Prior to our contact improvisation workshop I felt anxious yet intrigued to what may come my way. Although thoroughly enjoying improvisation in first year I was drawn to the thought that whether working with another individual would either further my improvisation skills or that I would shy away from the process.

However, throughout the workshop I became more accepting and felt comfortable working alongside another dancer. The workshop started with everyone walking around the space coming into perspective with the kinesiology around us and becoming familiar with the space we were in. Lowering to the floor allowed us to experiment with our senses and the way the floor felt on our skin. Playing with tone was the key direction of the workshop. We explored rolling, pressing and sliding movements along the floor whilst enforcing tonal qualities to the improvisation. Physically I found it difficult to press with a fairly low tone, however I decided to link the pressing movement into a sliding movement which allowed me to bring the tone down to a minimal level. We then went on to perform this task with a partner. My chosen partner was Stacey and the objective was to follow her movements with the palm or my hand. I felt fairly comfortable doing this as it allowed me to experience viewing different movements and taught me to let go a little and to not be afraid of what your partner or other people may think of my chosen movements. We then performed this task again but with both of us following each other’s movements.  When Kayla added tonal qualities to the task such as tone 8 the speed and force allowed me to experience more with my movements as the given tone didn’t allow me time to think about my future movement, I felt my movements were more  ‘in the moment’. Surprisingly me and my partner felt very comfortable and trusted each other throughout the course of the task. When asked how we felt during the improvisation we stated that when we were experimenting with a lower tone we felt almost as though it appeared as we were love making whereas throughout the higher tones it felt as though we were fighting.

Which we then realised linked to a quote from Novack from this week’s reading: A cross between jitterbugging, wresting and making love’ (Novack, J, 1990, 179) .I found the pre readings and the first weeks readings beneficial, as it enabled me to gain an understanding of what I could expect from contact improvisation. I found that improvisation helps create a mind and body relationship. Steve Paxton’s book; Taken by Surprise, taught me that, to be successful throughout improvisation you have to be conscious and reflective, as balance and direction will often change subject to being lifted and lifting. A statement which occurred in the reading ‘ A partner has to respond to ever changing landscape of their partners bodies’. This quote left me intrigued, wondering what was to come throughout the semester.

I also participated in a Contact Improvisation jam which will take place once a week. The Jam started with Kayla explaining the outlines of what a ‘Jam’ is. The Jam started with each of us laying on the floor familiarising our sense of touch and skin with the ground and those around us. This introduction allowed me to feel at ease with the space and totally relaxed.  We were then introduced to the concept of grazing, we worked in partners and in groups to experiment with the tool. Due to the Jam being held at night and no use of lights I felt totally at ease and more willing to try new things as I felt I wasn’t being watched. The darkness also I feel created an informal atmosphere and we connected as a group more than ever before which felt really great and gave me a positive feeling about future contact improvisation workshops and jams.