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 Skills & Poetics:

 Expanding the Range

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Over the years I have come to understand Contact Improvisation as a delightful combination of skill and poetry, an ingredient which encourages our unique and personal self expression inside the dance. During this workshop we will dive deeper into the combination of these aspects. 

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I like bringing back surprise, challenge, effort, instinct,solo moving and performative presence into the contact dance environment.

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Here Some of the elements we will work/play with:

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We will train our improvisational intelligence through:

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 *practice and play on understanding and utilizing scores and       score making to be self sufficient improvisers. 

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** Being able to solo (finding the joy & interest in our own movement)

 

** Using the act of being seen in order to enhance presence and find joy in observing others.

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**We will practice specific skills to get a better grip/knowledge of the vocabulary which makes up the language of Contact Improvisation. In doing so we will also challenge our preconceived ideas about what contact is, and what it can be. 

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What the Workshop is touching on:

The theme of expanding the range will come into play by recognizing and harmonizing complementing contrasts within our different individual dancing styles. The underlying intention presented will be to create multi-layered rich dancing which can sustain our interest and presence over longer stretches of time. One of the definitions I have loved of CI is that of an art-sport(poetics-skill). I want to take some time to shine a light on the various tactics of integrating these qualities into our dancing, while finding new vocabulary in order to understand together further new possibilities of weight sharing, and use of skin, structure and instinct in our CI dancing. I would like to invite us to raise the volume on communication as well as let go of dancing concepts (what we think we know) in order to refresh and invigorate our dance practice, investigation, presence within the dance and the way we approach our solo practice ( movement exploration curiosity without a partner) 
In this workshop we will expand the range of how we think about and practice contact improvisation in terms of allowing discovery of fresh pathways inside the dance, while also upgrading our communication level. In order to expand the range of what is possible we will respectfully explore how to use the whole body as a unit; accessing surface areas such as the pelvis, sit bones, sternum, trochanter, skillful use of the hands, and our flesh/fascia as well in order to potentially enrich our dancing possibilities when appropriate and invited.
Some experience and understanding of Contact is recommended but not necessary if you are willing to jump into the water!

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About me:

Tal has found his “movement home” in the ongoing living play and art form which is the practice of Contact Improvisation. He views it as a tool for creative living and satisfying human interactions. He is fascinated with the infinite possibilities of the body becoming an expressive medium. Tal enjoys sharing his passion for movement and dance through the practice of CI as well movement improvisation for various performance projects. He has been teaching for the past 8 years including workshops and classes held in Israel, Greece, Germany, Thailand, Budapest, Norway and the U.S. Tal is a Shiatsu and Watsu (body-work in the water) therapist, and is a graduate of the Movement department (with an emphasis on choreography) at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.

more info on teaching and works: talshibi.com

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