THE WORK OF STEVE PAXTON AND SOME ROOTS OF CONTACT IMPROVISATION

Steve Paxton started his personal work in dance from a big marvel and investigative curiosity about very basic and ordinary elements of body and movement, such as: the reflexive small dance of the skeleton constantly and autonomously adjusting to the vertical position; the spiral structure of walking; the connections between different fingers and the upper trunk; the complex way in which we perceive reality from very different information coming from different senses; the way that consciousness turn to itself and be conscious of being conscious; the intriguing possibility of conceiving the unknown and not yet experienced...
 

In this intensive, we will recall some of Steve’s provocations and questions, investigating them in our bodies, through different practical tools aiming to help us to work with and expand our perception, attention, and sensibility in motion, in dialogue with space, time, and other bodies.

To do so, we’ll also study and practice some of the most well-known forms and propositions developed or collected by Paxton, such as the Small Dance and Material for the Spine (including its warm-ups, undulations, motion puzzles, rolls, and, also, concepts and reflections).