Contact @ the Dojo class & Jam Aug 16 MAKING IT HAPPEN, ONLY A LITTLE w Chisa Hidaka

CONTACT @ the DOJO Contact Improvisation (CI) class & jam Mixed level. Open to beginner & experienced dancers 3:00 pm Class. 4:30-6 pm Jam CLASS: 8/16 Chisa Hidaka 9/6 Patrick Crowley 9/20 Sarah Young 10/4 Patrick Crowley 10/18 Helena Zhao __________________________________ Aug 16, 2026 Making It Happen, Only A Little w/ Chisa Hidaka Come dance with me as I share my research into how “dolphin dancing” can deepen Contact Improvisation (CI) practice. On land, we lack the support of the water, but we can still fathom the possibilities for moving with ease and efficiency using principles borrowed from moving in, with, and under the ocean. I’ll offer guided exercises informed not only by over 15 years of freediving and dancing with trained humans and wild dolphins, but also by teaching musculoskeletal anatomy to dance students. The dojo will be a perfect location for our investigations – a sacred space, where the floors are soft enough for plenty of falling and rolling. Chisa Hidaka has co-directed Dolphin Dance Project with Benjamin Harley since 2009. She has produced several award-winning short films featuring underwater dances co-created by trained humans and wild dolphins in the open ocean. Her underwater dancing is currently featured in the IMAX film, "Call of the Dolphins". Chisa has practiced dance improvisation since the 1980s, having studied with Nancy Stark Smith, Nina Martin, Cynthia Novack and others. Based in NYC, she has performed Contact Improvisation at the MoMA, 92nd St Y and other venues. She has taught CI and facilitated the Underscore at Movement Research since 2017. She previously served as Board and CI Committee member at Earthdance. Chisa won critical acclaim for performances with independent choreographers (Pooh Kaye, Mark Dendy, Frey Faust, Bill Young, Marta Renzi and others). With an MD from Cornell (’94), she has taught anatomy at her alma mater Barnard College (’86) since 2007. __________________________________ Patrick Crowley teaches once a month, and then once a month, he curates other teachers who hold and convey Contact Improvisation with a comprehensive depth. Contact @ the Dojo began in Oct 2021, meeting 2 Sundays a month. Dojo comes from “Do-”, a variation of Tao/Dao (the way) and “jo” (immersive learning space). CLASS A broad range of Contact Improvisation will be explored — states, skills, scores/Underscore, artistic practice, life learnings. Dancers play with movement pathways in contact with a partner — in relationship with gravity, momentum, inertia of motion, and friction. We work with ease and natural tone in our tissues and neurology. We explore rolling, falling, and flying in CI with the freedom of mats as our floor. The slow and subtle brings us to the big and enthusiastic, and vice versa. Centering, perception, integrated body, solo/follow/lead/3rd entity, reflexes, experiments, readiness, rigor, heart, awareness, and enlivening will all be in the mix. JAM The jam will be open space to play and practice — with some music and possible structure/warm-up. For those experienced and new to CI, honoring different abilities. Please read Health safety agreements (www.patrickcrowley.net/health-safety). Emphasis will be given to those coming to both class & jam. Please arrive a little early. WHAT is Contact Improvisation? https://patrickcrowley.net/whatiscontactimprovisation WHERE: Aikido Dojo, 30 N Maple St, #14, Florence, MA 01062 (Park in parking lot to right of building. Come in entrance in parking lot. Go in and upstairs to the right.) REGISTRATION & PAYMENT https://patrickcrowleybodyworkdanceyogasomatics.as.me/events or text 617-320-9792 Class & Jam (3:00–6:00 pm): $25–$30–$35 Just Class (3:00) or just Jam (4:30): $15–$20–$25 (sliding scale: low–regular–abundant) If unemployed, student, or wanting to do work/exchange, please contact Patrick. INFO & QUESTIONS: (617) 320-9792 (text/phone) Patrick Crowley has been engaged with Contact Improvisation and dance improvisation since 1983. He has taught at numerous dance centers, festivals, and universities both nationally and internationally, including Yale University, Boston University, Argentina Contact Festival, Freiburg Festival, Earthdance, among others. He is a coordinator of the Global Underscore. He worked with Nancy Stark Smith closely until her death in 2020, and studied or performed with many prominent teachers in CI including: Andrew Harwood, Kirstie Simson, K.J. Holmes, Daniel Lepkoff, Nina Little, Alan Ptashek, and others. Patrick has a background in modern and contemporary dance, Body-Mind Centering®, bodywork, yoga, theatre (Playback Theatre, Action Theater), contemplative practices, expressive arts, and martial arts. He has performed with various dance and theatre companies, including the Underscore +/- Group, Zany Angels, Six and 1/2 Project, and Boston's Access to Theater. He was certified in bodywork by Sensei Toshiko Phipps and Nationally Certified in 1993 and also teaches Playback Theatre, Yoga, and somatics. https://patrickcrowley.net/contact-dojo