Contact Improvisation
Contact Improvisation je oblik improviziranog plesa temeljen na zajedničkoj težini, fizičkom kontaktu, zamahu i osjetljivom slušanju između tijela. Istražuje kretanje kroz dodir, gravitaciju, ravnotežu i protok, naglašavajući izbor u stvarnom vremenu, a ne koreografiju.
Forma se prakticira diljem svijeta u satovima, jam svirkama, radionicama i nastupima te se smatra jednom od temeljnih praksi koje utječu na suvremeni improvizacijski ples i svjesno kretanje.
Podrijetlo
Contact Improvisation pokrenuo je 1972. Steve Paxton, američki plesač i koreograf povezan s postmodernim plesom. Forma je nastala iz Paxtonovih istraživanja gravitacije, refleksa, padanja i fizičkog dijaloga, a prvi put je javno predstavljena kroz nastupe i radionice u Sjedinjenim Državama.
Od svojih početaka, Contact Improvisation se razvijao kao otvorena, evoluirajuća praksa, a ne kao kodificirana tehnika, šireći se kroz razmjenu među vršnjacima, eksperimentiranje i praksu u zajednici.
Osnovni principi
Contact Improvisation vodi se nekoliko osnovnih principa:
- Fizičko slušanje — obraćanje pažnje na dodir, pritisak i znakove pokreta.
- Zajednička težina — istraživanje potpore, protuteža i nošenja tereta između tijela.
- Zamah i tok — rad s inercijom, padanjem i oporavkom.
- Improvizacija — kretanje nastaje spontano kao odgovor na trenutne uvjete.
- Nehijerarhija — uloge vođe i sljedbenika nisu unaprijed definirane.
Praksa vrednuje osjet, percepciju i prilagodljivost iznad estetske forme.
Practice
Contact Improvisation is typically practiced in:
- classes — structured explorations of skills such as rolling, falling, lifting, and sensing.
- jams — open sessions where dancers freely explore movement in pairs or groups.
- performances — improvised or semi-improvised presentations.
Movement ranges from subtle weight shifts to dynamic lifts and falls. Dancers continually negotiate boundaries, safety, and consent through embodied awareness and communication.
There is no fixed choreography. Movement emerges from physical interaction, attention to gravity, and responsiveness to partners and space.
Touch, safety, and consent
Touch is central to Contact Improvisation. As a result, contemporary practice places strong emphasis on:
- consent and personal boundaries,
- clear communication (verbal and non-verbal),
- self-responsibility and care for others,
- adaptability to different bodies, abilities, and comfort levels.
Many communities explicitly articulate jam agreements and safety guidelines.
Music and environment
Contact Improvisation may be practiced with music, live sound, or in silence. Silence is often used to heighten attention to physical sensation and partner communication. Music, when present, functions as a supportive atmosphere rather than a driving structure.
Community and transmission
Contact Improvisation has no central governing body or certification system. Knowledge is transmitted through:
- workshops and festivals,
- local classes and jams,
- peer learning and mentorship.
This decentralised structure has contributed to the form’s adaptability and global spread.
Influence and legacy
Contact Improvisation has had significant influence on:
- contemporary dance and performance,
- somatic movement practices,
- conscious dance modalities,
- physical theatre and experimental performance.
Many later conscious dance practices draw from Contact Improvisation’s principles of presence, improvisation, and embodied dialogue.
Relationship to conscious dance
While Contact Improvisation is not inherently a meditation or therapeutic practice, it is widely recognised as a key ancestor of the conscious dance field. Its emphasis on awareness, relational movement, and improvisation strongly influenced later practices such as 5Rhythms, Open Floor, and other movement meditation forms.
External links
- Contact Improvisation - Canada: https://www.contactimprov.ca
