Nicky Smith
What strikes me most about this form
of moving is how well conversation works as a metaphor for contact improvisation.
Are we talking to each other?
Will neither of us shut up?
Is someone shouting?
Is someone staying silent?
"You are speaking too fast
for me to understand what you are saying"
"Now you are speaking too slowly"
Contact improvisation is a language.
Iíve found it helpful to be shown a few basics.
Some of the local dialect in a foreign country. This is how it was explained
to me.
| the first words | ||
| "Hello" "Hello" |
*how to roll *how to fall *how to make the floor your friend |
|
| the first pleasantries | ||
| "Weather's
been nice" "Yeah, lovely" |
*body surfing *committing to 'Yes, this is how much I really weigh.' |
|
| Topics of conversation | ||
| Religion Politics Sex |
*directing your
partners energy *preventing your partners energy *anything else |
|
| how to keep the conversation going | ||
| Easy silences | *maintaining the
point of rolling contact *stillness |
|
| what to do when you lose the thread of conversation | ||
| Keep talking Stop talking |
*keep dancing *stop dancing |
I like the light conversation 'tricks' provide. The banter. The 'Do you know this joke?' I like the serious themes. The fascinating dances. Contact Improvisation is a metaphor for conversation. But that is another story.
The other form of moving I can feel
resonances within CI are the martial arts. Maybe we should set up CI schools
like they have in Hong Kong Action Films! We can improvise for the honour of
our school. Have CI tournaments. Avenge our teachers. Have all out improvisations
in the street. To the death.
Enter the Dragon would become Enter the Improvisor.
I think I might suffer a crisis of form.
vol 6 ed 1 - ed 2 - ed 3&4 - 2003 vol 5 ed 1 - ed 2 - ed 3 - ed 4 - 2002 vol 4 ed 1 - ed 2 - ed 3 - ed 4 - 2001 vol 3 ed 1 - ed 2 - ed 3 - ed 4 - 2000 vol 2 ed 1 - ed 2 - ed 3 - ed 4 - 1999 vol 1 ed 1 - ed 2 - ed 3 - ed 4 - 1998 |
e m a i l - <Proximity> |