Contact improvisation has returned post-pandemic in New York City. It’s different from before—less cliquey, more diverse, more decentralized, with new organizers and lots of new, young dancers. And it’s also perhaps a little less dance-focused, more social, and less skilled/experienced, particularly with some of the major teachers from pre-pandemic either leaving the city or teaching less. It’s a really interesting evolution and time. Will new teachers and elders come to the fore? Will new organizers find their way? Will different innovations and formats flourish or die out? Will we learn the lessons of #metoo and consent culture, or repeat the mistakes of the past?
It parallels in many ways the questions for CI as a form at large, with the passing of Nancy Stark Smith in the early days of the pandemic. Nevertheless, New York City remains a special place to dance CI, with a concentration of events and dancers that’s rare in North America, and that I think still rivals many places in the world (I haven’t traveled much post-pandemic).
This page, occasionally updated, gives a somewhat-but-not-totally accurate summation of the various recurring events in New York City. It does not give information about one-time events—for those, pay attention to various other media, including Facebook and WhatsApp.
This page was last updated on Tuesday, June 11, 2024:
General sources of information
- The Facebook group Contact Improv NYC gets some but not all of the current information on the NYC CI scene. Still worth joining for the moment.
- The WhatsApp community NYC Contact Improvisation contains all kinds of information on regular events and one-time classes and workshops, especially for a younger crowd. The link to join isn’t public, but you can ask around at a jam to get someone to add you to the group. Chris Cahoon is a good person to flag down for this, or ask at any closing circle.
- There’s a separate Queer Jam WhatsApp group that you might need to ask around extra-hard to be added to. If you’re interested in attending a queer jam in NYC, track down Paris Cullen or ask in the WhatsApp group chat.
- A few folks who are organizing things in NYC who have Web sites:
- Movement Research, which hosts a monthly Underscore
- And in the surrounding area
- Contact Improv Boston (Massachusetts)
- Earthdance (Massachusetts)
- Field Center (Vermont)
- Hudson Valley Contact Improvisation
- Peaceable Barn in Connecticut has been hosting monthly jams and occasional workshops
Regular Jams and Classes in New York City
Tuesday evenings: Virtual jam online, 8pm-9pm ET. I realize that it’s a bit strange to list a virtual jam here, but it started all the way during Covid, with barely a week off, and still going. Cecilia Fontanesi and Funda Gul from the NYC community have done the hard work of maintaining this. Anyone around the world can join. I think posting the Zoom link here sometimes leads to crashers, so maybe best to check out the Contact Improv NYC Facebook group to find it? It’s still getting posted there.
Tuesday evenings: drop-in “CI Basics” classes at 100 Grand Dance (Bill Young’s Studio), 100 Grand Street (between Mercer Street & Greene Street), 2nd floor (Buzz “Bill Young 2F”), Manhattan (SoHo), NYC. 6:30pm – 8:30pm. Basics class. $20 cash or Venmo at the door. Zoë Papaerocleus teaches in June; Paris Cullen teaches in July.
About two Tuesday evenings per month: Jam at Open Arts Studio in Brooklyn (DUMBO), NYC. 6:30pm – 9:30pm. Doors lock after 7:15pm, RSVP required. Usually has live musicians. Which Tuesdays move around a bit, and it’s semi-underground—see Web site for details. RSVP on the site or send e-mail to tax1050@gmail.com to learn more. (Yes, I realize that e-mail address looks fishy—that’s not a mistake.)
Wednesday evenings: Jam at 100 Grand Dance (Bill Young’s Studio), 100 Grand Street (between Mercer Street & Greene Street), 2nd floor (Buzz “Bill Young 2F”), Manhattan (SoHo), NYC. 6pm warm-up/class led by rotating teachers, 7pm to 9pm jam. Class $15, Jam $5-$15 sliding scale, class + jam $20-$40 sliding scale. Occasionally a live musician, and people sometimes play music on the boombox. Gabrielle Revlock leads the warm-up through June.
Thursday evenings: drop-in “intermediate” classes at 115 Wooster St (Randy Warshaw Studio), 115 Wooster St. #2F, Manhattan (SoHo), NYC. 7pm – 9pm. $20 cash or Venmo at the door. Gabrielle Revlock teaches in June.
Saturday afternoons: Jam at Eden’s Expressway, 537 Broadway (between Prince Street & Spring Street), 4th Floor, Manhattan (SoHo), NYC, 2pm – 5pm. Suggested donation $5-$10 cash or Venmo, no one turned away for lack of funds. Buzz 4 and the button below the green arrow/bell to get in. (Recently this sequence causes the intercom to display “FRANCES ALENIKOF” instead of “Eden’s Expressway” as it used to, but it still seems to be buzzing the studio correctly. :) ) Fourth-floor walk-up—be ready to walk up lots of stairs (although there is an elevator option—see “Accessibility” below). Right next to the GUESS? store—don’t be deterred by the large wooden boxes covering open pits :)—just walk around, and you’ll find the entrance. Charlie Mosey is mainly facilitating this.
Mostly second Sundays: Underscore, den’s Expressway, 537 Broadway (between Prince Street & Spring Street), 4th Floor, Manhattan (SoHo), NYC, 1pm-5pm. Arrive by 2pm at the latest; 1pm warm-up or talkthrough, 2pm – 5pm Underscore. Suggested donation $15 (cash only). Offered through Movement Research, facilitated by Luce Mahler. Underscores are “closed containers”—you are expected to start and end together as a group, no late entries after 2pm. More information on the Movement Research class page and the Underscore NYC Facebook group. Next Underscores on Saturday, June 22 (special Global Underscore, 10am – 1:30pm); Sunday, July 14; and Sunday, August 11.
Third Sundays: Brooklyn BIPOC Jam at Aikido of Park Slope, 630 Sackett St., Brooklyn (Park Slope), NYC, 5pm – 8pm. Free affinity jam in Brooklyn in a large aikido dojo (mats!), for BIPOC-identified people only. Returning to the Aikido dojo on Sunday, January 21, 2024. Information on this is mostly found on WhatsApp, although you can find a little on the Facebook group. (Note that the weekly Sunday Brooklyn jam ended in summer 2023.) BIPOC jams for 2024 on June 16, July 21, August 18, September 15, October 20, November 17, and December 15.
Every now and then:
- Queer jams take place on occasion—roughly 1x month?—at Chez Bushwick at 304 Boerum in Brooklyn, usually on a weekend. These are posted to the Queer Jam WhatsApp group.
More about this page
This page does NOT contain short-term workshops, multi-session progressive classes/courses, or other non-recurring events. If you would like to inform others of those events, please post a comment. Events must be related to contact improvisation, and I’ll remove expired events. I’ve exercised my own judgment as to what is a contact improvisation jam or class; I have not included barefoot boogies, ecstatic dances, or similar events where people may or may not do contact improvisation.
While you are free to distribute the information above, please do not copy the descriptions (or anything else on this page) without permission and attribution. They constitute my views and original work.
I have a section below on the physical Accessibility of the various venues in NYC. If you have suggestions on how to improve this section, I would love to hear them.
Accessibility
Unfortunately, many of our New York City contact venues are not very accessible. This is something to work on.
Aikido of Park Slope, Brooklyn: fair. About a four- to five-inch step at the entrance to get in, and a similar four- to five-inch step up to get onto the dance space. Space is on ground floor, so no elevators necessary. Bathrooms are not huge, but not too tiny, but don’t have handrails. Changing rooms are down a step once going through the dance space, although the bathroom is before the dance space and could be used to change in as well.
Bill Young’s Studio (100 Grand Dance): poor. Bill Young’s Studio is up a step and up two flights of stairs through some fairly heavy doors, none of which are automatic. However, after the first step and two doors, there is an elevator. We’ve been able to get a wheelchair in and out of the space with some teamwork. Very small single-occupancy bathroom with no handrails, and is up a step. No changing room separate from the bathroom.
Eden’s Expressway: poor. Eden’s Expressway is on a fourth-floor walk-up. Ground floor entrance is up a step behind some narrow manual doors. There is very small service elevator directly inside the front door that can be sent down and called up from the fourth floor, and opens into a small space sometimes used for changing inside Eden’s Expressway. The elevator doors on the fourth floor open at a right angle to those on the ground floor, and there’s not much room to maneuver; it can work with some patience for smaller wheelchairs, and with LOTS of patience for larger wheelchairs. Very small single-occupancy bathroom with no handrails. No changing room separate from the bathroom (although some people change in the elevator bay).
For convenience
I’ve made several redirects to this page for easy-to-remember shorthand:
- contactimprovblog.com/ny
- contactimprovblog.com/nyc
- contactimprovblog.com/nyci
How does one get on the Queer Contact Whatsapp?
It’s not much easier than asking around. If you’re on the regular WhatsApp, I’d post a message there. If you’re not on either, I’d show up at a jam and ask at the closing circle if anyone can add you to either. Usually there will be someone who can at either the Wednesday night or Saturday afternoon jams.
Hey there! Do you know if the Wednesday evening classes and jam from 6pm are still running at 100
Grand? Thanks!
Yes, still running. The 6pm classes are, I believe, transitioning into a lab for at least a few weeks, but I’m not sure of the format or topics. And I think the jams are continuing as before.
Is there an updated whatsapp invite link? The July 2022 link seems to be invalid. Thanks!
Links are always changing, I’m afraid, so I’ve stopped posting them here. Your best bet is to ask around at a closing circle at one of the jams, and someone can usually add you.
Hi! Is there any CI happening now in NYC or has this page not been updated? It has been about 9 months since the city opened up the ability to have indoor events so I am curious to know what is happening. Any updates you can provide is much appreciated.
Thanks so much
Actually, there is a Contact Improv for Beginners event this coming weekend. No public jams yet that I’m aware of, but I know there’s underground (invite-only) jamming happening.
I have a sense that things might be re-opening soon, however.
Just went to the friday jam in park slope. So awesome, thank you so much for this info! Really made my day.
Great to hear!
Hi , Is the tuesday class happening today at 6 ?
Just saw this. The function of this page is to confirm that things are in fact happening. If you need further confirmation, particularly the day of, I suggest posting on the Contact Improv NYC Facebook group.
To my knowledge, the Tuesday class did in fact happen this week.
Hi! Can i just show up for a class? What are the requirements and how do i book one? Thank you !
Hi Agustina,
For all the classes listed on my blog, you can essentially just show up. I recommend getting there 5-10 minutes early to get changed and be ready to start on time. The Wednesday night class requires a little bit of sign-in, and the Thursday night class requires a little bit more — I think you have to sign a release and stuff — so plan accordingly. But none of them require pre-registration.
Richard…a little confused about the Saturday afternoon jam. Your note states, “This jam continues without interruption through Saturday, November 24.” I figure this was either meant to assure us that the jam was actually happening over the holiday weekend OR to inform us that the last date of the jam is 11/24. So, is the jam still happening? I don’t see any evidence of it on Eden’s Expressway’s (MR) page.
Thanks!!
Hi April. Yes, they’re still happening. They’re not a Movement Research-sponsored event — we rent out the Eden’s Expressway space. They pretty much always happen, even including all major holidays.
And sorry for the confusion — I’ve updated the page.
Just asked about 12/18. Forgot to mention that I’ve never done contact improv but I’m not new to dance, just haven’t been to class in a very long time and my partner is athletic (basketball) but not a dancer. I’m thinking of taking class for an anniversary gift.
Hi Nakia. Tuesday jams are still happening, but the pre-jam class is on hiatus at the moment — last I heard it may be coming back in January or February. If you’ve never done CI, you’re certainly welcome to drop by and participate to your comfort, but there are also intro/beginners classes available, primarily the Thursday night offering.
If you’re hearing some caution in my writing, it’s because there’s a range of folks whom I’ve seen over the years plunge into CI, and for small communities that don’t have newcomers often, that’s not such a big deal — there’s lots of folks who can look out for you and hold your hand through the process. In New York City, that’s harder, simply because of the amount of turnover week to week — we often don’t know who is new at the jam any particular week vs. whom we just don’t know personally — although the community is working to address the issue. So, for instance, if someone’s sole background in dance is jazz dance classes, they might be confronted by the lack of music, lack of structure, and amount of physical contact. And then on the other hand, some people take to it like fish to water.
Bottom line, it could be utterly wonderful to pleasant-but-not-your-thing to a little confronting. I just wanted you to be aware of that before attending.
Are these jams still happening? I’m trying to plan something for 12/18/18.
We are two Spanish girls. We’ll go to the contact class and Jam tomorrow. We need to know if we can pay by credit card. Well, we don’t have cash. Thank.
Hi Miren. We don’t have a way to take credit cards — cash only, I’m afraid. If you don’t have cash today, you can probably pay back in the future — please ask the facilitator/instructor. Feel free to come regardless!
Hi I’m from chile and I will be visiting my sister in ny by February. I am a dance student but I’m scare to not be able to take the contact clases or jams because of the language. Is there some jam or clase made for people who dobt speak lot of English? Or is it an inconvenient ? Thx
Hi Fran, there are no classes that I know of for people who don’t speak English. However, there are many people in our community who speak Spanish and are happy to help people who are new. I recommend you join the Facebook group “Contact Improv NYC” (https://www.facebook.com/groups/contactimprovnyc/) and post your question in Spanish. Someone may be able to help you find your way to the jam and give you some advice on how to take classes. Someone may even be interested in teaching a class in Spanish.
Richard: Which of the facilities, if any, have air conditioning? How bad is the heat on hot summer Saturday afternoons?
Sadly, none of the facilities have air conditioning. Heat on a hot summer Saturday is… HOT. There are fans, however, and we keep dancing. :)
What do you know about the new Monday jam in Brooklyn?
Pretty much what’s up above. You can find more information on the Brooklyn Studios for Dance Web site as well. What else would you like to know?
Do you know if the Saturday jam is happening on December 23?
Thanks, Bea
The Saturday jam is almost certainly happening on December 23 — the Tuesday and Saturday jams pretty much never cancel. But I’ll try to get confirmation in the next week or two.
Thank you for your work! I´m from Munich, Germany and it is really cool to find those informations so easily!
Hello :)
My name is Nikki, and I’m from England, in a Dance graduate and will in New York next week!
I was hoping to come to the Tuesday jam, as it sounds amazing
Are they open just to turn up and join in, or is there anything I should do before hand?
Thank you for your time and look forward to hearing from you
Hi Nikki, you just show up anytime between 7pm and 10pm. If you’ve never done contact improvisation before, it may be a good idea to try a class first, but it’s not necessary. Make sure to bring comfortable, loose clothing that you don’t mind getting sweaty and rolling around in. And it’s a good idea to bring water, since there isn’t a water fountain in the space (though you can fill water bottles in the bathroom sink).
hi dear,
is the parcon info not on this blog anymore?
Sadly not. Open parcon classes or practices haven’t been at a regular enough time/date for me to list them on this blog. If they become regularly-scheduled again in the future, I’ll put them back.
Just wondering how to confirm these jams are happening next week. I will be visiting for a few weeks and would like to check out your local jams. Thanks! Also how could I get the phone #s to call and verify my self. Thanks!
So I understand your concern given the typical haphazard nature of CI jams. But really, this page is meant to address that concern. Note the “updated” date at the top of the page. That’s manually updated, not automatic. I’ve updated the page manually based on the latest information.
But if you want more assurance about any of the events listed: (1) most if not all of the classes have links to the organization that hosts the classes, which you can e-mail or call, (2) for the jams, you can post to the Facebook group Contact Improv NYC for assurance from the community that it’s happening, or (3) you can post to the Yahoo group contactnyc. Links to those groups are at the bottom of the page.
All jams are scheduled to proceed on Tuesdays and Saturday for the near future. We rarely cancel, even on holidays. Classes are a little bit more unpredictable, but again, you can follow up with the specific organizations.
fyi: tried to email – and said it’s having a temporary problem. trying to find out if parcon is happening this sunday, 3/19/2017. thanks!
No parcon this Sunday. I’ll try to make sure the e-mail is fixed.
Hi! I recently moved to NY. I love dancing and I do dance, but not professionally, and I would very much like to start knowing better Contact improvisation dancing techniques. Is there any workshop or regular contact meetings you would recommend for a beginner/someone with a little dancing background but not CI?
Hi Annabel. Admittedly the NY scene is a bit tilted towards people with dance backgrounds, but not exclusively by any means. I think the Tuesday night jam tends to be a bit less “dancerly,” and I think the Thursday night Basics class is worth a try, although you’re probably going to have some dancers in your class. Finally, Mike Mikos is doing a four-week class for beginners in Brooklyn, aimed at non-dancers and starting January 26, that might be worth checking out. I link to it from this post.
Any possibilty of folks rolling around tomorrow, Friday, November 25, 2016. This is a great list of jams and classes and I did not see anything for Fridays generally, but if anyone catches this note and knows anything, let me know. Underscore would be fine too. I dance in Northampton, MA and we have a weekly Underscore group there that feeds us well.
Best,
Jeff
Míle buíochas, just for gettin an idea of what’s happenin in the big apple, great, appreciate the effort, REALLY!
Hello,
Thank you for your blog which is very clear usefull and helpfull. I will come from France for a couple of week in october with my son (12). Could you tell me please if and where we can have a jam together ? In France sometimes kids are allowed but I don’t know how it works in NYC.
Secondly, is there some jams in the parks of the town ?
Thank you very much for your answers. Have a nice day !
Claire
Bienvenue, Claire. You are welcome to bring your son to either the Tuesday or Saturday jam, both of which have had children before. Children are welcome to attend the New York jams. However, there are not likely to be any other children, nor will there be any activities or child care specifically organized for your son. So you will need to take primary responsibility for your son’s safety and entertainment.
There are no jams in parks at this moment, partly because the weather is getting colder. However, there is outdoor “parcon” practice on Sundays 4pm to 6pm.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi all,
I like to join you on Monday morning. Will the class take place? And would it be possible for somebody to lend me kneepads?
Thanks and see you soon!
Marlene
Hi Marlene. I don’t run the class on Mondays, but as far as I know it’s taking place. I don’t use kneepads myself, but you might be able to pick up a pair at a martial arts supply store. You also might try posting on the Facebook group Contact Improv NYC. https://facebook.com/groups/1576255105950232
I am 60 y old
I have done contact improvisation at the last 5 Y
I am coming NY for 1 M in the coming MAR
Do U have some movement lessons/class to offer me.
I am not Professional
I am a business man and feldenkrais teacher
Thanks
Kobi
Hi Kobi,
Are you looking for private (one-on-one) lessons from me? Or do you want to know about what classes will be offered in March in New York? If you’re looking for lessons, I can contact you individually. If you want to know about what classes are offered, simply look at this page. It has all of the information on ongoing (regularly scheduled) classes. For other (one-time) classes, consult my post on CI events or the Contact NYC Facebook group.
Hi Richard,
Thank you for the clear information!
I’m traveling in NY now and it helps me a lot!
I found from 100 Grand Dance website (https://100grandsoho.wordpress.com/about/) that they’ll have class with Tim tomorrow (1/4) morning. Do you know that will it really happen tomorrow? (Because it also states that there’s Jam tomorrow, but I know from your website that the Jam will resume at 1/11 actually.)
And will the Tuesday Jam happen on 1/5?
Is there anything different from what they post on the website? (Such as time, location….etc.)
Many thanks for the help!!
Best,
Szu-ying
My understanding is that the Monday, 1/4 class is on, and will be taught by Carly Czach, although I’m not 100% sure.
The Monday, 1/4 evening jam is not happening.
The Tuesday, 1/5 evening jam is DEFINITELY happening.
Otherwise, the information that is on this page should match what is on the 100 Grand Web site, and should be accurate. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Does anyone know if the CI jam is on tonight (Tuesday, December 29, 2015)?
Sorry to have missed this question. The jam did happen on 12/29, as listed on my blog. You really can trust it! Though I suppose I could have been more explicit about it. Generally, the Tuesday and Saturday jams don’t cancel in NYC, like, ever. Classes are a bit less predictable.
Hello, I really love watching these contact improvs on youtube. I would really love to give it a try. I have no prior experience in this art. I however am a teacher, personal trainer and martial artist. I have not background in dance whatsoever. Would I be welcome at a class on Saturdays?
Mike
Hi Mike, sorry for the delayed response to this question.
Saturday is a “jam,” not a class — an opportunity to practice CI, without any specific class structure. I’d actually recommend that you start with a class — perhaps one of the Thursday night “Basics” classes at Gibney downtown. That having been said, you can feel free to drop by on Saturdays anyway if you want to get a feel for how it works.
Phew… it sounds like you need some basic orientation to contact improvisation. And I’m not sure if there are any good resources on the Web at the moment. Let me see if I can write something.
Hi Richard. Thank you for diligently working on this site. It is so useful when I come into the city. FYI, Vivek and Nancy Stark Smith suggested that I start my own blog. Feel free to have a look at it.
http://josephsengco.com/
Cheers!
Joseph
hi richard,
we recently met at bill young’s last tuesday night.. i was new.
and i thanked you for this page.
just fyi: jesse johnson’s monday night class is $15, not $20. i’m guessing you’d like to update that above.
very grateful for this page!
hope to see you on friday night when i can make it.
We came to Sheep’s Meadow on Friday, June 19th and couldn’t find you or anyone jamming. Are the Friday sesssions still on?
Yes, definitely still on. I was there from 6pm, although a lot of people had trouble finding me for some reason. I was the only one for about a hour, so I took a nap – you might have missed me lying in the grass. People started accumulating at 7 today and we didn’t get dancing until 7:30, for whatever reason.
Sorry to have missed you, but if the e-mail attached to this comment is valid, I can follow up with you in person and make sure you have my phone number and email. Hopefully we can coordinate better in the future.
And maybe I’ll get a big sign.
[an update from Bill Young]
Good News for Jam Tonight!! [2015 March 3 only]
100 Grand Contact Jam can start the usual time at 7-10pm !
Location Change: 115 Wooster Street (Randy Warshaw Studio)
So we are staring 2 Blocks West and 2 Blocks North then/from our regular time and place.
Hi all,
The upcoming Tuesday CI Jam (March 3rd) has changed location and time:
Location Change: 115 Wooster Street (Randy Warshaw Studio)
So we are staring 2 Blocks West and 2 Blocks North then/from our regular time and place.
We will be back at Bill’s at our usual time next week. Please help spread the word, and thank you for your cooperation.
Please reply directly to me with questions.
best,
c
hi there,
i am visiting nyc from the bay area for the holidays. i’d really like to make it to a jam or a class, but i know regularly scheduled classes/jams can get dicey around that time. i’ll be in nyc from december 29th thru january 1st (thats a monday thru a thursday). do you have any inklings on what will definitely be/not be happening?
best, ali
Hi Ali. These things tend to be decided towards the last minute, but I’ll be updating my blog as we get closer. Watch this space!
However, my best guess as of now is that there will be a Monday morning class and Tuesday night jam during that time, but nothing else.
If you’re interested in Monday night Open Movement, you might subscribe to the Open Movement NYC Facebook page (linked to from this page), and then post a question as to the Open Movement schedule through the holidays.
Welcome to NYC!
Definitely Tuesday night jam. No word on Monday night jam yet.
Okey , thank You Richard! I will be there ;)
I probably won’t make it today due to other conflicts. But I think plenty of others should be. Have fun!
Is there a contact Jam tomorrow tuesday from 7:00 to 10:00 PM in 100 grand street?
Thanks for your time!
Cristian Navarro
Yes. It is happening. As always, attendance is a bit light in the first hour, but picks up a lot around 8pm.
Hi Lucy,
Tuesday is pretty much just contact improvisation. It’s not a rigid form of contact improvisation — e.g., no one is going to scold you for dropping the point (except for maybe me!) — but it’s definitely a contact improvisation jam, and any other type of improvisation occurs with contact as a basis or a reference/departure point.
On Mondays these days, it really varies. I think people generally are open to some contact improvisation, but there aren’t often hard-core contact dancers there. I don’t think anyone will object if you start doing contact with them, but they may not have the physical skills or knowledge to really respond in kind.
I think both groups would be fine with minors. Are you talking about bringing along a child, or about being a teen who wants to dance?
Hi,
Thanks for posting this it’s really helpful. I have three questions, at the contact jam on tuesdays, is it a mix of improv and contact or soley just contact? At the open movement jams on mondays, how open, would you say, are the people to contact? Lastly, how do the groups tend to respond to minors?
What’s the word on bringing casual visitors to contact jams? I have a friend who is visiting this weekend who is interested in contact but might not be interested in joining in on his first time really seeing contact. I imagine that people wouldn’t balk at his presence on the sidelines at the Saturday jam, but I can also imagine that some might be confused or put off by an non-participating body in the space. What’s the protocol for casual observers of contact? Thanks.
Great question. I think at most jams I’ve been to, dancers are pretty familiar with this phenomenon of friends who come and “just want to see.” I don’t think there’s any reason to think that people will be confused or offended.
On the other hand, I’d have some advice for your friend. First: even if you’re coming just to watch, just come dressed to dance. Just in case. I’ve seen many, *many* situations where someone who came just to watch ended up not only getting pulled on to the dance floor, but having a fairly transformative life experience. Second: be prepared to be asked to dance, or led on to the dance floor. Possibly less so at the NYC Saturday jam, where participants are a bit less curious about newcomers. But if you really want just to watch, be prepared to say no clearly but politely. Third: if you are pulled on to the dance floor, you are responsible for yourself! Rarely does someone get hurt in this situation, but totally new people can occasionally get lost in the exhilaration of the experience and not realize that they’re doing movements that are quite risky, and lack the skill to protect themselves. Go slow, take it easy, resist being picked up, and don’t do anything you don’t feel physically comfortable with. There’s plenty of time for risk later. You can always ask for the dance to be different, or for the dance to stop. Actually, it’s your obligation to do so if necessary.
Finally, if not asked to dance, often newcomers get so intimidated or confused by the jam space that they sort of get paralyzed, sitting around in one place self-consciously and looking around. There’s lots I could say about this, but for now, I’ll just give this advice: just get up and walk around the space every now and then. Try not to step on or over anyone, but otherwise, it can’t hurt. Something surprising may happen to you by the time you sit back down again. (Or not.)
Yes it does. I wil check it out next week.
Thank you a lot Richard!!
Radka
Hi Richard,
I just moved to New York. I love dancing, but my skills are not profesional, which action would you recommend to me, please? Is there also possibility to come up just to watch and admire?
Thank you,
Radka
Hi Radka. Have you done any contact improvisation before? Are you interested in more contact improvisation, or just dancing?
If you just want to dance, I’d recommend showing up to the Monday Open Movement Jam, which is less contact improvisation and more just people moving around. There’s also music there often, which can be helpful for people who aren’t used to dancing in silence.
If you’re interested in doing more contact improvisation, I’d also recommend checking out the Sunday classes this month, taught by Shakti Smith. I haven’t taken class from Shakti yet, but I know her to be thoughtful and thorough. She doesn’t come from a trained dance background, and so I think may be more understanding of newer dancers than some of the NY contact teachers.
Does that answer your question?
Hi,
Is it possible to find another place for the jam saturday afternoon…maybe it is not possible in eden express, but the paradise is everywhere, specially after this hurricane…Maybe a place in Brooklyn?
I took a bottle of red wine from France, and I would like to propose a little french moment after the jam, cheese, bred and wine…It is my last saturday in NY before another come back -maybe-. See you soon. Lucie
Richard!
Where would you look/who would you contact for current info on CI in the SF Bay Area?
Thanks,
Mark
You mean other than contactimprov.net? Ah, very good question. This site (http://nono.artsomatic.org/jams/) is a little new, but seems to be fairly accurate, tracking CI events in the Bay Area similarly to how I do in NYC. For Tuesday nights, I’d double-check on the CounterPULSE Web site. And if you really want to be sure, subscribe to the SF Yahoo group and send an e-mail.
Hello Richard,
I am french and I just arrive in New York.
\Can you say me if this saturday and sunday there is something like a jam or a workshop?
Thank you
Lucie
Allo Lucie. Bienvenue!
The regular Saturday jam is listed above. It’s 1330 to 1730, at Eden’s Expressway, at 537 Broadway, on the 4th Floor. I think you need to press some keys when you get to the front door to get in — I think you press “4” then a green arrow.
I am not completely sure the jam is taking place, but usually the jam is never cancelled. I think it is worth it to go. If it is happening, there will probably be lots of different people there from around the country, since this is a U.S. holiday weekend.
Have fun. Let me know if you have another questions.
thanks Richard for your comprehensive guide to CI in the CIty!
Thank you for all your encouragement this weekend, Richard. You made a big dent in my life!!!
Pat
No problem, Pat. I’m happy to help.
Richard, thank you for centralizing this sometimes elusive information. Kudos!
THANK YOU SO MUCH RICHARD!! this is such a wonderful resource and will really help me navigate the dancing world in this big apple. Hope to meet you on the floor soon…
Thanks! Obviously, that was exactly my intent! I’m happy to know that this page is useful. Please pass it on to other visitors.
Thank for this blog Richard. I was just looking for some CI activity in NY during this week. Then collecting info on various sites trying to understand if they where right and in a while discovering your website clouds part! :-)
A CI visitor from italy
Thanks. We re going to check it out tonight. :)
Hi Erin. It depends what you want to get out of it. The lab is probably not too advanced for you to participate. Although I know someone new to contact who was once overwhelmed, it was her first time doing it ever, and she had little modern dance experience. I think generally the lab is welcoming and totally accepting of different skill levels, and I know that Edwin is interested in getting “new blood” attending.
But the larger issue is, what is it that you’re looking to learn? In my experience, the lab tends to be fairly open-ended explorations, which may or may not be what you want/need. If there are specific physical skills you would like to learn, you may need instruction as opposed to suggestions and invitations to experiment for yourself. But if what you want is to explore different compositional or movement options, then maybe it’s exactly what you want.
I’ll e-mail separately with Edwin’s (who runs the lab) e-mail address, and you can get it touch with him directly about it.
Another possibility is going to Kayoko’s class on Friday. Her classes tend to be small, and she might be able to really cater to what you need to work on — at least my friend had an experience like that. I’ll send you her e-mail as well.
Feel free to e-mail me or comment here as well.
My sister and I are dancers looking to get some basic contact skills. We are working on a show requiring us to use contact together to make up a dance in a short time. Could we come to the lab to get help or would it be too advanced? We have some basic partnering experience. What else do you suggest? Thanks so much! E