Hello sweet dancing creatures!
Some of you know me as Thijs, and others have seen me swirl by as a tall creature with a red beard. We might have met in a dance, movement or just happened to be in the same space at the same time.
My Journey with Contact Improvisation
Most of us reading this have been engaged with contact improvisation for quite some time. I've been practicing for about ten years now. My journey started with weekly lessons with Tim. In the early years, I rarely attended jams, feeling utterly intimidated by the experienced dancers swirling around. It reminded me of my time with Ecstatic dance, where connecting with others felt difficult. Everybody seemed to have fun and able to connect with others, yet I couldn't get myself to make to first move. However, with Tim's support, I slowly began to integrate into the CI community.
The Evolution of Practice
CI (luckily) is an "open" form that is not copyrighted or defined in one specific way. We can all practice in any way we want. My interest and focus has shifted quite a bit over time. In the beginning it was very much about surviving the classes without bruising myself too much. So much has changed since then! Now, I met a lot of people in the jam spaces before and feel comfortable in the space most of the time. In dances I feel I have options to move slow or fast, modulate tonus and and meet others. Stirring up dance trouble or melt in fluid group harmony is also great fun. In general I really really enjoy jamming. It feels good on a physical, emotional, creative and somatic level. Cant remember a jam that I not enjoyed or not felt good afterwards.
Reflections on the Dance
A question that often arises for me is: do I "loose" myself in a dance? And do I want that? Initially, I would lose myself completely, becoming a flowing, moving entity. However, as my practice matured, I found a balance where my body and mind can somewhat keep up with the dance's intensity without losing myself. Then if "loosing" myself of not the point perse, then what is? So this made me curious. Why do I / we Jam?
Why Do We Jam?
I've asked this question to a few people in the community, and here are their thoughts:
Lana: I go to jams to express, to experience freedom, to connect and revise the material that I have in my body. To me it’s a huge playground where spontaneity is released to the full, where I play with reflexes, reactions, impulses from within and from outside.
.
Antonio: The reason why I jam is because generally I'm interested in free form of improvisations, in both, music and dance as I practice both. That is why I connect even to a deeper level either in a jam with no music or with live music, where a new space of co-creation, at times of instant composition my rise. Often I do not like "playlist jams". Often my interest for jamming comes from movement, though you never know what may happen while literally "in touch" with someone else. Through touch senses get activated and may trigger different layers of the body, at time can get emotional, at times sensual, or wild, playful or rather meditative. If one is really open, anything can happen. This is mainly the reason why I jam and never get bored about it. If it would ever get bored, I can't blame the dance form, but my process. (I can be boring!) Does that make sense?
.
io: Every time I step into this remarkable universe called jam, I am confronted with its twofold nature. On one hand, this unique and extremely unusual space unfolds on the dance floor, reminding me of the measurement infrastructures of what is normal and acceptable. At times, it still feels strange, especially if I abandon my sensations and get into my head, where judgment is rolling the party. On the other hand, the naturalness of the contact and the architecture of movements radiate everything but strangeness. The normality of it is undeniable. I remember when I just started doing CI, I’d share with people my fascination and say, “I am built for this.” This statement still holds; each time I am rolling over the floor, unfolding into a tapestry of dots, I experience this intrinsic match within my body in relation to others and the world at large. For me, it has to do with my readiness to show up in openness and naturalness, be seen in those qualities, and take responsibility for the impact. Dancing is not always easy, as it has to do with being seen, deconstructed to the points of contact. I am reminded of my existence in relation to others, which shines light on my relation with myself. As beautiful as it can be, it is not always comfortable. At times, touching the real is intense, yet knowing that it is there, ready to meet me, is precious.
For me personally, the motivation to jam varies. Sometimes it's about self-care and softness, while other times it's about connecting deeply with others and exploring the creative possibilities of the space. Jamming feels to me like a mirror, reflecting my inner state and allowing me to engage with my feelings and creativity. I could share a lot more, and probably will at some point.
Why do you Jam?
