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?
Continue reading Dance in the face of coronavirusEmbodied 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]
Continue reading Embodied decision-making?C-12 Emerge Dance Festival 2020
Dance artist Jo Dyer with whom I worked last year, is performing a new dance in London and you’re invited! Save the dates: 3-7th March at The Space, 269 Westferry Rd, London E14 3RS. Tickets are available.
Continue reading C-12 Emerge Dance Festival 2020Dissidence : a dance
This dance theatre composition ‘Dissidence’, uses techniques from contact improvisation. It’s intended for performance at a fringe festival or in an art gallery, or similar setting.
Continue reading Dissidence : a danceAll life a dance : a sea life story
Artist Fiona Bennett and I, have been writing a series of children’s stories involving sea creatures. One of them involves dance, and so I thought we’d share it with you. Enjoy the story.
Continue reading All life a dance : a sea life storyStage dancing : Christmas Lights 2019, Oxford
On Saturday 16 November, dancer Jo Dyer, cellist Josie Webber and I, took to the stage in Oxford at the Christmas Lights Festival. We performed a revised version of the ‘In-between’ dance created earlier in the year.
Continue reading Stage dancing : Christmas Lights 2019, Oxford‘I learn so much from my [dance] students’
‘I learn so much from my students’ is often said by those who teach. But is it true? Teaching/facilitating at a session of Oxford Contact Dance in October, I had something of a rude awakening!
Continue reading ‘I learn so much from my [dance] students’Yoga into dance : narratives from yoga & dance
Yoga into Dance was a two hour class led by me and Ashka from Ashka Zasada Yoga on 13 October at Oxford Contact Dance. Afterwards, I pondered our use of narratives in the session.
Continue reading Yoga into dance : narratives from yoga & danceFreiburg Contact Festival 2019: My Scrapbook
I attended the Freiburg Contact Festival 2019. Afterwards, I made a scrapbook using entries in my dance diary and accompanying photos. You can see it here (PDF).
I also photographed the Freiburg Contact Festival too.
Patrick Beelaert was one of the photographers at Freiburg 2019 and he has a great album of photos on Flickr which show people dancing.
Freiburg Contact Festival 2019: Dance the light fantastic
This summer, I attended the Freiburg Contact Festival in southern Germany. The festival is now in its twentieth year. The dancing and dancers are well documented by dedicated photographers. But the place, its light, and its buildings where equally of interest and less explored.
Continue reading Freiburg Contact Festival 2019: Dance the light fantastic