Jo
Bruhn

PERFORMANCE - DANCE - CI

Teaching

Places and dates of my teaching in the CI Global Calendar.

When I first encountered Contact Improvisation, I was fascinated by its infinite facets. The intensive feeling of the body, the trustful release of weight and control, the non-verbal communication, the often authentic way of moving, the flowing acrobatic movements – all this made me very curious.
​Over the years I developed a great interest and pleasure in the principles of Contact Improvisation and how those principles can be used to create forms that require more than one body. By this I mean, for example, lifts, and jumps with a landing on top of or onto other bodies. The interesting part for me is not only training in the form, but also playing with the principles. Using them to explore with joy both dance and improvisation.​
I find it helpful sometimes to examine specific forms in detail. Also the exploration of physics of the human body can be very useful in order to lift and move with little effort bodies heavier than your own.
This research resulted in the workshop “Jump into Contact,” which, although it has many different titles and contents, but generally deals with lifts and jumps without much effort.
Again and again I am impressed by communication. In Contact Improvisation this usually takes place on a non-verbal, physical level. I also find it very enriching to occasionally bring in the verbal element – after the dance. I am convinced that if we take these communication skills out of the studio and into our lives, we can change something for the better in ourselves and in society.
This motivates me to teach and to be involved in numerous festivals and workshops as a teacher, organizer, coordinator and supporter. For example the Fuerteventura Contact Festival, Nancy Stark Smith Longdance, Osterimpro, and Contact Time.