Leipzig Wednesday Focus Jam (ongoing, starting 4 October)

LEIPZIG WEDNESDAY CONTACT IMPROVISATION FOCUS JAM At Fudoshin Aikido Dojo (in Plagwitz) Wednesdays 20h – 22h+ 7-15 euro sliding scale +Starts October 4+ October is “beginner friendly” w/ extended intro class and facilitated jamming The Leipzig Wednesday Focus Jam is intended to be a friendly and inviting, lightly facilitated practice and explorations space for “classic contact improvisation” ... the dynamic, physics and art-based exploration of bodies moving through physical contact. Curiosity guided explorations of weight sharing, mutual support, physical listening that move between the athletic and meditative, following the curiosities of those exploring. Opening warm-up centers on a technique, principle, or investigation of classic CI, segueing into a more open jam. All who come are assumed to share an openness to exploring and moving together, guided by personal curiosity and agency. Hosted by Karl Frost and friends, with rotating facilitators. For more information, including facilitator schedule, see the website ... www.bodyresearch.org To get more information on Leipzig Focus jams, weekend jams, and weekend workshops via telegram, join the Leipzig Body Research telegram group ... https://t.me/+3Dxgt75_ZWVmODcy --- Longer Description --- Contact Improvisation is an open-ended "art-sport" that began in the context of postmodern dance explorations in the 1970s. The term “contact improvisation” has been borrowed and reapplied in many ways over the years, leading to very different understandings of what “contact improvisation” is. This space is for the classic contact improvisation art-sport developed in the 1970s and 1980s centered in explorations of weight sharing, mutual off-balance and support, moving together through space and into and out of the floor and through the air. Sometimes slow and meditative and sometimes wild and acrobatic, explorations follow the interests of those meeting at the jam. While classic contact improvisation is very open ended, it has a basis in a shared interest in physics and physical listening, the interplay of adaptive following and creative physical initiation. As we are able to trust in this shared curiosity and openness, we are more free to fluidly and non-verbally initiate, join, transform, leave, or conclude dances. Each Focus Jam starts with a short facilitated introduction and warm-up, concentrating on a specific physics-based technique or dynamic from classic CI. From this shared beginning, everyone follows their own curiosity. As part of creating a focused space, we leave conventional social conversation and interaction out of the space to focus more clearly on the personal and collective investigation of movement through physical contact. While mostly a non-verbal space, this is more a guideline than a rule … non-distracting “shop talk” discussing details of investigation is welcome. Rather than being guided by external music, we curiously listen to physics, our bodies in motion, and shifting initiatives and adaptations from our partners... Occasionally, music or soundscape may be invited for experimentation, but this is the exception, rather than the rule. We close with short structured sharing of observations and questions, trying different conversational scores to activate intellectual curiosity and engagement ***October will be more “beginner friendly”.*** For October, the introductory warm up will be a bit longer and will have more technical instruction. The open jam session will also be more facilitated, aiming to introduce classic “jam culture” to those newer to CI or those who have never been introduced to classic CI. In a classic CI jam, we can assume that all come with a convivial openness to exploring contact and weight sharing and are self responsible for following their own interests. Coming to the space we consent to shared contact investigations and agree to take responsibility for following our own curiosities and desires. In other words, when we want to initiate a dance, we can assume a “yes” from others, while being attentive for and respectful of “no” if it comes. We practice protocols for non-verbal communication. As we all take responsibility for our own choices, we are all then free to safely take more risks and find more immediate and easy flow of investigation, negotiated via the body. We’ll introduce the “Round Robin” jam structure which gives a clear frame for entering and exiting dances as well as supportive witnessing. After October, it will be assumed that everyone coming will have had at least some intro to classic CI explorations and culture. Those who don’t may still come if they have a “host” (an experienced dancer) who helps orient them and is a kind of “chaperone” for the jam. More details and schedule of facilitators can be found on the website… www.bodyresearch.org