By Montana Bass ’18
Whether you’re a seasoned dancer, elite rock-climber, campus leader, or simply looking for a new way to practice mindfulness, contact improvisation offers a way to explore the limits of one’s own physical boundaries.
Dance instructor Sue Lauther teaches the course, which will be available again in Block 7, and says it’s not just about dance or movement, but about learning to communicate with one another through touch. By doing so, “students will become more aware of the physics of their own bodies and learn how to better handle unexpected surprises or find their way through unplanned situations,” she says. Additionally, by creating physical awareness, dancers can also check in with themselves emotionally.
As Lauther explains, “Contact improv for me is another language. It’s learning to stand up for yourself. To reach out to others. To negotiate, communicate desires, joys, and disappointments. It’s good for any soul.”
It’s not just for any soul; contact is also beneficial to any body. Monica Black ’19 adds, “I’m not by any means a dancer, and it takes the onus off of figuring out something cool to do. Instead you can just focus on the energies that you and your partner are giving each other. It’s also a really vulnerable form of dance with lots of lifts and obviously very close contact, so you have to trust the other person to support your body.” This intimacy is important when our day-to-day lives often lack platonic physical touch, Lauther says. In contact improvisation, dancers learn to advocate for themselves as well as address group needs nonverbally.
As a dance major, Trevon Newmann ’18 finds benefits as well. “Contact improv has been about experimenting and adjusting. I’ve really learned how to work with a variety of people and how to give and earn trust. It’s good for getting out of your comfort zone.”
This experimentation leads dancers to a self-awareness pivotal in various aspects of their lives, and Lauther loves helping them find it. “It just delights me when somebody is amazed by the changes within themselves, doing things they didn’t think they could do,” she says.
Students, if you’d like to experience contact improvisation, you can enroll for the Block 7 course, running Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3-4:30 p.m. Or, show up in the Cossitt South Studio on the first day of Block 7. Contact Sue Lauther with any questions: slautherincolorado@gmail.com
