This month we celebrate the Global Underscore. The first half-hour will be spent warming up and introducing concepts of the underscore, followed by open dance guided by Nancy Stark-Smith's Underscore. We will close with a short harvest.

Contact Improv is a dance form exploring spontaneous movement generated through awareness of a physical connection between dancers in relation to gravity, momentum and inertia. We practice barefoot, often without music, in a mode of inquiry rather than following a predetermined score.

These workshops will use exercises to develop awareness of gravity, movement, other bodies in space and listening through touch, leading towards an open jam for all participants to freely explore or witness the possibilities of the dance.

The dance is open to all body types and fitness/mobility levels.

On the day … please:

Wear smooth, comfortable clothing that you can freely move in (including rolling and being upside down) and will not snag
No buckles or loose jewelry; avoid buttons and zips as these can snag or scratch
Long sleeves and long pants are recommended as courtesy to other dancers
We will dance bare foot or in socks; no shoes in the dance space
Avoid possible allergens such as strong scents & pet dander
Bring a water bottle and sweat towel

There will be access to bathrooms at the venue and drinking water to fill bottles.

Note - entry to NACC hall is around the left side of the library building, towards the rear.

As general guidelines on what to expect and appropriate conduct at CI events, we recommend the following resources:

Kathleen Rea’s Beginner Tip Sheet and RDD Dance Jam Guidelines https://reasondetre.com/downloads
Pennsylvania edition of the Safety & Boundaries primer https://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/ci/SafetyAndBoundaries.pdf
Pennsylvania CI Jam “Welcome Dancer” document https://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/ci/WelcomeDocument.pdf

If you have any questions or concerns, please ask one of the facilitators or designated helpers on the day, or reach out to us via contactimprovadel@gmail.com or individually. We are dedicated to curating a safe, welcoming & respectful space and want to know how we can improve things for you.