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A Neo-Structuralist Pedagogy for Contact Improvisation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2013

Abstract

This lecture demonstration outlines a pedagogy for teaching contact improvisation. Designed for educational settings (universities/schools), it teaches improvisation for performance and self-developed practice. The pedagogy eschews “structured” and “task-based” improvisation for “open scores” and “perceptual/spatial” harmonics. The basic curricula can be taught in a single semester module (twelve weeks, three hours per week) and is suitable for dance and “nondance” students without compromising “quality” or “depth” of engagement. This session covers the four areas of study students learn: philosophy and principles, practical skill sets, applied contextual and critical theory, and performance.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2009

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