Andrew Dance

Dancing contact improvisation with ‘contact-through’

In an age of coronavirus (July 2020) with the need to avoid bodies in contact, we can have some contact with each other through the use of artefacts like – balls, ropes, fabrics, sticks or poles. We can ‘contact-through’ them to other dancers while dancing outside. This article includes Government guidelines about reducing infection risks.

Dance with Social Distancing

Each summer, Oxford Contact Dance has organised Dance in the Park – where we dance contact improvisation outside. This year’s Dance in the Park is going to be a bit different due to COVID19. We won’t be dancing with our bodies in contact but physically distanced (‘social distancing’) and there must be no more than six dancers – by law (in England). Let’s investigate and research this configuration – six people, two metres apart. Let’s dance six two (#dance62)!

Freiburg Research Project 2019 (‘NOT-YET CONTACT IMPROVISATION’ by Flor Campise and Meldy Ijpelaar)

At the Freiburg Contact Festival 2019, Flor Campise and Meldy Ijpelaar facilitated the festival research project entitled ‘From CI island to CI connective Rhizome’ – which included workshops that I also attended. Subsequently, they produced the zine ‘NOT-YET CONTACT IMPROVISATION’ drawing on their research.

The somatics of cleaning your teeth!

A few years ago, I attend sessions with a teacher of Alexander Technique. At the time, I had a stressful job which created discomfort and tension in my body. Alexander Technique was incredibly effective in bring relief to me but it’s only more recently that I more fully understand its application – including cleaning my teeth!!

Dance in the face of coronavirus

The outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic in March 2020 caused the suspension of our dance and class sessions at Oxford Contact Dance. Assembles were unlawful, ‘social distancing’ the new normal, and most people were isolated at home. We couldn’t dance together. What could we do?

Embodied decision-making?

The University of Oxford has been using the humanities for leadership training – mostly for leaders in business. Acting and singing are two humanities featured in their programme but what about movement or dance? I draw-up a two day course based upon my movement practice of contact improvisation. [Research by Fiona Bennett]