4th Annual Vancouver Contact Improv Festival : Convergence

The 4th Annual Vancouver Contact Improvisation Festival offers an inspiring weekend of contact improvisation taught by local and world renowned teachers and includes a large variety of classes suitable for beginner to advanced levels, evening jam's, workshops, Underscore and a blindfold jam. WCCI Foundation, in partnership with the Simon Fraser University School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA), is pleased to provide a state of the art facility with outstanding dance floors and a creative inspiring environment. We will occupy two studios with a variety of activities in each throughout the weekend. Teachers and facilitators are as follows: Rob Kitsos, Cyrus Khambatta, Alicia Grayson, Joni Cooke, Olivia Shaffer, Daelik, Anne Cooper,Delia Brett, Kat Single-Dain, Adolpho Pati, Stuart Phillips, Michal Lahav and Kayte Gillespie. HOURS Friday, February 15 from 6pm -11:30p, Saturday, February 16 from 10:00am-11:30pm Sunday, February 17 from 10am-11:30pm REGISTRATION IS FULL We do have volunteer and scholarship positions available. If interested email [email protected] for more info. Volunteers - 4 hrs $150 Volunteers 8 hrs $100 Student w scholarship paperwork $60 Sliding scale for those requiring further assistance which includes volunteer hours. Please include your legal name, address, email and phone number in the notes. EVENT GROUP UPDATES Once registered, please join the below group to keep up to date on the latest event info. https://m.facebook.com/groups/968482260013897 This year we are already 1/3 sold out as of January 15 so best to register as soon as possible as the event will sell out!!!! VOLUNTEERS We are accepting a limited amount of volunteers at a $50 discount off the registration fee with four hours scheduled service over the weekend. If interested, please send a private message to [email protected]. ATTENDEE MINMUM AGE 19 and up. If you wish attend and are younger then 19 you must bring your parental figure with you to sign a participation form. Participants between the ages of 0-16 will not be permitted in the event. There is no onsite chilcare so please prepare accordingly. PARKING There is an EasyPark lot located on Cordova Street across from the centre at 65 West Cordova Street. There is also a parkade under the International Village Mall (http://www.internationalvillagemall.ca), located at 88 W. Pender, which is a five minute walk away from Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. DIRECTIONS FROM VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (YVR) From the airport, proceed north along the Arthur Laing Bridge to Granville Street. Head north on Granville Street into downtown Vancouver. After crossing the Granville Street Bridge, take the Seymour Street exit and continue north on Seymour until Hastings. Goldcorp Centre for the Arts is located on Hastings Street, between Cambie and Abbott Street. HOUSING We are happy to book Airbnb's for visiting guests or feel welcome to post on the event information group on Facebook by following this link. https://m.facebook.com/groups/968482260013897 TRANSIT We are located on a major bus route and within easy walking distance of SkyTrain and SeaBus. Plan your transit trip at www.translink.ca or call 604.953.3333. • From East Vancouver: take the #10 Granville (from Kootenay Loop); #8 Downtown (Fraser); or #20 Downtown (Victoria Drive). • From South Vancouver: take the #3 Downtown (Main and Marine); or #16 Arbutus (29th Ave Station). • From Richmond and Vancouver’s west side: take the Canada Line. • From Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Port Moody: take the #160 Vancouver or the Millenium Line Skytrain via the Evergreen Line Extension. • From North Burnaby: take the #95 Burrard Station. • From North Vancouver: take the SeaBus. • From West Vancouver: take any Blue Bus into downtown Vancouver to its terminus. • From Surrey and New Westminster: Take SkyTrain. OTHER ACCOMODATIONS For private accomodations we recommend Airbnb or the local downtown hostels/hotels. WHAT SHOULD I BRING/WEAR TO THE EVENT? This event is a scent free environment. Contact Improvisation is best performed in layered loose-fitting clothes. Long pants and loose-fitting shirts are encouraged. Be sure to remove all jewelry before entering the dance floors. Please bring a water container that can be closed and snacks. NO PETS are allowed on the premises. CONTACT INFORMATION You are welcome to contact [email protected] with any questions. REFUND POLICY We do not offer refunds. You may transfer your ticket to anyone of your choosing. Instructions are below. PLEASE BRING PROOF OF PAYMENT TO THE EVENT FOR REGISTRATION OR HAVE IT AVAILABLE ON YOUR PHONE. ON SITE REGISTRATION You will be asked to present goverment issued ID at the registration desk ain addition to signing an attendace waiver. TRANSFERING TICKETS Please send all updates to [email protected], CAN I TRANSFER MY TICKET? Your can transfer your ticket up to the day prior to the event. Please send send the new participant information to [email protected]. This information will be the same as you completed for the event at time of registration. COMMUNITY AGREEMENT - PLEASE READ 1. We are a group of dancing kindred spirits whose intention is to create a safe, creative dance-focused spaces and place to practice Contact Improvisation (CI). CI is for the most part unstructured, however we do have guidelines to optimize the environment, and so we have set forth the following for all to align with: 2. CI is a dialogue of two or more moving bodies whereby a rolling sliding moving point of contact between the dancers informs the movement “conversation”. When both dancers have the experience of neither leading nor following but rather listening to the mutual contact point. 3. Weight giving weight taking, playful touch direction, shadowing and mirroring all have their place as long as the context is the practice of CI. 4. As touch and contact are intentional sensitivity shared with another, it is a dominant aspect of the practice. It is not uncommon for newcomers to associate romantic innuendo with CI. This is a detour from the practice and is not part of our events. 5. There is no permission during our events to use the touch and contact for erotic gratification, or anything remotely suggestive. We are in close quarters and an abuse of the trust is against everything we hold dear. Observation of such behavior will result in the individual(s) being asked to leave the event. 6. We are open hearted respectful friends who come here to dance and work on our CI skills. If that is not your primary focus then our CI events are not for you. 7. Our events are scent free so we ask participants to be aware of the sensitives of other. Please refrain from using perfume and scented body products during the event. 8. Although CI can be very dynamic and intense, it is not about “doing” things to each other, if lifts and weight giving/taking aren’t organic then this is not CI. You may have the strength and force to sweep your partner off their feet, but are you listening to the contact point in that moment or your own ambition? 9. Let your desire for making things happen take a back seat to the subtleties of not leading not following. The winds of contact will surely blow once the ground is well prepared. 10. You have the right to accept, refuse or leave a dance at any time without needing to give a reason. 11. We are each responsible for defining and advocating for our own boundaries. The events support this belief and works to help educate dancers on how to assert their boundaries by using direct heart based non-judgmental crystal-clear communication. 12. Imagine a duet where both partners are simultaneously advocating for their own well-being first (i.e. a built-in guarantee that the well-being of each and both will be served). Imagine a relationship where listening played a key role in conversation, where weight was shared, given and taken only by agreement, where neither was leader nor follower yet each authentically and creatively expressed and evoked a state of meaningful integrated and unlimited dialogue. This is our invitation!