Selections from a Contact Improvisation duet with Martin Keogh and Neige Christenson, filmed in Waltham, MA. Music overlay is "Sangye" by Kirby Shelstad.
hi David, yes I slowed some sections down to half-time to just luxuriate in the flow of it. Glad you found yourself chuckling, and that the delight and playfulness came through to you. some moves just make me laugh too, as I'm surprised in a discovery. ~Neige
@greenrate dear viewer, have you experienced Contact Improvisation from the inside yet? Have you danced the exploration of finding a common center of gravity between two beings? I believe if you were to dance CI you would understand it more than observing it and making these assumptions from outside. It is at times a dialogue, with turn taking, and listening, and yet at times the impulse is untraceable and mysteriously neither partner's own to claim. Let's have a dance sometime!
Very inspiring. Slowed motion effect (I think that was an effect in some sections, right?) lets me see some of the fun play that goes by too fast to process when I see it on the dance floor. I found myself chuckling, maybe even chortling, at the sheer joy and playfulness I saw here. -David
Check out the vid "Contact Improvisation with Karl Frost" He's very knowledgeable.. in it he seems to be teaching some beginning stage techniques to prepare the dancers, and makes them aware of the how to. Also listen to some vids of Steve Paxton's. There are people who are extremely well versed in this work and watching those people is magic!
Hi Neige, very enjoyable work and dynamics. I was also forwarded the link to this clip through a Systema friend, which I practice as well and other forms of body movement exploration/application (martial and otherwise). Flow, tension, relaxation, breath in, breath out, smile, and keep moving... :-)
My friend Charles Campbell turned me on to this link. I've never experienced anything like it. Very, very enjoyable. Thank you! BTW, greenrate, I completely disagree with your comments. Nothing here feels the slightest bit contrived.
Whenever I watch Contact Improv . . . I'm invariably disrupted in my attempt to attune energetically to it . . . by the artificiality of the transitions from one partner "leading" & the other "responding" . . . to the reverse. I've never (yet . . .) seen an example where this wasn't the case. The artificiality of the transitions seems to me to undermine the entire premise . . . since it reveals that the contact is NOT spontaneous or improvised. It's contrived and self-conscious . . .
I think you dont understand CI. There is nothing contrived or forced, the desire to connect and play is natural and it contains elements of physical theatre where you can do things completely out of the box. Since nothing is planned and arises in the moment, including the desire to stay connected, it works. Pity you are so judgemental that you cannot feel the aliveness of the participants and the unfolding of their interaction for WHAT IT IS.
The intention of each partner to remain in "contact" with the other too often feels self-conscious and contrived here. The only way for the contact NOT to appear self-conscious and contrived would be for it to arise spontaneously from/as ATTRACTION . . . and I'm not feeling that dynamic here at all. I recognize and feel very distinctly the energetic difference between intending to do something . . . and being attracted to do it. I'm not sure contact improvisation cultivates that distinction/capacity at all. I certainly don't FEEL the difference in these videos . . .
It's so beautiful! Thank you!
Thank you for your appreciation. I’m so glad we documented our dancing play in this way ❤
hi David, yes I slowed some sections down to half-time to just luxuriate in the flow of it. Glad you found yourself chuckling, and that the delight and playfulness came through to you. some moves just make me laugh too, as I'm surprised in a discovery.
~Neige
@greenrate dear viewer, have you experienced Contact Improvisation from the inside yet? Have you danced the exploration of finding a common center of gravity between two beings? I believe if you were to dance CI you would understand it more than observing it and making these assumptions from outside. It is at times a dialogue, with turn taking, and listening, and yet at times the impulse is untraceable and mysteriously neither partner's own to claim. Let's have a dance sometime!
Very inspiring. Slowed motion effect (I think that was an effect in some sections, right?) lets me see some of the fun play that goes by too fast to process when I see it on the dance floor. I found myself chuckling, maybe even chortling, at the sheer joy and playfulness I saw here.
-David
Lo expontaneo es natural, este video transmite AMOR.
This is so touching and inspiring! What a wonderful experience.
Thank you for sharing this!
Check out the vid "Contact Improvisation with Karl Frost" He's very knowledgeable.. in it he seems to be teaching some beginning stage techniques to prepare the dancers, and makes them aware of the how to. Also listen to some vids of Steve Paxton's. There are people who are extremely well versed in this work and watching those people is magic!
Hi Neige, very enjoyable work and dynamics. I was also forwarded the link to this clip through a Systema friend, which I practice as well and other forms of body movement exploration/application (martial and otherwise). Flow, tension, relaxation, breath in, breath out, smile, and keep moving... :-)
Beautiful :)
Greetings from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
this is also great for martial arts, its awsome
Soul dance
They seem so connected.
Maravilhoso ❤
me gusta mucho este video,se responden a la perfección
At 2:55, beautiful!
You should try Brazilian Jujitsu as a way to incorporate some other interesting moves. This reminded me of some of the BJJ drills people would do.
I remember when I could roll up someone's back!!!!!!!
My friend Charles Campbell turned me on to this link. I've never experienced anything like it. Very, very enjoyable. Thank you! BTW, greenrate, I completely disagree with your comments. Nothing here feels the slightest bit contrived.
+Terrence Cafferty: See my specific response to your generalized disagreement above . . .
hmmm...yammy!!!
Whenever I watch Contact Improv . . . I'm invariably disrupted in my attempt to attune energetically to it . . . by the artificiality of the transitions from one partner "leading" & the other "responding" . . . to the reverse.
I've never (yet . . .) seen an example where this wasn't the case.
The artificiality of the transitions seems to me to undermine the entire premise . . . since it reveals that the contact is NOT spontaneous or improvised.
It's contrived and self-conscious . . .
I think you dont understand CI. There is nothing contrived or forced, the desire to connect and play is natural and it contains elements of physical theatre where you can do things completely out of the box. Since nothing is planned and arises in the moment, including the desire to stay connected, it works. Pity you are so judgemental that you cannot feel the aliveness of the participants and the unfolding of their interaction for WHAT IT IS.
i remember when i was almost that good😂
The intention of each partner to remain in "contact" with the other too often feels self-conscious and contrived here.
The only way for the contact NOT to appear self-conscious and contrived would be for it to arise spontaneously from/as ATTRACTION . . . and I'm not feeling that dynamic here at all.
I recognize and feel very distinctly the energetic difference between intending to do something . . . and being attracted to do it.
I'm not sure contact improvisation cultivates that distinction/capacity at all.
I certainly don't FEEL the difference in these videos . . .
Beautiful :)
Greetings from Buenos Aires, Argentina.