A bunch of random one-off contact improvisation events have been flitting around on my Facebook feed, collecting in my e-mail inbox, and occupying space in my brain, so I thought it was time to make a list of them.
This is a non-exhaustive round-up of CI events in the northeastern part of North America that I know about. These do NOT include ongoing events; ongoing events for New York City can be found on my Contact Improvisation in NYC page. Unlike my Contact Improvisation in NYC page, I do not update these regularly or rigorously, so make sure to investigate before attending. If you see something missing, feel free to post in the comments.
- Sat, 6/4: Jo Stone co-teaches a Mind-Body Energy Workshop that starts at New York City’s Riverside Park from 12:30pm to 3pm, that includes an introduction to CI, meditation, and nutrition workshop. Jo tells me that the CI class is geared to absolute beginners, with no previous CI experience necessary. Register online.
- M, 6/6: Ilona Bito facilitates an Underscore at Brooklyn Studios for Dance. 7:15 to 9:45, talk-through at 6:45
- F, 6/10 – M, 6/12: Alicia Grayson teaches a workshop on CI and Mindfulness at the Peaceable Barn in Redding, CT. Contact peaceablebarnstudio@gmail.com for more information.
- Sat, 6/11: “Three Genres of Improvisation” performance at New Dance Alliance’s Performance Mix festival at Abrons Arts Center. CI is one of the three genres, with that section curated by Sarah Young and Tim O’Donnell. The description on the Web site starts with the inane question, “Does improvisation really exist?” But I suspend further judgment.
- Sun, 6/19: Global Underscore, 10am to 2pm EDT. The New York City edition is sponsored by Movement Research and will take place at Abrons Arts Center. There are also Underscores happening at Earthdance and in Boston (Cambridge).
- T, 6/28 – M, 7/4: The July 4 jam at Earthdance. Earthdance continues its “super-size” version of this jam, at nearly a full week. Margaret Paek & Rythea Lee facilitate.
- T, 7/5 – 7/9: Touch & Play: Embodying an Intimate Language at Earthdance. Touch & Play explores the edges of CI, most notably through consciously mixing CI and sexuality, but through other means as well. The festivals have been European-based since their founding in 2010, but now come to North America for the first time. Intensive teachers are Zahava Griss, Kristin Horrigan, and Elena Zubulake & Victor Warring.
- M, 7/11 – F, 7/15: K.J. Holmes teaches “Contact Improvisation Practices” at the Movement Research summer MELT festival.
- Sun, 8/7 – Sun, 8/14: Terre de Recherche 2016, somewhere in the Eastern Townships of Québec, east of Montreal. A week-long research intensive, facilitated by Sarah Mascolo and Stéphanie Gaudreau. It’s incredibly difficult to understand where this is, but apparently it’s at a big studio in the middle of the woods somewhere. I am told it’s beautiful.
Looking ahead a little to the fall, a few dates to put on your calender:
- F, 9/30 – Sun, 10/2: Annual Burlington VT International Contact Improv Jam.
- F, 10/7 – Sun, 10/9: Boston Fall Jam.
- W, 10/12 – Sun, 10/16: East Coast Jam, Fall 2016 (West Virginia).
- Th, 10/20 – Sun, 10/23: Earthdance Falling Leaves Jam, facilitated by Bradley Ellis & Sue Stuart.
- Th, 11/24 – Sun, 11/27: The Gratitude Jam & Workshop Celebration with Tim O’Donnell at Earthdance.
- Sat, 11/26 – Sun, 11/27: International Annual Montreal Jam 2016.