/Welcome

The winter and spring of 2019 will be for us a period of traveling, dancing, teaching, learning & jamming with dancers from all around the world. In June, all this gathered energy will culminate with our 4rth edition of Contact Improvisation Festival in Bucharest that will last for 3 weeks and will be full of dancing and participation options for everybody.

Our desire is to create each year a framework for learning and practicing Contact Improvisation as an art and dance form. We invite experienced teachers and dancers to facilitate the process through intensive classes, workshops, discussions, laboratories and jam sessions structured in a detailed schedule and supported by a friendly team.

Contact Improvisation festivals bring together dancers, performers, somatic practitioners, free movers, improvisation artists and people that want to discover and explore their body intelligence and new ways of expressing their artistic side. They offer a practice space where discipline is playful, precision is alive and freedom is a responsibility. Festivals are based on a preset structure in which we can actively learn, exchange ideas and skills, meet and discuss with people with similar or different movement background, or just dance, be present, and hold space for each other.

Our festival is happening in the middle of Bucharest, close to the daily movement of city life. This inspires us to appreciate time, space and clarity both in organization and dance. Find out which part suites best your desires, needs and curiosity: pre-festival // festival intensive // post-festival

Also since our festival dates synchronize with the yearly event GLOBAL UNDERSCORE we are very exited to join it on the 22nd of June and dance for 4 hours with many other dancers around the world.

10-13
June
2019
Pre-festival

"I would like to attend an intensive CI workshop but also have my day time free. Pre-festival workshop with Scott Wells is the best option for my schedule."

Discover
14-23
June
2019
Festival

"When I am learning something I like to dive fully into the process and focus only on it for a while. I am interested in the 10 days CI intensives and jams."

Discover
24-30
June
2019
Post-festival

"Dancing in nature helps me connect with my authenticity and the basic elements of life. I would like to join the dance retreat in Transylvania."

Discover
10-13
June
2019
Pre-festival

Dance, travel or work?
No need to choose, in the pre-festival there is time for everything: 4 days of intensive workshop with Scott Wells (USA) - 3 hours class every evening, and free time during the day. This program is meant to offer space for visiting the city and allow Bucharest dancers and passionate movers that have day jobs to join our festival.


Schedule: 10-13 June // 18:30 - 21:30 @CNDB

Prices:
Early bird- 65 EUR-until 15th of March
Full Fee- 85 EUR-until 31st of May
// Includes workshop participation

From Zero to Flying

Prefestival Workshop- Scott Wells

Starting with contact as our foundation, we’ll traject towards a space that supports freedom of flight and expression. I’d like to inject some body systems material (BMC and Alexander Technique). For example: Jumping ≠ Flying because jumping is a muscular action, whereas flying is in the bones and is affected greatly by emotions and attitude. For the acrobatic maneuvers everyone will work at their own level and will learn best by building group safety and trust - everyone will do something new.
I like feedback and will see what the group is up for. We’ll be doing my favorite contact exercises and current curiosities created or learned over the decades investigation and indulgence.

In 1981 Scott Wells (USA) discovered the pleasure of contact improvisation shortly after becoming obsessed with the struggles of modern dance. He stuck with both, received an MFA in dance from the University of Illinois (1991) and currently directs a company in San Francisco.
Scott’s style of contact is athletic and emphasizes freedom of movement, flying, fluid acrobatics (easy to advanced), safety, precision, pleasure and technique.
What students often like best in Scott's classes is the variance between the meditative, listening, slow and sensual dancing and the fun, playful, very physical dancing. And students appreciate how the scary or advanced moves are safe, relaxed and made possible.

14-23
June
2019
Festival

Mastery, clarity and dedication does not contradict playfulness, spontaneity and freedom of exploration, in Contact Improvisation dance they are complementary and create the necessary counterbalance.
To embody this understanding and practice we require full engagement for 10 days of learning, practicing, dancing, exchanging, meeting with dancers and teachers from all around the world:

/ 5 full-days class program
/ 2 intensives
/ 5 single classes
/ jam sessions
/ discussion space & 2 vegan meals per day
/ teachers performance
/ Contact the city - street performance
/ extraJAMfest

Prices:
Early Bird - 235 EUR until 15th of March
Full Fee - 275 EUR until 31st of May
// Full access to the festival classes & activities + 2 vegetarian meals/day (except arrival, departure and free day).
Accommodation is not included, but once you register we will put you in contact with all other participants if you want to stay together and we can also give some advice regarding hotels if needed.

ONLY extraJAMfest - 20 EUR until 31st of May (12 EUR/day drop-in).
Partial participation is possible only for extraJAM.

Space behind. Uncharted trails…

Morning Intensive - Anjelika Doniy

There are two things that hinder the 'unknown' to happened:
1) Deceptiveness of the eyesight
2) Physical tensions

In this workshop there will be a possibility to explore in detail the use of eyesight and the way it helps us to change usual trajectories into unknown trails. On the way to find courage and playfulness, we will take time to release the tensions in the body and to free the inner space.

Other themes that will be addressed in the workshop are:

  • The back space - developing skills (backward movements) and working with images that use the space behind
  • Up side down positions
  • Conscious disorientation
  • Awakening spirals in the body
  • Composing time, movement, space. Making choices.
  • Speed in movement as a challenge - awakening concentration and attention
  • Not guessing the future. Practicing movement towards the unknown.

During my travels high up in the mountains, I realized that fear and anxiety are never behind or ahead of me; they are where I am right now. My courage awakens just when I make the step above the peak of the mountain. When I jump from stone to stone, I find myself scared but courageous and funny. This is what this workshop is about - the novelty of each step and movement.

Improvising Contact Improvisation

Evening intensive - Benno Voorham

Having danced Contact Improvisation since 1981, I keep renewing my interest in this form and specifically in relation to my performance work. It has given me a strong basis to come in a physical and emotional dialogue with others. In my work as a dance maker and improviser I am interested to explore different crossroads between dance and physical theatre. Using the potential of the human body to tell stories through movement in a non-literal way.

Contact Improvisation will be the common ground to continue and deepen our skills to come into a physical and kinaesthetic dialogue with others. From there we will enter the realm of improvisation in relation to performing. We will play with different scores for improvisation to challenge and sharpen our compositional and spatial awareness. Articulation and playfulness are two keywords for this workshop in which we will dance a lot for and with each other. Dances in which we can expect to be in physical contact at any moment and at the same time keeping an awareness of ones own direction in improvising.


Benno Voorham is an international performer, choreographer and teacher from Holland, living in Stockholm since 1995. Since his graduation in 1986 from the School for New Dance Development in Amsterdam he has worked internationally as an independent dance-artist, directing his own work as well as collaborating with others in both set and improvised pieces.

Let's dance!

Single Classes - Zoe Ramsey and Antonina Sheina

We like to play, dance and move together. When can humor and lightness appear? When we don’t force it! When we are ready for surprises! Bring your imagination and a curious sense for understanding as the dance unravels between us. It could be seriously funny!

Warning! Playing and dancing is to be taken very seriously. Full commitment is required if we want to delve into the unknown.

We will offer some movement games and take time to watch other dance. After that we will see...


Antonina Sheina originally studied acting in at the Russian University of Theatre Arts in Moscow. Tonya then worked in the Moscow Malaya Bronnaya Repertoire Theatre for four years until 2011 when she moved to Ireland and joined Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company where she now regularly performs, teaches and directs work. Recent projects include 'A Box', A children's performance in collaboration with colleague, Zoe ramsey, Echo Echo’s production of 'Lost in Frost' a dance theatre piece for children which Tonya created and directed in 2015/16, and Echo Echo’s production of Walk By (2016) in which Tonya performed. Tonya also performed in The Cove which toured to six theatre venues around Ireland in 2017. Tonya also performs regularly with LUXe the Processional Theatre Company.

Zoe Ramsey is currently an ensemble member of Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company performing in a wide range of artistic projects including The Box (2017-18) The Cove (2017), Walk By (2016), Lost in Frost (2016), Ludo Lusi Lusum (2014), Motion Ensemble (2013), Without (2013), The Chess Piece (2010). Zoe teaches regularly and works with adults and children of all ages including Echo Echo’s Moving Schools projects.

Spirals & Free movement of the neck

Single classes - Ksenia Isaeva


First Class - Released Spirals

This class aims to open our movement into 3-dimensional space and to make us able to respond to any changing circumstances in the dance.
SPIRALS help achieving this type of awareness. Closer, further, in and out of contact.
Yes, spirals deal with reaching, strong tone but also with relaxed, released movents. What kind of quality does a relaxed body add to the dance? Let's explore together.

Second Class - Where a free neck is leading

For me a free neck is one of the the most important keys of the dance.
I believe that:
- a free neck allows more easy upside down positions in the dance and more fluent and efficient lifts
- it opens the spine! Then it opens the backspace!
- there is a connection between released neck and a released mind
While dancing one is not in a normal, daily routine state of mind. Letting the neck free is one of the ways to make the head flow.


I've graduated as a structural linguist and before C.I. I did not dance that much. I've met C.I. 9 years ago and step by step it pulled me in completely.Now I live in Moscow but traveling a lot following a particular dance spirit - teacher Angelica Doniy. I am assisting and teaching - in Russia, Europe, Asia. I love to learn, teach and organize events of CI.

Singing Bodies & Voice Laboratory

Single Classes - Alexandra Bălășoiu & Denis Bolborea


First workshop - Singing Bodies

Singing Bodies is a contemporary dance workshop that proposes exploring the individual rhythmic and melodic potentials as well as the body in the social space and the relationships it has with the cityscape. We give sound a physical form and we speculate what is not heard: the inner music of each of us, the music of the other, the music embedded in the architecture of space, its emotional or narrative charge. Through exercises inspired by contemporary dance, beatbox and vocal technique, we exercise our ability to propose action and transform the environment around us. We seek relationships as organic and diverse as possible between voice, body and space and the concept of music is used only to translate a type of non-linear and direct communication between consciousness and expression.


Second workshop - Voice Lab

Voice Lab has the starting point in Singing Bodies Contemporary Dance Workshops and brings an increased focus on the sound output, while maintaining a stronger connection with body sensations, relationships between participants, and ways of occupying space. These are both the source of inspiration for vocal improvisations and ways to engage the central nervous system in various tasks that leave a free path between intuition and vocal outcome. The lab is a playground and exploration area open to all those interested in working with the voice: musicians, actors, performers.

Alexandra Bălășoiu graduated from the National Theater and Cinematography University of Bucharest, choreography section in 2014. From 2017 she coordinates the activity of Indie Box, a 'box' with independent projects in the field of contemporary performance, developing together with Denis Bolborea the concept of Flowprints courses, projects that activate and explore public space such as Earsight or Singing Bodies, as well as research and production projects.

Denis Bolborea studied various urban dance styles (hip-hop, popping, locking) and won many awards during the years, both in Romania and in Europe. In 2009 he participated in "Dansez pentru tine"contest, then becoming part of the dancing team. This experience has brought him a large number of collaborations on television (X-factor, Eurovision) and has led him to improve his dance technique. In 2013 he graduated from the National University of Theater and Cinematography in Bucharest, specializing in Coregraphic Art.

In and Out & Building a New Spine - Together

Single Classes - Cristina Lilienfeld


First class - In and Out

Observing the interior, negotiating the exterior

Our body is an ingenious system that develops its own memory. Since we are born, the body records states, thoughts and emotions. From the way we walk, the flexibility we dance with, the confidence we have in ourselves and the way we adapt to changes, these are all written inside the our bodies.
We will start moving through a mixture of Contact Improvisation elements and conscious movement techniques and we will let this embodied memory express itself, we’ll quiet down the mind and emotions, we’ll learn to make room for flexibility and organicity.
Thus, the course will be a mix of contemporary dance techniques and Contact Improvisation designed to bring us in contact with what our body is transmitting and in a subtle dialogue with those around us. From this space of communication, our dance will be born.


Second class - Building a New Spine - Together

We'll start with a couple of awareness exercises in order to understand the shape and the possibilities, the twists and turns of every individual spine. Slowly as we discover what it means to have a spine as an individual in your own unique dance, we'll meet a partner. Then the fun begins! We'll discover how to use our spine in specific lifts that often occur in CI, how to keep it safe and fun at the same time and most importantly how to still keep your individuality as you dance with a partner.
What does it mean to listen and propose at the same time? What is a balanced exchange in a CI dance? What does it mean to be with your partner and in the same time to listen to your needs? We'll answer this questions together!


Cristina Lilienfeld studied choreography and psychology and constantly searched for the space where this two disciplines meet. She recently worked with various choreographers and performers, as well as with visual artists and musicians, as she is part of different interdisciplinary art groups. Her performances, “Lay(ers), “They're not All Heroes”, “Valiant Deeds” (performance for children), “Moving Fields” as well as many performances in which she dances are still present on the stages of Bucharest and elsewhere locally and internationally.

Contact Improvisation and Performative Practice

Single Classes - Alexandra Soshnicova & Serghei Golovnea

During our existence in an improvisational field (in a performance or a jam), such forms of interaction with the space are born (accidentally or intentionally): Solo, Duet, Trio, Group.We would like to invite you to explore these forms by dancing Contact Improvisation.
Adjusting our body to the delicate listening, we will play with the amplitude of action and observe the significance of pauses.We will observe the "Chemistry" of our states, emotions, moods, as well as of our rhythm, breathing and speed through the "Physics" of bodily manifestation.We will see how connection between Physics and Chemistry gives birth to the Poetry of dance.
Solo, Duet, Trio... Group.We will take the time to stay in each of these structures. Then we propose to explore the interesting phenomenon of transition from one form to another by accumulating or by intentionally zeroing our states.
Action.
Reaction.
Interaction.
Zeroing.
We will dance a lot, will explore and observe.Observation and Attention will be an important part of our dancing and performative practice.


Alexandra and Sergey started in 1997 in a modern dance group called "Voices" under the direction of Angela Doniy. They became a duo in the year 2000. Since then they dance, improvise, teach, make choreographies together. They take part in international projects and performances (as dancers and as choreographers) and travel.

24-30
June
2019
post-festival retreat

Nature doesn't need art, but we need nature in order to awaken our creativity and to renew our vision on life & art.
Last year we had the chance to live, contemplate and dance for 5 days in intimate relation with the earth, forest, water, fire, animals, wind and sun rays in a secluded place in Transylvania called Sagittarius A*.
This year we invite you to join us in a new magical space in Transylvania, for one week of dancing in nature. You’ll participate in an intensive workshop of CI & Butoh, morning practices, body work space, dancing dates, jam sessions and enjoy delicious vegetarian meals cooked outdoors, relaxing, walking trips, singing by the fire and all that nature has to offer.

Pensiunea La Ionel  is located near the road village from Măgur-Răcătău, bordered by an enchanted forest, merging wilderness in civilization, solitude and communion, welcoming all.

Prices:
Early Bird - 165 EUR until 15th of March
Full Fee - 195 EUR until 31stst of May
// Accommodation in shared rooms, local guidance and care, 3 vegetarian meals/day, space for research and practice, dance workshops in big studio.
max. 20 participants

Going in, to go out

Butoh & Contact Improvisation intensive- Theo Trișcă & Virginia Negru

Dancing Contact Improvisation is about creating, rediscovering and understanding, physically and emotionally, our relation with the outside world: gravity, momentum, inertia, friction, centrifugal force and other people. But before engaging authentically with the outside and others, we have to look and connect with the inner landscape and the images we have of ourselves. For this we would like to start with constructing and deconstructing the relation with ourselves through our dance within the Butoh framework; become the witness of our own stories - undulating them, consuming them, using them as tools for our own creation. Travelling within the many dimensions of ourselves through images, techniques and the nature, who will be our main guide, we will acknowledge that we are never reaching an end point, but we are the point, of finish and departure. Out of this perspective each step, touch and colliding with the outside layers will take a personal meaning and will enable us to create our response in relation with others. By bringing these two art&dance forms in one workshop we want to bring the poetry and the technique of movement together. And we invite both beginners and experienced to join us in this learning journey.


/Teachers

Scott Wells

- USA -

Anjelika Doniy

- Russia -

Benno Voorham

- Netherlands/Sweden -

Alexandra Soshnicova & Serghei Golovnea

- Republic of Moldova -

Ksenia Isaeva

- Russia -

Alexandra Bălășoiu

- Romania -

Denis Bolborea

- Romania -

Cristina Lilienfeld

- Romania -

Zoe Ramsey & Antonina Sheina

- Ireland -

Theo Trișcă

- Romania -

Virginia Negru

- Romania -