Learning and teaching
The
process-orientatedness of contact means that whenever we dance we have
the potential to learn. By sharing the dance with someone, we can not
only tap into what they have to offer us right now, but also into the
accumulated wisdom within them of all the dances they've ever had. A
lot of learning is done simply by paying attention as we dance which
is why jamming is such an integral part of contact improvisation as a
movement practice.
There
are no certified teachers of the form. Early on in the development of
contact improvisation a conscious decision was made not to attempt to
run any standardised certified training programmes to train teachers.
This was partly because it was felt contrary to the ethos of the form
and partly because it was thought to be a sure-fire way to restrict its
development. Instead it was presumed that teachers would stand or fall
on the strength of their practice
When
it comes to formal teaching situations anyone can teach a class if they
feel moved to and can find a class of people willing to be taught. Some
offer to share what they know about in informal 'sharing' or 'laboratory'
situations while others teach regular classes and workshops.Everyone
has something different to learn and teach. So it's good to experience
as many different teachers as you can.
Some practitioners have acquired wonderful reputations built on many years of practice, often offering highly developed exercises addressing particular aspects of the form. Sometimes in a 'sharing' situation, someone who's only been dancing contact for a few months and is still blessed with 'beginner's mind' offers an observation that illuminates something you've been overlooking for years. That's how it goes...
ECITE
The European Contact Improvisation Teachers Exchange is organised every year in different European Countries.
It is an opportunity for teachers at all levels of experience to get together and share their experiences.
ECITE 2006 takes place in Austria and ECITE 2007 will take place in Russia.
ECITE is represented on the internet by a web site and an email Forum
Get news by email
Get news of upcoming Contact Improvisation workshops by email. Sign-up is automatic and you can easiliy modify your membership so you get exactly the info you want, and of course unsubscribe at any time ... here ...
