Improvisation for Performers
practising instant inventiveness

The core of this advanced workshop will focus on movement structures which will encourage performers of various backgrounds to redefine and expand their solo and duet vocabulary and allow for experimentation with small to large group dances. Through various forms of improvisation, spatial design, images, states, chance procedures, tasks and games, we will practise instant inventiveness, refine our sensing skills and develop various compositional strategies, which in turn will become the framework for in-house performances that we will view and discuss. This entire process relies on the dancers willingness to listen deeply to themselves and each other, to take risks, to call upon their confidence and to allow their skills as interpreters to come into focus. Emphasis will be placed upon collaboration and communication, personalised performing, clear intention, trust and instinct.


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 devoted to Improvisation and based in Montreal. Andrew studied extensively, taught and performed with Steve Paxton, Nancy Stark Smith and Nita Little, three of the founding members of Contact Improvisation. His background also includes gymnastics, Yoga, Modern Dance, Release Technique, Alexander 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 yearly with the Echo Case since 1993. He has also collaborated in performance with Peter Bingham, Marc Boivin, Chris Aiken, Kirstie Simson, Ray Chung, Lisa Nelson, Benoît Lachambre, Marc Thompkins, and Ginette Laurin among many others. Harwood taught advanced workshops and performed at many major Contact Improvisation festivals in the past few years: Freiburg Contact Festival (Germany), Israeli Contact Festival, Zip Contact Festival (Italy), Kontact Budapest (Hungary), Trans Contact Festival (Romania). He has also taught classes to the world renowned companies of O’ Vertigo and Marie Chouinard in Montréal as well as the fabulous Montréal Circus group called Les Sept Doigts de la Main. He is the recipient of the Canada Council’s Jacqueline-Lemieux award for the year 2000.