Contact Improvisation

This 2.5-hour workshop provides an immersive dive into the fundamental skills, concepts, and techniques of Contact Improvisation practice, providing the groundwork to safely continue learning the form in the context of jamming and ongoing classes. You’ll get some basic physical and emotional safety and techniques under your belt, and get a taste of the joy of the practice!

***This class is a great time to get your CI practice started for the first time or to re-invigorate if you’ve fallen out of practice.***

More experienced students are invited to come with a newbie friend to help ease them into the practice. It will be a nice review and deepening for you.
Beginners are also welcome to bring themselves, one friend, or a gaggle of friends to enjoy the experience!
The intention is for this to be a titrated and gentle experience, recognizing that many of us have not been sharing physical proximity with others much lately or may not have been as physically active. We will also ramp up into some vigorous physicality and have a lot of fun!

Title: SOMATIC DIMENSIONS Rising…an embodiment laboratory about bringing ourselves into a higher frequency by rooting into deep listening.

This is a movement and embodiment laboratory about going deep into supportive practices that invite us to both dive and float in the ocean of motion. We will use improvisational exploration as well as specific structures designed to invite dancing alone and together. We will sense into, lengthen, compress, flow into activation of, and develop awareness of the body as source of volume and spatial direction, and then we will add studies of falling and suspending, finding small shifts in trajectory and reorienting through space to enjoy a sense of perpetual motion. Special emphasis is placed on active listening, taking a juicy amount of time to begin to begin, and surfing the arcs of effort as we move towards mobility. We will also sprinkle in some somatic philosophy and a chance to invite sparkly insight – the kind that comes from embodying questions. Questions asked might include: How do you feel? What do you notice? Can you try this…?, What comes next for you?, and more. Participants in previous labs have said things to the effect of: “I love how you propose such simple ideas and somehow they turn into incredibly complex movement”. While I can’t promise that this session will provoke the same response, it will be part of the lineage of inquiry that has kept me curious for over 40 years of moving.

Contact Improvisation is an improvisational art-sport with technique focused on touch, weight-sharing, momentum, and an ethic of experimentation with both physical forces and relational dynamics. It’s also a container to research perceptual flexibility, state-shifting, intimacy, mutuality, community, and embodied poetics. While duets are often the most known or visible aspect of CI practice, we practice partnering with physical forces, several people at once, the entire group, imagery, and the space around us. Professional dancers train in the form to improve their partnering skills and generate new material. Amateurs find community, strength, softness, agility, expression, and body-mind-spirit growth. While anyone can touch and improvise without taking a class, the techniques presented in this class will open the doors to more connected and athletic dances, give you basic fluency in a language of interaction shared by practitioners all over the world, and build the groundwork for a community of deep practice here in the Triangle.

We are so excited to launch the Living Arts Collective Fall Season of Contact Improvisation and Somatics programming on Saturday September 2nd!

This Fall, Ray Schwartz will be teaching an improvisation laboratory for intermediate practitioners on Monday nights starting 9/11 in the downtown LAC space from 7-9pm. Toni Craige will be teaching an open-level Contact Improvisation class on Wednesday nights starting 9/13 at LAC satellite location Shared Visions Retreat Center from 7-9pm. Both series are 9 weeks long, and students must sign up for the entire series~ they will be nourishing learning experiences and spaces to build community connection.

Learn more about the series with Ray Schwartz here.
Learn more about the series with Toni Craige here.

Classes are on a sliding scale. The morning class is $25/$28/$50 and the afternoon class is $35/$52/$70. The middle number is the suggested amount, the lower one is for those with less access to resources, and the higher one is for those with more access to resources. Please pay the highest amount you can comfortably afford. If you’d like to come but cannot afford the lowest price tier, please reach out to CI@livingartscollecitve.com for a further discount. If you are moved to contribute to a scholarship fund, please also let us know that.

There are discounts available for registering for one class early (15%CISEPT2EARLY), and for both classes early (30%CISEPT2BE). Earlybird discounts expire at midnight on August 19th. You can also get 15% off for registering for both classes later in the process (15%CISEPT2BOTH). Use codes when you check out via our online system, Acuity.

There are discounts available for registering for one class early (15%CISEPT2EARLY), and for both classes early (30%CISEPT2BE). Earlybird discounts expire at midnight on August 19th. You can also get 15% off for registering for both classes later in the process (15%CISEPT2BOTH). Use codes when you check out via our online system, Acuity.

We prefer as much as possible for you to attend the workshop, or if you are unable to, for you to find someone to attend in your place and sell your ticket to them directly. The new attendee will sign a waiver at the door instead of online. If this isn’t possible and you have a conflict that arises at least a week in advance of the workshop, let us know and we can provide a refund minus a 20% processing fee. In the case of a last minute (less than 1 week in advance) emergency, conflict, or sickness, we can offer a credit for 50% of the cost of the class towards a future LAC CI event.

Please arrive 5-30 minutes early for your class to be ready to begin on time.

Wear comfortable clothing that covers your shoulders and knees (a t-shirt plus sweats or pajama pants is ideal). Layers are also nice since activities will range from quiet and meditative to vigorous.

Knee pads will be helpful for the class– there will be some for sale for $18/pair, or you can purchase here. https://dancekneepads.com/products/natural-kneepads-pair

Humans of all vaccination statuses are welcome. Masking is optional. Please follow CDC guidelines in the case of symptoms, exposure, and recovery.

CDC Guidelines

Toni is a bodyworker, counselor, dancer, and passionate explorer of embodied healing working in Durham, NC.

She works with clients 1:1 with touch and movement through bodywork and movement therapy to relieve pain, chronic stress, and trauma. With mental health counseling and embodied mentoring, she supports clients in moving past chronic negative patterns and moods and manifest their most authentic desires in life.

As a dance teacher, she works to build individual and community resilience through group movement classes. Her background as a choreographer and performer infuses all of her work with an appreciation for beauty, imagination, deep feeling, and creativity.

Toni has been practicing Contact Improvisation since 2006 and has had a regular teaching practice of the form in the Triangle area since 2012. She completed her Masters of the Fine Arts in Choreography and Performance at Smith College in Northampton, MA in 2020 and her BA in Dance at Wesleyan University in 2009.

Toni’s Website: www.tonicraige.com

Ray Eliot Schwartz is the founder and director of Somatic Dimensions, an embodiment laboratory. He is an artist, educator, and investigator.

With a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MFA from the University of Texas-Austin, Ray has made multidimensional contributions to somatic movement education, embodiment as an artistic, cultural, and social phenomenon-and contemporary dance practice.

He is a published scholar who writes about the interface of somatic movement education and contemporary dance practice and has taught extensively both internationally and within the U.S., facilitating multiple constituencies through inclusive pedagogical methods. He has served on the faculty of the American Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival, MELT, The University of Texas El Paso, the ZMP Summer Dance Intensive, Verano Chilango, Camp_iN, the Colorado College Summer Dance Festival, SFADI, and the Maestría Profesional en Danza of the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, among many, many others. He was a professor at the Universidad de las Américas Puebla for 16 years and director of the B.A. program in dance there from 2008-2018. In 2010, he was awarded the inaugural Medal of Commitment to Education, which recognizes excellence in teaching and service.

Between 1992 and 2012, he co-founded four contemporary performance projects in the southern U.S.: Sheep Army, The Zen Monkey Project, Steve’s House Dance Collective, and THEM. He has participated as an invited guest artist on four continents, creating and presenting innovative movement-based work and scenic art performance projects with diverse populations for the concert stage, alternative venues, as well as within participatory performance platforms.

His commitment to somatic studies is reflected in his certifications in Body-Mind Centering® and the Feldenkrais Method®, as well as his exploration of other disciplines such as Zero-Balancing®, Gross Anatomy, Cranio-Sacral Therapy, and Traditional Thai Massage.

Since 2010, he has been a research fellow and member of the educational leadership team of the Center for Body-Mind Movement, an ISMETA approved Somatic Movement Education program with activities in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and the United States.

He is currently an Instructor in the Program in Dance at Duke University, coordinator of the M.A. in Dance Education through the University of Northern Colorado and continues to develop his work as a Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist supporting people in attuning themselves, through movement, towards a greater clarity of intention in the practices of everyday life. He is a parent, partner, community member, serves on various boards and advisory councils for dance and somatics organizations, and is, like all of us, a person figuring it out as he goes along. Website (in construction): www.rayeliotschwartz.com

This series is produced by Living Arts Collective and is happening in parallel with a 9-Week Spirit and Technique of Contact Improvisation series happening on Wednesday evenings at Shared Visions Retreat Center in North Durham. The Wednesday series is open to dancers of all levels (including beginners!), while this series is designed for movers with some significant background in improvisation. Some dancers might take both classes, and others will choose one or the other depending on their availability and experience level.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT FB EVENT LINK: https://fb.me/e/h6OGGhdW2

Class is $160/240/320 sliding scale for the 7 classes ($20/25/30 each) and two jams ($10/15/20 each). $240 is the suggested amount, $160 is for those with less access to resources, and $320 is for those with more access to resources. Please pay the highest amount you can comfortably afford. If you’d like to come but cannot afford the lowest price tier, please reach out for a further discount. If you are moved to contribute to a scholarship fund, please also let us know that.

There are discounts available for registering for this series early (15%CIFALLEARLY), and for both series early (30%CIFALLBE). Earlybird discounts expire at midnight on Sunday September 3rd. You can also get 15% off for registering for both classes later in the process (15%CIFALLBOTH). Use codes when you check out via our online system, Acuity.

The series is capped at 24 and will fill to capacity. Register early!

There are discounts available for registering for this series early (15%CIFALLEARLY), and for both series early (30%CIFALLBE). Earlybird discounts expire at midnight on Sunday September 3rd. You can also get 15% off for registering for both classes later in the process (15%CIFALLBOTH). Use codes when you check out via our online system, Acuity.

The study group is designed with the idea of cumulative knowledge and practice. Being able to commit to a majority of the sessions is both recommended and desired in order to support the goals of the curriculum. Students must sign up for the entire series in order to participate- drop-ins will not be permitted.

In general there are no refunds available for the series and no make-ups for missed classes. We encourage folks who know they need to miss a few classes to pay at the lower end of the sliding scale and take advantage of early registration discounts to compensate for this. There are a few exceptions in terms of refunds: In the case of an injury or illness which means the student cannot return to the class, we may consider a pro-rated refund. We also reserve the right to terminate anyone’s membership in the class if their behavior is unsafe or disrespectful. We may or may not provide a pro-rated refund in this case. For those who may decide that the class is not a good fit at this time for whatever reason, we offer a 50% refund if you withdraw before the 3rd class. If you decide to withdraw before the series begins, we will refund your money minus a 20% processing fee.

Please arrive 5-10 minutes early to be ready to begin at 7:00.

Wear comfortable clothing that covers your shoulders and knees (a t-shirt plus sweats or pajama pants is ideal). Layers are also nice since activities will range from quiet and meditative to vigorous.

Knee pads will be helpful for the class– there will be some for sale for $18/pair, or you can purchase here. https://dancekneepads.com/products/natural-kneepads-pair

Humans of all vaccination statuses are welcome. Masking is optional. Please follow CDC guidelines in the case of symptoms, exposure, and recovery.

CDC Guidelines

Ray Eliot Schwartz is the founder and director of Somatic Dimensions, an embodiment laboratory. He is an artist, educator, and investigator.

With a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MFA from the University of Texas-Austin, Ray has made multidimensional contributions to somatic movement education, embodiment as an artistic, cultural, and social phenomenon-and contemporary dance practice.

He is a published scholar who writes about the interface of somatic movement education and contemporary dance practice and has taught extensively both internationally and within the U.S., facilitating multiple constituencies through inclusive pedagogical methods. He has served on the faculty of the American Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival, MELT, The University of Texas El Paso, the ZMP Summer Dance Intensive, Verano Chilango, Camp_iN, the Colorado College Summer Dance Festival, SFADI, and the Maestría Profesional en Danza of the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, among many, many others. He was a professor at the Universidad de las Américas Puebla for 16 years and director of the B.A. program in dance there from 2008-2018. In 2010, he was awarded the inaugural Medal of Commitment to Education, which recognizes excellence in teaching and service.

Between 1992 and 2012, he co-founded four contemporary performance projects in the southern U.S.: Sheep Army, The Zen Monkey Project, Steve’s House Dance Collective, and THEM. He has participated as an invited guest artist on four continents, creating and presenting innovative movement-based work and scenic art performance projects with diverse populations for the concert stage, alternative venues, as well as within participatory performance platforms.

His commitment to somatic studies is reflected in his certifications in Body-Mind Centering® and the Feldenkrais Method®, as well as his exploration of other disciplines such as Zero-Balancing®, Gross Anatomy, Cranio-Sacral Therapy, and Traditional Thai Massage.

Since 2010, he has been a research fellow and member of the educational leadership team of the Center for Body-Mind Movement, an ISMETA approved Somatic Movement Education program with activities in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and the United States.

He is currently an Instructor in the Program in Dance at Duke University, coordinator of the M.A. in Dance Education through the University of Northern Colorado and continues to develop his work as a Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist supporting people in attuning themselves, through movement, towards a greater clarity of intention in the practices of everyday life. He is a parent, partner, community member, serves on various boards and advisory councils for dance and somatics organizations, and is, like all of us, a person figuring it out as he goes along. Website (in construction): www.rayeliotschwartz.com

Contact Improvisation is an improvisational art-sport with technique focused on touch, weight-sharing, momentum, and an ethic of experimentation with both physical forces and relational dynamics. It’s also a container to research perceptual flexibility, state-shifting, intimacy, mutuality, community, and embodied poetics. While duets are often the most known or visible aspect of CI practice, we practice partnering with physical forces, several people at once, the entire group, imagery, and the space around us. Professional dancers train in the form to improve their partnering skills and generate new material. Amateurs find community, strength, softness, agility, expression, and body-mind-spirit growth. While anyone can touch and improvise without taking a class, the techniques presented in this class will open the doors to more connected and athletic dances, give you basic fluency in a language of interaction shared by practitioners all over the world, and build the groundwork for a community of deep practice here in the Triangle.

This series is happening in parallel with a 9 week Somatic Dimensions Study Group Series on Monday nights in the downtown LAC space geared towards dancers at at least the intermediate level of their practice. This Wednesday series is open to dancers of all levels (including beginners!). Some dancers might take both classes, and others will choose one or the other depending on their availability and experience level.

View the Monday night event here.

Class is $180/225/360 sliding scale for the 9 classes. $225 is the suggested amount, $180 is for those with less access to resources, and $360 is for those with more access to resources. Please pay the highest amount you can comfortably afford. If you’d like to come but cannot afford the lowest price tier, please reach out for a further discount. If you are moved to contribute to a scholarship fund, also let us know that.

There are discounts available for registering for this series early (15%CIFALLEARLY), and for both series early (30%CIFALLBE). Earlybird discounts expire at midnight on Sunday September 3rd. You can also get 15% off for registering for both classes later in the process (15%CIFALLBOTH). Use codes when you check out via our online system, Acuity.

Generally speaking, you must register for the full series in order to participate– we’ve found that having a stable group builds safety and depth. Very advanced movers can drop in on a case-by-case basis. Email us to inquire~ ci@livingartscollective.com

The series is capped at 24 and will fill to capacity. Register early!

There are discounts available for registering for this series early (15%CIFALLEARLY), and for both series early (30%CIFALLBE). Earlybird discounts expire at midnight on Sunday September 3rd. You can also get 15% off for registering for both classes later in the process (15%CIFALLBOTH). Use codes when you check out via our online system, Acuity.

The study group is designed with the idea of cumulative knowledge and practice. Being able to commit to a majority of the sessions is both recommended and desired in order to support the goals of the curriculum. Students must sign up for the entire series in order to participate- drop-ins will not be permitted.

In general there are no refunds available for the series and no make-ups for missed classes. We encourage folks who know they need to miss a few classes to pay at the lower end of the sliding scale and take advantage of early registration discounts to compensate for this. There are a few exceptions in terms of refunds: In the case of an injury or illness which means the student cannot return to the class, we may consider a pro-rated refund. We also reserve the right to terminate anyone’s membership in the class if their behavior is unsafe or disrespectful. We may or may not provide a pro-rated refund in this case. For those who may decide that the class is not a good fit at this time for whatever reason, we offer a 50% refund if you withdraw before the 3rd class. If you decide to withdraw before the series begins, we will refund your money minus a 20% processing fee.

Please arrive 5-10 minutes early to be ready to begin at 7:00.

Wear comfortable clothing that covers your shoulders and knees (a t-shirt plus sweats or pajama pants is ideal). Layers are also nice since activities will range from quiet and meditative to vigorous.

Knee pads will be helpful for the class– there will be some for sale for $18/pair, or you can purchase here. https://dancekneepads.com/products/natural-kneepads-pair

Humans of all vaccination statuses are welcome. Masking is optional. Please follow CDC guidelines in the case of symptoms, exposure, and recovery.

CDC Guidelines

Toni is a bodyworker, counselor, dancer, and passionate explorer of embodied healing working in Durham, NC.

She works with clients 1:1 with touch and movement through bodywork and movement therapy to relieve pain, chronic stress, and trauma. With mental health counseling and embodied mentoring, she supports clients in moving past chronic negative patterns and moods and manifest their most authentic desires in life.

As a dance teacher, she works to build individual and community resilience through group movement classes. Her background as a choreographer and performer infuses all of her work with an appreciation for beauty, imagination, deep feeling, and creativity.

Toni has been practicing Contact Improvisation since 2006 and has had a regular teaching practice of the form in the Triangle area since 2012. She completed her Masters of the Fine Arts in Choreography and Performance at Smith College in Northampton, MA in 2020 and her BA in Dance at Wesleyan University in 2009.

Toni’s Website: www.tonicraige.com