My CI Experience Details

I've practiced Contact Improv since college. Along the way I've taken responsibility for facilitating local and regional gatherings (jams), teaching various groups, and I've performed in local and remote venues. As the scope of my involvement has increased my appreciation for the opportunities to explore and understand the dynamics of cooperation and play has also increased.

See My CI Bio for a more overarching perspective.

Overview

• I've been the central coordinator of the DC CI jam for many years. In addition to facilitating the jam (with a minimalist touch) and coordinating the facilities, I craft and run the online coordination facilities - web site (Plone), mailing list (Mailman), etc. Over the years a group of DC Sunday jam regulars and I have shared responsibility for discussing and deciding about the maj maintenance, the DC jam steering group.
• I've lead Nancy Stark Smith's Underscore at the DC jam on the first Sunday of most months since December 2003. Starting in 2022 a fellow DC regular and teacher, Mac Shute, has alternated with me, each of us leading the DC Sunday Jam Underscore every other month.
• I have studied with many central Contact Improvisation teachers and developers, including particularly Nancy Stark Smith as well as Andrew Harwood, Karen Nelson, Daniel Lepkoff, Lisa Melson, Martin Keogh, K. J. Holmes, Nita Little, Alicia Grayson, and Irene Sposetti. I've participated in the US Contact Improvisation Teachers Exchange (CITE) and help facilitate the Contact Improvisation Facilitators Facebook group.
• Since 2006 I've been a core organizer of the Spring East Coast Jam, helping to arrange the facilities, coordinate preparations and conduct the framework of the jam and many activities, and I've crafted and run the online communications facilities, including the web site (Plone) and mailing lists (Mailman), online registration (Google forms/spreadsheet) and payment system (Paypal), etc, since before 2006.
• From September 2007 through 2015 I participated in developing and performing movement-based performance pieces with director Nancy Havlik and her dance group, exploring the combination of choreographed and improvised dance, theater, and music. See Performances for public presentations by this group, and others, in which I participated.
• Over many years I've taught many classes and workshops, of increasing scope at time progressed. See Workshops and Classes for a listing of relatively recent ones.
• I've been developing a model for learning collaborative movement improvisation, along the way. See What Contact Improvisation Does, Contact Improv As a Way of Moving, Respecting Boundaries, Ensemble Improvisation's Essential Ingredients, Our Jam and the Underscore, etc.

Workshops and Classes I've Taken

Here's a partial list of the classes and workshops in which I studied CI and related stuff. I'm mostly reconstructing it from memory, and it is definitely not complete. I've also participated in classes in numerous DC-local and remote dance festivals and workshops.

• Ann Woodhull, extracurricular course in Northampton Mass, Spring 1978
• Eleanor Huston then Daniel Lepkoff class at Hampshire College, Fall 1979
• Daniel Lepkoff class at Hampshire College, Spring 1980
• Movement Research, NY week-long workshop with Nancy Stark Smith, Daniel Lepkoff, and Andrew Harwood around 1985
• And another time with a similar roster some years later
• Acapella Motion two-week CI and movement arts workshop at Smith College, I attended twice around 1990, personally partaking of CI (Nancy Stark Smith and others) and Authentic Movement (Susan Schell) among the many offerings
• Attended Nancy Stark Smith's two-week and three-week January intensive at Earthdance twice - the initial and then the continuing one.
• With others, brought Karen Nelson to the DC jam for a weekend workshop and attended as a student.
• Martin Keogh and Nancy Stark Smith in DC
• With others, brought Nancy Stark Smith to DC (U of MD studio) for a workshop including an Underscore practice and participated.
• Chris Aiken and Angie Hauser
• Andrew Harwood weekend intensive (in Detroit?)

Workshops and Classes I've Led

This list is not complete.

• Zouk class three times, until Zouk school leader parted.
• Underscore for Dance ICONS (Vladimir Angelov's) Improv Festival, yearly for six years, ongoing
• Led a 2 hr CI class the first three Interfusion Festivals. The second class was supposed to be 30 people but grew to 75. The third was supposed to be 75 and grew to 110.
• 2003 onwards, on the first Sunday of almost every month. I orient and lead Nancy Stark Smith's CI-infused ensemble structure, the Underscore . Since 2022 I share this duty with another DC-CI teacher, alternating Underscore leadership monthly. The Underscore was initially taken up at the Sunday jam as an experiment. It caught on and has grown in a surprising and gratifying way.
• 2012-01-04 to 2012-03, Mondays and Wednesday afternoons: Co-teach ensemble improv and CI skills with Micah Trapp to Chance Academy (in it's preliminary incarnation) pre-teen students; sponsored by Nancy Havlik
• 2011-5-21 to 2011-7-28 Thursday evenings: Conducted ensemble improv labs, developing skill in cultivating satisfying collaborative movement improvisation events -"spontaneous composition"; sponsored by Nancy Havlik
• 2009-10-6, 13, 20, 27: Conducted CI basics four-class series at Md Youth Ballet, sponsored by Nancy Havlik
• 2009-8-25 to 2009-9-1: Guest artist residency, Halestone Studio, Lexington, VA - week-long daily CI classes with Nancy Saylor's teens and adults dance company, to develop essential partnering skills
• 2008-04-21, 2008-06-23: Guest-teacher CI "way of moving" classes for Quicksilver seniors improv company (dancers ranging from 65-85)
• 2007-07-6, 7, 8: Atlanta - Led two day CI workshop
• I twice have led two-day weekend CI workshops in Asheville, North Carolina.
• From 1998 through 2000 I led every-other-week Contact Improv classes at Glen Echo National Park, and also led an every-other-week Authentic Movement laboratory for local community members.
• I led many other occasional classes, workshops, and performances before this time, as well.

Performances

• 2012-05-36: Kennedy Center Millenium Stage - Partnered with Double Bass player Daniel Barbiero to improvise to his rendering of John Cage's Dream, as part of Sonic Circuits experimental music showcase honoring Cage; see video here, our piece starts around 28 minutes in, going for three to four minutes.
• 2012-05-12, -13: American Dance Institute - Perform in Tzveta Kassabova's new work: Left of Green, Fall, in several vignettes of full evening and matinee performances.
• 2012-04-28: Woolly Mammoth Theater - Havlik Group evening performance
• 2012-03-09, -10: Joe's Movement Emporium - Havlik Group evening and matinee performances
• 2011-12-08: Joe's Movement Emporium - Havlik Group and student guests, fund raiser to sponsor Chance Academy teaching, see above
• 2011-09-17: Sonic Circuits - Accompany musician trio Nine Strings Ensemble with another dancer, Page Gaphery, for experimental music festival
• 2011-08-04: VisArts, Rockville - Accompany musical ensemble (including Daniel Barbiero and Gary Rouzer) with another dancer, Micah Trapp
• 2011-05-07: Joe's Movement Emporium - Havlik Group evening performance
• 2011-04-05: Warehouse - Havlik Group in performance showcase with Robert Bettmann dances
• 2011-04-02: Woolly Mammoth theater - Havlik Group performed in Jane Franklin's adjudicated dance sampler
• 2011-03-12,13: Flashpoint DC Studio - Havlik Group evening and matinee performances
• 2010-12-11,12: Woolly Mammoth Theater: Havlik Group, evening and matinee performances
• 2010-06-12: Flashpoint DC Studio: Havlik Group, evening performance
• 2010-06-05: I for I Parade - Leah Moon & co choreographed parade performance
• 2010-05-08: The Studio: Havlik Group evening performance
• 2010-04-10: Joe's Movement Emporium: Havlik Group evening performance
• 2010-01-23: Artist's Bloc, Joy of Motion: Havlik Group dance sampler performance
• 2009-11-03: Dinner Party: Havlik Group - Works in progress performance
• 2009-09-12: Dragon's Egg at the Construction Company, NYC: Havlik Group - Part of a dance performance showcase
• 2009-04-28: Shakespeare Theater Harman Stage:  Havlik Group weekday matinee performance
• 2009-04-25: Joy of Motion: Havlik Group
• 2009-03-22: Source Theater, Havlik Group along with Naoko Maeshiba and Steve Hilmy
• 2009-02-11: DC Arts Center: Havlik Group
• 2008-12-09: The Dinner Party: Havlik Group works-in-progress showcase
• 2008-11-11: The Dinner Party: Havlik Group works-in-progress showcase
• 2008-11-02: Electric Possible alternative music and dance: Havlik Group performance
• 2008-09-13,14: The Construction Company showcase, NYC: Havlik Group part of new dance showcase
• 2008-07-17: Capital Fringe Festival, Shakespeare Theater Harman Hall: Havlik Group performance
• 2008-03-08: Josephine Butler Parks Center: Havlik Group evening performance
• 2008-02-22,23: Artist's Bloc, Joy of Motion: Havlik Group part of works-in-progress showcase
• 2007-09-23: Co-Organized and participated DC Improv Festival, performed as guest with Havlik Group