In the Contact Basics course, we will learn and practice the various principles on which contact improvisation is based, both physical, such as connection to the ground, giving and receiving weight, how to fall, lean, roll, fly… and human: how to listen, invite, follow, lead, trust, and play. Combining these principles, we can create an endless playground with our bodies. We will learn to be soft yet clear, to flow yet initiate, refining each person’s individual movement. We will succeed and fail, deepening each person’s listening to their body and expanding their movement vocabulary in our dialogue with others. The course will be led by an excellent team of teachers, allowing you to learn different approaches and perspectives on the basics of contact, so you can find the one that suits you best.

What is Contact?
Contact Improvisation is a branch of contemporary dance that developed in the USA in the early 1970s by a group of dancers who combined knowledge and skills from various dance techniques, martial arts, and acrobatics. The dance is based on improvisation, focusing on creating physical contact between dancers (usually in pairs).
Initially, contact improvisation focused on the influence of physical forces on body movements: gravity and connection to the floor, falling, weight transfer, momentum, pushing, pulling, etc. Over the years, the style has evolved to include more social aspects such as communication and connection, listening, leading, trust, and shared play. Touch has a central place in contact practice, but it is not always the main focus. The connection, communication, and listening we develop with ourselves through the body, and then with our environment, including other bodies, are the core, representing the “point of contact,” whether physical or metaphorical, at the heart of the dance.
Since its inception, contact improvisation has been taught in many dance schools, with numerous contact communities worldwide where people dance, learn, and practice together. It is an essential tool influencing the work of choreographers and dance companies globally.