The workshop is dedicated to balance, losing and finding balance and counterbalance.

We will find balance in any position with minimal use of muscle effort.

We will explore how changing the position of different parts of the body changes the position of the body's center of gravity and loss of balance.

We will explore how the body organizes itself without unnecessary muscle effort in search of balance when the center of gravity changes position in space.

We will explore how the partner's influence affects the position of the center of gravity in space.

We will explore how the body organizes itself to find balance when the partner's influence.

We will explore how the position of the partner's body changes the position of the partners' center of gravity and leads to loss of balance for both partners.

We will explore how our bodies organize themselves in contact when losing and finding balance. We will explore the intensity and range of movement in losing and finding balance together with a partner.

We will explore how joint loss of balance and organization of the body to find balance in contact without unnecessary muscle effort can become a game and one of the resources of movement in dance.

Serhii Semichev (Ukraine)

Teacher, dancer performer and researcher of contact improvisation. Teacher and activist of the contact improvisation community in Ukraine. Organizer and co-organizer of contact improvisation festivals in Ukraine. Teacher of contact improvisation in Europe and at European contact improvisation festivals. Teacher and organizer of regular classes and jams in Rome (Italy).
In the past, a gymnast, acrobat, fitness trainer.
Massage therapist, physiotherapist, photographer and videographer

Chris Aiken is an internationally recognized performer and teacher of dance improvisation and contact improvisation. His approach has been guided by the effort to link one’s poetic sensibilities with the capacity to engage ecologically through perception, action, and imagination. In this sense, ecology includes the self and others, non-human beings, and the world. It also includes culture and human artifacts. Chris has performed and collaborated with many renowned dance artists, including Angie Hauser, Kirstie Simson, Nancy Stark Smith, Peter Bingham, Andrew Harwood, Ray Chung, Patrick Scully, Olivier Besson, and Steve Paxton. His work has been shaped by years of practice in the Alexander Technique, Gyrokinesis, ideokinesis, yoga, and fascial bodywork and movement training. He is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Dance at Smith College.

Angie Hauser is a BESSIE award-winning performer, choreographer, and director with training in modern and postmodern dance, ballet, and contact improvisation. Angie Hauser’s research focuses on the creation and performance of dances for the stage, and it is grounded in the interrogation and practice of movement, improvisation, and collaboration. Hauser is a long-time collaborator with the celebrated Bebe Miller Company (USA.) For over 20 years, Hauser has created collaborative multidisciplinary performances with dance artist Chris Aiken. They have toured their work and teaching extensively throughout the US and abroad, including iDance (Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan), Contact Festival Freiburg.

What is in the roots and in the heart of this form?

In these moments, when we just passed the 50 years of Contact Improvisation, I am honouring and questioning the dance and its roots. Finding the practice that underlies what is visible in the dance.

We will delve into the principles of the form, training the body and mind to be ready and available to allow the physics to affect the body as we dance.

We will notice and work with our attention to the details of the body, alone and with others, letting the dance pass through us, letting it happen, supporting it rather than doing it.

We will focus on a skills framework that allows for increasing readiness to step into the unknown with your dance partner, including:

• expanding our attention to be present within ourselves, others and space
• developing a lucidity of touch where you feel your partner, and also feel your partner feeling you
• change levels being supported and guided by the weights of our partner
• three-dimensional falling skills from different heights, alone and together
• the dance of the unknown renouncing custody of the center itself

These intensives are for dancers with the desire to boldly go deeper on the paths that sustain the dance in its underground places.

Leilani Weis (Chile, Spain)

I am a dancer, mover and researcher of movement as a creative process. I am very curious about my own body and others bodies dancing, together or alone.

I live dance as an act of presence and attention, where I receive information from myself, from others and from the environment. With these I can play, compose and create and feel great joy.

My work focuses on the mechanics of bodies on Earth and how it affects us. When I come into contact with others, with space I let myself be affected equally. The dance space, filled with information, is my place to practice presence and attention.

In the classes I try to open possibilities for practitioners/dancers to find their own organic, biological and natural paths, the ones the body possesses and we so often forget. I trust in the beauty and natural organisation of the body and seek its wise ways.

My work world is moving around, teaching classes, facilitating labs, performing, organizing CI events and creating pieces.

I have taught in several countries in Latin America, North America and Europe. Where I continue researching and collaborating with different groups of artists.

For 18 years I have been investigating the intersection between Contact Improvisation and Argentine Tango, two dances that I love deeply. In this research I have learned a lot about space and compositional musicality in the body. I am fascinated by understanding the depths of these two techniques and seeing how they can meet and disagree during a creative and compositional process.

I am part of the organisation of different events trying to create attentive containers where we can study and practice Contact Improvisation and the techniques that nourished it. (ItalyContactFest, IMMERSIONES, Contact Improvisation festival)