In most forms of dancing, performers carry out their steps with a
distance that keeps them from colliding with each other. Dancer,
Steve Paxton in the 1970s considered this distance a territory for
investigation. His study of intentional contact resulted in a
public performance in 1972 in a Soho gallery, and the name
""contact improvisation"" was coined for the form of unrehearsed
dance he introduced. Rather than copyrighting it, Paxton allowed it
to evolve and spread. In this book, the author draws upon her own
experience and research to explain the art of contact
improvisation, in which dance partners propel movement by physical
contact. They roll, fall, spiral, leap, and slip along the contours
and momentum of moving bodies. The text begins with a history, then
describes the elements that define this form of dance. Subsequent
chapters explore how contact improvisation relates to self and
identity; how class, race, gender, culture and physiology influence
dance; how dance promotes connection in a culture of isolation; and
how it relates to the concept of community. The final chapter is a
collection of exercises explained in the words of teachers from
across the United States and abroad. Appendix A describes how to
set up and maintain a weekly jam; Appendix B details recommended
reading, videos and Web sites.
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