvisation Jam by Anya Smolnikova: https://sites.google.com/site/chicagocontactimprov/what-should-i-wear

An article from Contact Quarterly by teacher/dancer Kristin Horrigan on gender and identity inside of the dance https://contactquarterly.com/cq/article-gallery/view/queering-contact-improvisation

More links to information on the form can be found HERE