Through her social enterprise Somatic Society, Cara is pleased to offer a facilitated open space to learn and grow in a regular practice of contact improvisation, within the context of a healthy community.
Contact improvisation is an improvised somatic dance form with 50 years of history that is practiced throughout the world and is a site of continual experimentation, growth, and learning. The practice of contact improvisation includes developing social responsibility.
We welcome adult participants (children must be accompanied by an adult) who are interested in practicing contact improvisation. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, race, body size or physical/sensory disabilities, age, nationality, immigration status, marital status, or any other identity.
We maintain a strong focus on contact improvisation. If you are not here to practice contact improvisation, we suggest that you find a different outlet for what you seek.
How we maintain a strong container for healthy dancing and learning
We work to establish consent in our dances. We check in with our partners physically and/or verbally if we are unsure about their consent or if we feel like someone is violating our consent. Everyone is empowered to speak up about any situation where they feel like consent or boundaries are not being respected. We also acknowledge that consenting to physical touch in one dance does not mean that consent is automatically given for other dances, and does not mean that consent is given for touch or other contact outside the jam.
We try not to hurt ourselves or each other. We value self-awareness and personal boundaries as beneficial skills at the jam. We bring our intentions to have the best dances that we can with our partners. We avoid behaviors that are not welcome at the jam (see list below). We take responsibility for our own actions.
We recognize the risks of practicing contact improvisation. We respect that interactions with other people can sometimes lead to injuries and misunderstandings. We check in with our partners if we think they may have been hurt, and we apologize for any harm that we have caused. When we experience harm, we ask for support from other dancers or the facilitators.
We acknowledge that awkwardness is inherent in the form. We want the jam to be a space where learning and growth can occur, and we acknowledge that learning can involve discomfort and awkwardness. We also acknowledge that none of us is 100% perfect in our ability to communicate our intentions or perceive our partners' intentions. This is as true for experienced dancers as it is for beginners. Therefore, we maintain curiosity about awkward moments and use them as learning opportunities to become more aware, sensitive, and clear.
We value permeability and group listening. We open our senses to develop awareness of the whole group, and to allow ourselves to influence and be influenced by what is happening in the whole room. We enter and exit dances freely (permeability), with a sense of being open to dancing with everyone in the room, without attachment to the exact nature or duration of any particular dance. We play with compositional awareness, witnessing, and other ways of experiencing connection without necessarily making physical contact. Our structure allows for exploration within solo dancing, duets, trios, small groups and whole group interactions.
We take care of ourselves at the jam and outside of the jam. We all show up as we are, and we all have the possibility of experiencing a benefit from practicing the form. The jam is not therapy, and no one at the jam is here in the capacity of a caregiver, healer, therapist, or medical professional. So we come ready to take care of ourselves and to respect and listen to our partners and the group as a whole. We also seek appropriate support outside of the jam for our physical, emotional and spiritual selves.
We work continually at good communication. Our jam structure is designed to help guide us into the sensitivity, listening and awareness that makes for health connected dancing. We work on self-awareness, communicating clearly, and perceiving the others in the room.
Things that are not welcome at the jam
Good hygiene IS welcome, including clipped finger & toenails, but please don't use body products/perfume/cologne with a strong scent for those with chemical sensitivities.
The jam is not a hookup space or place to seek sexual encounters or new sexual partners.
We do not attempt to control another person at the jam, physically or energetically.
We do not prevent other dancers from doing what they need to do to take care of themselves. We respect that other peoples' needs may differ from our own.
We do not dance while under the influence of substances that impair judgment or affect our physical coordination and awareness.
Threatening, bullying, harassing, or predatory behavior is not permissible at the jam.
If you experience one of these behaviors at the jam, please approach Cara or other designated facilitator to alert them to the issue. Facilitators reserve the right to approach an individual and request modifications in jam participation.
