CI Dancers at the Ottawa CI dance jam: Ken, Kia, Isabelle, Barbara, AnneMarie, Ian, Marcia
Let’s Dance Ian!!
Newsletter Web Version (updated mid-week): http://contactimprov.ca/on/ottawa/news.html
CI Dancers at the Ottawa CI dance jam: Ken, Kia, Isabelle, Barbara, AnneMarie, Ian, Marcia
Dancers who pursue graceful movement must practice being aware of their bodies and being aware of wordless communication. These skills are particularly important today, when we spend so much time sitting and in virtual realities. Our way of life has taken us further from our own physical experiences and the understanding of the wordless emotional messages of others. For example, contact improvisation makes the dancers listen attentively to the body of their partner. Touch is known to reduce pain, fear and anxiety. http://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/health/a-dancers-brain-develops-in-a-unique-way
Events in the local Ottawa/Gatineau/Wakefield Region
Events that recur weekly or monthly show only the nearest upcoming event or two. Follow the link for future events.
Explore the joy and creativity of group improvised movement in a weekly drop-in class in Group Movement Improvisation on Monday evenings in New Edinburgh. All adults welcome (drop-in); no registration or experience required. Led by Lola Ryan. (This location is not wheelchair accessible.)
Movement Improvisation is exploration – you can explore what you like to do in dance and in movement. It frees you to be as daring and creative as you wish. This is not a contact improv dance class, though safe touch and elements of contact improv are usually incorporated as we improvise to music.
Lola opens each class with a specific warm-up and then focuses on a movement technique or a way to open up your movement vocabulary. It could be an exercise on vision or balance, a unique way to create shape or pattern, or the best way to connect with a partner or partners. The class always concludes with an open dance space where you are free to create your own movement experience, in solo, in duets or as an ensemble. Music courtesy of Lola!
We invite you to come and have fun on your way to learning new skills and enhancing your dancing and movement with other people. Regular drop-in class fee $25 for 2.5 hours. (Student rate available – talk to Lola.)
Click on the link above or contact Lola Ryan 613-237-0790 for more information.
Attend weekly bilingual (English/French) drop-in Biodanza evening sessions led by Anne Marie Riel (613.316.8118).
Biodanza is a non-verbal practice for the participants. You do not need to speak either language to participate; you only need to listen.
Biodanza, meaning to dance with life, is a fusion of music, natural movement and emotion. It is a method of human development aimed at uncovering the passion, beauty, and love for ourselves, others and the world that was always there. Reconnect with the pleasure of movement and celebrate life!
Biodanza…
- increases our health and consciousness
- improves our physical and emotional well-being
- enriches the quality of our relationships
- integrates thinking, feeling and acting
- develops our potential for living full, radiant lives
The next Tuesday Community Contra Dance is part of Ottawa Contra Dance.
This is a great mid-week dance held in a beautiful century hall. Local musicians and callers do their stuff. ’Tis oodles of fun!
Come discover Biodanza; you don’t need to know how to dance! Through dance, play, and the joy of being authentic, Biodanza reduces stress and awakens a zest for life. All adults welcome!
Why choose to do Biodanza? Because through dance, play and authentic movement we awaken joy for life, fun times and the sensation of an overall well-being. Because Biodanza is a group practice, we meet new and authentic people.
Biodanza is a movement practice based on biological principles and when practiced weekly can lower our stress level and have a positive impact on our overall health.
Biodanza proposes inspiring music, without any moves to learn but instead an invitation to go to your own beat, progressively and is adaptable to certain situation (ex: a physical injury).
Biodanza is an adventure at the heart of life itself. It is a hymn to the life that beats inside each of us and allows each day to day gestures to be sacred!
Ottawa Sacred Circle Dance presents a Sacred Circle Dance Weekend With June Watts. (For wheelchair and washroom accessibility information, contact the organizers.)
June Watts, master teacher and choreographer extraordinaire, travels internationally teaching and sharing her love of sacred circle dance. With an open and humble heart, June shares her wisdom, humour and knowledge beyond the steps where connectedness to ‘all that is’ and transformation are possible.
This year we are delighted to offer two extra days following the weekend to engage with the dances at a deeper level.
We are letting the theme for the weekend percolate and emerge as the weekend unfolds, allowing us to ‘be in the mystery’ as we delve deeper into the dances.
For more information about June, please visit her website at: www.junewatts.com
*** NO DANCE EXPERIENCE NECESSARY ***
If this is of interest to you, please contact Barbara at carterb@bell.net
Hope to see you there!!!
The Ottawa Authentic Movement group meets most Saturday mornings each month at Arts Court in Ottawa. (This location is wheelchair accessible.)
Experience with Authentic Movement is required to attend these events. Contact Wendy before you attend.
If you are new to Authentic Movement, please contact Wendy Philpott to arrange a short briefing session before you arrive in the studio.
Venue: ODD Studio “B”, Second Floor, Arts Court, 2 Daly Avenue
Click on the link above or contact Wendy Philpott for more information.
Experience with Authentic Movement is required to attend these events. Contact Wendy before you attend.
Come to a weekly open drop-in Contact Improv Dance Class and Jam. Hosted by Ottawa/Gatineau Contact Improv. Also on the facebook
Some things to watch:
CI Dancers at the Ottawa CI dance jam: Ken, Kia, AnneMarie, Isabelle, Barbara, Ian, Marcia
Step outside for Dance to Nature outdoor dances among the trees at Mooneys Bay. Express, create and surrender the dance from within! Let go of all inhibitions and come Dance to Nature! (For wheelchair and washroom accessibility information, contact Alana.)
No rules, steps or choreography, only your own unique dance creation.
Exprimez, créez et libérez votre danse de l’intérieur!
Click on the link above or contact Alana O’Donnell for more information.
Please verify this time and venue with the organizers.
We’re Dancing!! A free (by donation) happening 6:30 to 8:00, at Bells Corners United Church at 3955 Old Richmond Road. All are welcome; Join us! Contact Wendy at 613-726-1375. Ottawa Sacred Dance Guild Dances are open to all; no registration required; last Sunday of every month; donations welcome. (For wheelchair and washroom accessibility information, contact the organizers.)
For more information call Wendy at 613-726-1375
Next dances (after this one): Last Sunday of every month. Contact the organizers to be sure.
Come to the next Ecstatic Dance – Flow with your Ottawa/Gatineau Ecstatic Dance community. Dances take place twice monthly as part of Ecstatic Dance Ottawa. Venue: 41 Rosemount in Hintonburg. (This location is not wheelchair accessible.)
Dance your prayers to Mother Earth, the elements and the natural world the tribal way – feet on the ground, moving to rhythms that build to a wild, free expressive crescendo then drop us down into soft interconnection and peace at the end.
Live drumming and didgeridoo interval – bring your drum if you want to jam with Eric, Zu and others. Cacao seeds are offered at opening circle for those who like. Warm-up music starts 6:50. New powered speakers!
DJ Kaia $15 at the door; $10 students with ID. Parking available by arrangement in the school parking lot opposite the hall. Bring a water bottle. Wear clothes you can move and sweat in.
Ecstatic dances are a safe space container created for self expression, investigation, & exploration. Come explore the magnificent territory between your head and your feet, your breath, and your overall physical, emotional and mental body through movement. As an investigator of your psyche and heart, you will learn to search for the hidden jewel as you come into a space of discovery. Beginning and ending in circle. There is no particular yoga or dance experience necessary. Come and share your energy with other electrifying souls. Dance your joy, dance your pain; just dance and have some fun! Celebrate where you are, where you’ve been, and where you are going.
Click on the link above or contact DJ Yogini Kaia Nightingale for more information.
Follow the link above for future dances and confirm future dates and times with Kaia as they change.
Martin Comeau says: The monthly Rupert/Wakefield Move is CANCELLED for May and June. Talk to Martin about future events.
We are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting for!
It’s time for our Tribe to gather again for a full evening of Love and Light! Gather with us as we share our vision for a better world! As a collective, we stand for personal & global health, individual & community participation, creativity, activism, permaculture, and consensus decision making. For our children, and for our collective future. Bring bowl or plate, utensils and your favourite vegan gluten free dish. Cost: $15-25 Suggested Donation
Contributing artists: Eric Mandala, Zu Zen, Rebecca White Raven, Bob & Marlene Neufeld, Maureen Fallis, Cassandra Poole, and more…
Ottawa Contra Dance presents A Challenging Dance with Dave Langford, Bethany Waickman & Glen Loper [Maine] and Will Mentor.
A special Afternoon Dance, led by Will, with a theme of a Challenging Dance. Come have your brain and body challenged with a great afternoon of advanced dances! This session will both stretch your abilities and be VERY fun! Geared towards intermediate and advanced dancers (not suitable for beginners). Come with comfy clothing and shoes, water bottle, and a smile!
Ottawa Contra Dance presents an Evening Contra Dance with Dave Langford, Bethany Waickman & Glen Loper [Maine].
Contact Anne Pitman for more information.
Transformation Playground Dance Bring Spirit to Life in Body, Mind and Heart at Espace Renêtre, Gatineau QC. Register via the above link.
Transformation Playground Dance In Gatineau, Quebec:
With a group of like-hearted others, you are supported to meet your experience with loving presence, and give your Self wings to dance, express and play. We begin with a welcome activity and embodied integrity practice, followed by 50-60 minutes of dancing.
The Transformation Playground dance journey starts with a simple warm-up to connect you to your breath and your body: part by part. As we warm up, we are asking, “how are you now?” to each part of our body, and listening to our body’s response through sensations, impulses about how we move, ideas that come through our minds, etc. Since there is no “right” way to do it, you can’t do it wrong! Your practice is to honor your experience first and foremost, opening your curiosity and enjoyment as we move through the dance together.
The theme is inspired by an ancient meditation called Cave of the Heart. The silent meditation consists of journeying into our own hearts with gratitude for how each aspect of the practice is reflected within and around us: earth, water, fire, air, space, small self, the moon and the sun. In the dance journey, you will be gently guided to move along with a playlist with one song each dedicated to the eight aspects of the Cave of the Heart meditation. Each gathering the playlist is different, as are the prompts to move, dance and play which may be solo, in pairs, or with the whole group.
The movement time completes with relaxing quietly or stretching as you choose to integrate your experience; followed by a closing circle where we sit together, and people are invited to share a word or phrase or sound that matches their experience of the dance that evening.
For information or to register, click on the link above or contact Rhonda Mills.
Come out to dance the next Ecstatic Dance with your Ottawa/Gatineau Ecstatic Dance community. Dances take place twice monthly as part of Ecstatic Dance Ottawa.
Free parking in school lot across the street from the hall.
Ecstatic dances are a safe space container created for self expression, investigation, & exploration. Come explore the magnificent territory between your head and your feet, your breath, and your overall physical, emotional and mental body through movement. As an investigator of your psyche and heart, you will learn to search for the hidden jewel as you come into a space of discovery. Beginning and ending in circle. There is no particular yoga or dance experience necessary. Come and share your energy with other electrifying souls. Dance your joy, dance your pain; just dance and have some fun! Celebrate where you are, where you’ve been, and where you are going.
Click on the link above or contact DJ Stardust Saira Monica for more information.
Follow the link above for future dances and confirm future dates and times with Saira as they change.
Please confirm the date and time with the organizers.
Every third Friday, Come to the next monthly Dances of Universal Peace event at the University of Ottawa, hosted by Dances of Universal Peace Ottawa. (For wheelchair and washroom accessibility information, contact the organizers.)
Dances of Universal Peace – Monthly, participatory simple circle dances and songs drawn from the earth’s sacred traditions, such as: Jewish, Christian (Creation Spirituality, Aramaic & Gospel), Islamic Su, Buddhist, Native American, Hindu, African, Celtic, Zoroastrian, and other Universal songs of peace. All welcome. No partner required. Beginners welcome. The Dances have no performers or audience. No musical or dance experience is necessary, All dances are taught. Dress casual. Singles and couples are welcome. Live music by (leader(s)) & friends. $5-10 donation at the door.
We dance this week in Room #4004 of the Faculty of Social Sciences, 120 University Private, at the University of Ottawa.
The Dances of Universal Peace and Walking Concentrations are spiritual practice in motion. Drawing on the sacred phrases, scripture, and poetry of the many spiritual traditions of the earth, the Dances blend chant, live music and evocative movement into a living experience of unity, peace and integration. This taste of our true nature – as Universal Peace – opens to the possibility of a deep spiritual revolution within the person.
From the beginning of time, sacred movement, song and story have brought people together – at times of seasonal ceremony and celebration, as part of everyday life and life passages, in daily renewal and meditation. The Dances of Universal Peace are part of this timeless tradition of sacred movement, song and story.
Dances of Universal Peace are participatory simple circle dances and songs drawn from the earth’s sacred traditions, and other Universal songs of peace. Dress is casual. No previous experience or dance partner needed. Live music and a cappella. A donation of $5-$10 is requested.
Next dance (after this one) is usually the third Friday. Contact the organizers to be sure.
For more information please contact Patricia Kerr
This three-hour CI dance jam with live music starts an hour early at 10:15am!
Come to a three-hour open drop-in Contact Improv Dance Jam with live music featuring multi-instrumentalist Kim Gravelle! Hosted by Ottawa/Gatineau Contact Improv. Also on the facebook
Kim Gravelle is a Canadian musician who is the creator of her own instrument, the Sympathy. This is a bass flute with sympathetic strings which create a natural subtle echo effect. The strings can also be played directly. The result is a highly unique instrument. There is no other like it in the world. See Dappled Sunlight Music.
Some things to watch:
CI Dancers at the Ottawa CI dance jam: Ken, Kia, AnneMarie, Isabelle, Barbara, Ian, Marcia
Initiation to Sacred Circle Dance with Diane Schreiner. Danses Sacrées / Ottawa Sacred Circle Dance presents Danse en cercle / Circle Dance. (For wheelchair and washroom accessibility information, contact the organizers.)
Come join us in an afternoon Sacred Circle Dance. Beginners are always welcome, no previous experience is necessary. The steps to each dance are explained, demonstrated and practiced together before we dance.
Sacred Circle Dance is an invitation to calm the mind, anchor the spirit in meditation, while sharing and feeling the joy of dancing. You will experience depth and lightness, meditation and laughter, simplicity and healing energy. It is a mandala of living energy bringing us into contact with all the dimensions within ourselves and the universe.
Follow the link above for information.
This will be a nomadic circle! Next Ottawa Sacred Circle Dance dates (after this one):
Dance with your Ottawa/Gatineau community at an Ottawa Inner Rhythm Ecstatic Dance at Surround Circle Yoga, 15 Aylmer Avenue in Ottawa. (This location is wheelchair accessible.)
Rebecca White Raven, Kevin Guerette, and Maureen Fallis are now hosting Inner Rhythm Ecstatic Dances the last Saturday of each month at Surround Circle Yoga. So grateful for with this wonderful space for us to get out of our heads and into our bodies to discover and explore our inner rhythms!
These evenings will be about community connection, open hearts, and free spirits. No drugs or alcohol please. ♥ We will meet and mingle, circle and connect, move and dance, center and tone, and end with tea and treats. All ages and abilities are welcome! Cost is $15 at the door. We SO look forward to sharing exuberant joy through dance with you!
Questions? Send an email to Rebecca or find her on the facebook. For further chanting, sound healing and ecstatic dance events see http://rebeccawhiteraven.com/upcoming-events/ If you haven’t been to Surround Circle before, you need to enter the church thru the doors on Galt Street, then take the stairs or elevator to the very top and you will find us.
Click on the above links for information. Next dances (after this one): Last Saturday of each month. Contact the organizers to be sure.
Come to a 5 Rhythms Weekend Workshop Death & Joy with Taeji at the Wakefield Community Centre in Quebec, 25 minutes north of Ottawa.What is important? And what will we do about it?
Life and death are not opposites. They dance mutually embraced, interwoven and inseparable. Coming and going is the great universal dance, performed moment by moment.
We fear and avoid death. Shunning death makes it into a monster for us. It is not a monster, but our shunning makes it one.
Our practice in this movement workshop, as in our lives, is to face and befriend death. Let us turn against the river of our habits and allow death to have its rightful and powerful role in the GREAT DANCE.
Dance the Summer Solstice as part of Seasonal Dances with Anne Pitman at the Dovercourt Recreation Centre 411 Dovercourt Ave. (This location is wheelchair accessible.)
No dance experience necessary. All adults welcome. $10
Seasonal music, free form dance, circle dance, and warm community spirit.
Dance the Seasons of the Year – Take time out of your busy life to dance your aliveness, your life and honour the turning of the wheel. No dance experience is necessary. Dance your rhythm and the rhythm of the season. All of nature; earth, air, water and fire – everything that surrounds you, is also in you. Connect with these natural elements and find their qualities of groundedness, inspiration, flow and passion in you and in your life. Dance in the season with open arms.
Click on the links above or contact Anne Pitman for more information.
Anne usually hosts four Seasonal Dances each year. Check her web link, above.
The Fall Equinox Dance may happen in September. Contact Anne for details.
Dance with your Ottawa/Gatineau community at an Ottawa Inner Rhythm Ecstatic Dance at Surround Circle Yoga, 15 Aylmer Avenue in Ottawa. (This location is wheelchair accessible.)
Rebecca White Raven, Kevin Guerette, and Maureen Fallis are so happy to be hosting Inner Rhythm Ecstatic Dances the last Saturday of each month at Surround Circle Yoga. So grateful for with this wonderful space for us to get out of our heads and into our bodies to discover and explore our inner rhythms!
These evenings will be about community connection, open hearts, and free spirits. No drugs or alcohol please. ♥ We will meet and mingle, circle and connect, move and dance, center and tone, and end with tea and treats. All ages and abilities are welcome! Cost is $15 at the door. We SO look forward to sharing exuberant joy through dance with you!
Questions? Send an email to Rebecca or find her on the facebook. For further chanting, sound healing and ecstatic dance events see http://rebeccawhiteraven.com/upcoming-events/
Click on the above links for information. Next dances (after this one): Last Saturday of each month. Contact the organizers to be sure.
Transformation Playground Dance Bring Spirit to Life in Body, Mind and Heart at Espace Renêtre, Gatineau QC. Register via the above link.
Transformation Playground Dance In Gatineau, Quebec:
With a group of like-hearted others, you are supported to meet your experience with loving presence, and give your Self wings to dance, express and play. We begin with a welcome activity and embodied integrity practice, followed by 50-60 minutes of dancing.
The Transformation Playground dance journey starts with a simple warm-up to connect you to your breath and your body: part by part. As we warm up, we are asking, “how are you now?” to each part of our body, and listening to our body’s response through sensations, impulses about how we move, ideas that come through our minds, etc. Since there is no “right” way to do it, you can’t do it wrong! Your practice is to honor your experience first and foremost, opening your curiosity and enjoyment as we move through the dance together.
The theme is inspired by an ancient meditation called Cave of the Heart. The silent meditation consists of journeying into our own hearts with gratitude for how each aspect of the practice is reflected within and around us: earth, water, fire, air, space, small self, the moon and the sun. In the dance journey, you will be gently guided to move along with a playlist with one song each dedicated to the eight aspects of the Cave of the Heart meditation. Each gathering the playlist is different, as are the prompts to move, dance and play which may be solo, in pairs, or with the whole group.
The movement time completes with relaxing quietly or stretching as you choose to integrate your experience; followed by a closing circle where we sit together, and people are invited to share a word or phrase or sound that matches their experience of the dance that evening.
For information or to register, click on the link above or contact Rhonda Mills.
Events outside the local Ottawa/Gatineau/Wakefield Region
Come to Waves of Connection, a 5Rhythms workshop in Carleton Place with Lynne Adams at Total Rhythm Dance Studio, 55 Lansdowne Ave, Carleton Place, Ontario.
An exploration of how breath, body and beat can deepen our connection to ourselves, to others and to our world.
5Rhythms is a practice that opens the way to remember our body’s wisdom and anchor our creative selves in the matrix of movement: a bone-bopping beat-driven medicine much needed in our world. It’s an afternoon to define and expand our edges, to allow our innate sense of knowing lead us back home to our bodies, to give ourselves permission to delve into the map of life’s energies in and around us.
There’ll be dancing, there’ll be music, there’ll be fun, there’ll be mystery; there’ll be a tribe gathered for a day to celebrate, move and be moved.
No previous dance experience is needed, simply your open-hearted curiosity and a desire to explore the power of movement together.
5Rhythms is a movement meditation practice that fosters a greater connection to yourself, others and the community through an embodied exploration of presence.
Lynne Adams is an actor, mom, friend, lover, chocoholic and certified 5Rhythms teacher. She trusts that coming home to our bodies in a compassionate and creative way is key to healing this world, one step at a time, one dance at a time.
Big Heart Dance Camp is a multi-arts, intergenerational extended week/weekend gathering. (This location is partially wheelchair accessible.)
We are a growing community of artists, dancers, musicians, healers, helpers and lovers. Big Heart takes place annually in June at Unicamp of Ontario in Dufferin County, north of Toronto. Nurtured and infused by the spirited land, we strive for peace and joy by being together consciously and creatively.
Watch Video: Big Heart Dance Camp 2012 and then More Videos of Big Heart Dance Camp.
Big Heart reaches a broad spectrum of ages. We welcome singles, couples and families to join us. Big Heart offers a wide variety of dance, music and other healing arts classes.
- See Yourself … dancing on the grass
- Hear Yourself … singing around the campfire
- Feel Yourself … sharing a meal of nourishing food and rich conversation
- Delight Yourself … watching children dance, while you sit and chat with an elder
- Express Yourself … finding new and juicy ways to move, create, play and be
- Give Yourself … the gift of living in creative, conscious community
- Be Yourself … at Big Heart Dance Camp!
We welcome you to experience embodying your full creative self in a safe, supportive and playful environment. A wide array of dance, yoga, music, and other healing arts modalities are shared through playshops and evening events. Meals are eaten in community, lovingly and mindfully prepared by our kitchen team.
Big Heart Dance Camp takes place at Unicamp, near Honeywood, Ontario. Beautiful hiking trails, forest, and a swimming pond invites you to take a dip. We invite you to join us in growing our creative, conscious community as we blossom into our 9th year!
Click on the link above or contact Big Heart Dance Camp 705-444-0550 for more information. Contact Ian! Allen about car pooling from Ottawa.
The Ithaca Dance Camp is an annual retreat at the beautiful Arnot Forest in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. Each year, about 100 people gather to dance, sing, cook, eat and live together in community. All are welcome. Dances of Universal Peace sessions are held after breakfast and dinner. There is also plenty of time to explore and enjoy the land and nature, renew and/or develop friendships, assist with meal preparation, or offer a scheduled activity or workshop.
This year, we will be participating in the 50th Anniversary global celebration of the Dances of Universal Peace on Sunday, June 24th.
The Arnot Forest is a beautiful camp in the wooded hills about 15 miles from Ithaca. It has several rustic cabins (a few with heat), tenting space, and hiking trails. There is a main lodge with a kitchen where we dance and eat together. There is a building with community showers and bathrooms.
Registration Information: Deadline for registration is June 15, 2018. Early Bird registration prior to May 15th. Due to space limitations, registration is limited to the first 80 adults.
Follow the link above for full details.
The annual Earthdance July 4 Contact Improv Dance Jam at the Earthdance retreat centre in western Massachusetts.
Contact Improv Dance Jam at Earthdance – Ian! and Karen, photo and Photoshop by Moti
Playing with Courage, Compassion, Consent & Inclusion
Touch&Play returns to Earthdance in July 2018. Registration is open now.
We welcome a diverse community of dancers and somatic visionaries. This is a festival about play, vulnerability and building community with embodied, emotional, and erotic intelligence. It takes courage, compassion and consent to play truth or dare with integrity. Sharing one’s truth is an act of intimacy. Being daring is about getting outside our comfort zones. If we want something we’ve never had before, we have to do something we’ve never done before. This is a space to explore our personal, tribal, and societal desires! What can dance, somatics, tantra, kink, Contact Improvisation, and communication practices contribute to our intimacy?
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” -― Albert Camus
Contact Improvisation can be an act of freedom and revelation! Let’s pull back the veil, expand our edges, investigate how our patterns and attitudes may limit us and try on new versions of ourselves. We continue to question the relationship of “chemistry & physics” in CI through movement, touch, intimacy, communication and connection to radical truth.
Touch&Play festivals have a history of exploring the edges of what CI can be while maintaining high standards of safety and consent, and are known as events in which personal and communal celebration and growth reach new levels.
We believe that major change can and does happen when we give ourselves time and space to recognize our growing edges and feel safe enough to explore and expand them with ourselves and within community. Touch&Play aims to both provide a profound space for honesty, celebration, joy, discomfort, clarity, growth, and acceptance. It also is a time where consent, choice, and self-care come first.
What happened last time? From Touch&Play 2017 at Earthdance comes this Are you ready for Liberation? video by Zahava (“Z”). At Touch&Play 2017, Zahava led an intensive dealing with The Intimate Act of Creating Performance Ritual: Exploring Kink, Gender Expression & Devotion See descriptions of all the 2017 Touch&Play workshops.
The annual Sutton Summer Dance Jam happens near the USA border 120km south-east of Montréal in Sutton Québec.
Come for dance, pond swimming and sauna playing outdoors and night bonfire singing. Hear the roosters crow, horses gallop and frogs croak. Sleep in cabins, the big house or tent in the orchard or forest. Your summer dreams come true.
Contact Marilyn Bronstein for details.
The first Canadian Touch&Play Festival: http://montreal2018.touchandplay.org
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” -― Albert Camus
Contact Improvisation can be an act of freedom and revelation! Let’s pull back the veil, expand our edges, investigate how our patterns and attitudes may limit us and try on new versions of ourselves. We continue to question the relationship of “chemistry & physics” in CI through movement, touch, intimacy, communication and connection to radical truth.
Touch&Play festivals have a history of exploring the edges of what CI can be while maintaining high standards of safety and consent, and are known as events in which personal and communal celebration and growth reach new levels.
We believe that major change can and does happen when we give ourselves time and space to recognize our growing edges and feel safe enough to explore and expand them with ourselves and within community. Touch&Play aims to both provide a profound space for honesty, celebration, joy, discomfort, clarity, growth, and acceptance. It also is a time where consent, choice, and self-care come first.
What happened last time? From Touch&Play 2017 at Earthdance comes this Are you ready for Liberation? video by Zahava (“Z”). At Touch&Play 2017, Zahava led an intensive dealing with The Intimate Act of Creating Performance Ritual: Exploring Kink, Gender Expression & Devotion See descriptions of all the 2017 Touch&Play workshops.
New Location (Camp Timber Trails in Massachusetts) and Dates (August 1-12) for 2018!
Enjoy dance, movement, and community at the annual Dance New England Summer Dance Camp in Massachusetts in August 2018. See the 2017 Camp Schedule for a sampling of what kind of workshops might take place in the 2018 camp. Child and family friendly; free child care available much of the day.
Contact Ian! Allen about car pooling from Ottawa/Montréal.
The Burlington VT International Contact Improv Dance Jam happens in a beautiful downtown dance space: City Hall, Contois Auditorium, 149 Church St., Burlington, Vermont. All levels. Led warm-up and other surprises. (This location is wheelchair accessible.)
Click on the link above or contact Abbi Jaffe for details. Contact Ian! Allen about car pooling from Ottawa.
Earthdance annual New Year’s Contact Improvisation Dance Jam
As winter swirls outside, we come together on the dance floor to find new connections through Contact Improvisation, co-creating five days of magic, intimacy, warmth, and dancing celebration. Workshops, performances, bonfires, and nonstop jamming ring in the New Year with utter joy at our biggest Contact Improvisation Dance Jam of the year.
Contact the organizers for the exact date of the Jam. Contact Ian! Allen about car pooling from Ottawa/Gatineau.
(This location is partially wheelchair accessible.)
Recurring Events outside the local Ottawa/Gatineau/Wakefield Region
Contact Arsalan Ahmad for details on what’s happening around Contact Improvisation Dance in Peterborough, Ontario.
There is sometimes a Special Event.
(For wheelchair and washroom accessibility information, contact Arsalan.)
For other Peterborough dance events, e.g. Ecstatic Dance, see Dance Your Bones
See Kate Huband – 5Rhythms or contact Kate Huband – email for information. (For wheelchair and washroom accessibility information, contact Kate.)
“As we begin to unlock the frozen and forgotten movements in our bodies, our hearts and minds begin to expand in possibility and expression. We begin to break habits and patterns in the ways we move, feel and think. We begin to expand our understanding and expression of who we are.” – Kate Huband
Freeing the Creative Spirit Teaching people to experience the pulsating sensual energy inside them and awakening their connection to flowing breath, rooted feet and a centered alive pelvis – reach up, root down, live in the heart center. Visit erik.iversen.ca or contact Erik Iversen for more information. (For wheelchair and washroom accessibility information, contact Erik.)
Dance a weekly Thursday night 5Rhythms class with Lynne Adams in Montréal – see also the FaceBook event. (For wheelchair and washroom accessibility information, contact Lynne.)
On Saturday afternoons once a month for four months, dance a women-only 5Rhythms Waves for Women workshop series with Lynne Adams in Montréal – see also the FaceBook event. (For wheelchair and washroom accessibility information, contact Lynne.)
Facilitated in French (with English translation on request): Sherbrooke Biodanza English
Ian! D. Allen via idallen@idallen.ca
Contact Improv Dance Jam at Earthdance – Ian! and Eva, photo by John Barrett
