What is contact improvisation?
Contact improvisation emerged in 1972, when a group of dancers – among them Steve Paxton, Nancy Stark Smith, and Nita Little – began playing with their physical relationships to gravity. The movement form centers on key principles like sharing weight, finding momentum, falling, moving efficiently, and relating to fellow dancers through physical points of contact. The movement form is also improvisational, meaning that the dance emerges in response to what is happening in the moment. Additional principles and norms of contact improv include:
- Listening for, sharing and respecting boundaries is an ongoing navigation in any dance. While this generally occurs through nonverbal body communication, verbal communication is also ALWAYS welcome.
- There are no explicit ‘lead’ or ‘follow’ roles. Instead dancers respond to what emerges by simultaneously attuning to themselves and others.
- Contact improv can be practiced in silence or with music. Even when there is music, dancers still focus on attuning to each other, rather than letting the music guide their movement.
- Dances are not driven by sexual or sensual energy, but rather by a sense of shared inquiry about the possibilities of multiple bodies in relationship to each other and the earth
I’m newer to contact improv! What do I need to know?
First of all, you are most welcome to come dance at the Thursday Jam! The following information may help you feel more comfortable and better understand what to expect…
What to wear
- Clothes that are lightweight and cover your torso, shoulders, and thighs. Long pants and short or long sleeve shirts are best. We suggest avoiding zippers, large buttons, dangly jewelry, or anything hard that could get caught or feel uncomfortable when rolling or sliding.
- Some dancers like using soft knee pads to protect their knees, although this is optional.
- Please do not wear scents (e.g., essential oils, cologne and perfume). These rub off on other dancers and we also have community members with scent allergies.
What else to bring
- Water bottle, hairband for longer hair, cash or cell phone (Venmo) to make a donation.
- You do not need to come with a partner or someone you know. People generally dance with many different folks at the jam.
When to arrive
- The class is from 7-8pm and the jam is from 8-11pm. You can arrive any time! Although if you are newer to contact improvisation, we highly suggest arriving in time for the class to learn material you can explore during the jam.
Additional info
- There is a ‘jam host’ at every Thursday Jam. Their name/picture will be posted on the welcome desk near the door to the auditorium. Please connect with this person if you have questions, ideas or concerns during the jam.
- We suggest learning from a wide variety of teachers, as there are many ways to practice contact improv. Teachers rotate at the Thursday Jam and at most other jams in the Bay Area.
What is the suggested donation for the jams and classes?
The jam and class are offered by donation – there are no set fees. We have a donation station (just inside the door to the auditorium) where cash and electronic donations can be made. Our Donate page also shares how to donate via Venmo, PayPal or check.
Who is running the jam?
The jam is organized by community members who generously volunteer their time and skills; no one is being paid to coordinate the jam. Our nonprofit’s board includes Michael McDougall, Erica Stevenson, and Zev Bennett. Shira Yaziv is in charge of the teaching schedule, while Erica Stevenson takes care of the music schedule. Our team of organizers also includes Skip Kirk, Cole Lehman, Rahul Madanahalli, and Rebecca Strull. If you have questions, concerns, suggestions, or would just like to say hello, please email us at contact@thursdayjam.org.
How can I help?
Thank you for your interest in co-creating this jam; we would love to have you on board! There are many ways to help out: from putting up the lights at the beginning to sweeping up at the end of the night; we’re sure there are many ways we haven’t thought of yet, too! Please check out our volunteer page for more info. You are also welcome to email us.
Where are my donations going?
We are committed to transparency and are publishing our treasurers report spreadsheet. Our primary expenses are roughly evenly between renting our venue, and paying for our programming (teachers and musicians). Anything we take in excess of this goes to a reserve fund for future programming and costs. Please let us know in person or email if you’d like to discuss finances or if you have ideas for community service projects.