Embodied Flow: Aikido Principles in Contact Improvisation

Embodied Flow: Aikido Principles in Contact Improvisation with Moti Zemelman & Michael Klinger WHEN: Saturday, Dec 6, 12:30-4pm WHERE: @ The Arlington Center, 369 Mass Ave, Arlington MA COST: $40-80 (Sliding Scale) TO PRE-REGISTER PLEASE PAY IN ADVANCE USING ONE OF THESE OPTIONS: - Paypal to: [email protected] - Venmo: Moti-Zemelman - Check to Moti Zemelman, 8 Grant St. Greenfield, MA 01301 - Credit Card (Call Moti 413-475-2651) *please don't let $ be a barrier - if you need to make other arrangements please be in touch: [email protected] 413-475-2651 Contact Improvisation has deep roots in Aikido. Steve Paxton, CI’s founder, was immersed in Aikido practice when he dreamed of an Aikido session with continuous flying—and CI was born. Early Contact Improvisation explored falling, rolling, flying, and not knowing where you would land. Aikido, the softer martial art, teaches power rather than forcing, redirection rather than resistance, expansion rather than contraction. In this workshop, we’ll draw from both traditions as we work with the forces of gravity, expansion, and connection. Through partner exercises and improvisational play, we’ll explore falling, flying, blending, and effortless redirection. With our partners, we’ll move from our centers, discover a shared center, and surrender to the flow that carries us beyond control. Class will take place on a cushioned floor—an ideal space for exploring the meeting point of martial art and dance, of discipline and freedom.