Contact Improvisation
Being ready

Being completely attentive and always prepared on all levels, will enable us to go beyond thinking our way through the dance, and help us be attuned to what is actually taking place. This total presence allows us to be freed of the mental chatter, planning ahead, and judgment, which so often override the body’s ability to make appropriate split second choices. In this way the improvisations can be entirely physical, playful, heartfelt, surprising and enjoyable. Explored themes will include: tumbling, flying, use of variable speeds, use of direct action and initiation, resistance, disappearance, subtle ways of moving weight, flowing through unfamiliar circumstances, extending our personal range of movement, and integrating our imagination.
This intensive is for those with a solid grasp of Contact fundamentals with at least three years of continuous ongoing practice. (The teacher reserves the right to transfer students to a lower level if need be).



Andrew de L. Harwood
Andrew de Lotbinière Harwood is a leading international teacher, performer and creator in the field of instantaneous choreography and contact improvisation since 1975. He is the artistic director of AH HA Productions, a project oriented company based in Montreal. Andrew studied, taught and performed with Steve Paxton and Nancy Stark Smith, founding members of Contact Improvisation. He also has extensive practice in gymnastics, Yoga, Modern Dance, Release Technique, Improvisation and Aikido. His work has been presented in numerous international festivals since 1980. Andrew danced for the companies of Fulcrum, Jo Lechay, Marie Chouinard and Jean-Pierre Perreault, and continues to collaborate with the Echo Case. He has also collaborated in performance with Peter Bingham, Marc Boivin, Chris Aiken, Kirstie Simson, Ray Chung, Lisa Nelson, Benôit Lachambre, Marc Thompkins, and Ginette Laurin among many others. He is the recipient of the Canada Council’s Jacqueline-Lemieux award for the year 2000.