February UNDERSCORE practice

This Sunday from 11 am-1:30 pm, I’ll be hosting the Underscore! A self-guided meditation in dance and Contact Improvisation designed by Nancy Stark Smith.

Like a musical score, the Underscore is a framework of sequential embodied states that helps us develop a full sense of our own creative expression and our place in the composition we create as an ensemble of dancers. As a self-guided experience, we step through phases of improvisational dance on our own terms and timelines that eventually invite us to overlap with, connect, and attune to each other, always with the option to hit the reset button; returning to any embodied state along our journey so far.

For this practice, I welcome anyone who feels comfortable and/or excited to explore dance improvisation with invitations for touch and partnered dancing. For those who are new to Contact Improvisation, there is sometimes no better way to experience the community, fun, and presence we build together through Contact dance than the container of the Underscore; you are VERY welcome here.

There are some important guidelines for the experience that I will list here:

• This is a SILENT event, meaning we avoid any conversation that isn’t necessary for someone’s safety. This doesn’t mean you can’t make noises! All human and inhuman noises are welcomed and encouraged as long as they are made with the attention and intention to connect to those of us sharing space with you.
• Additionally, there will be no musical accompaniment beyond what we might create for ourselves. Music is an incredible ally to dance with, but the intention we hold in this event is to maximize our creative expression through dance and the composition of dance.
• If you have never experienced an Underscore before, it is a REQUIREMENT that you arrive at 11 am to attend the “talk through” of the different states we are guiding ourselves through.
• We commence dancing STRICTLY at 11:30 am, after which no one will be admitted. This is to keep the energy and character of the Underscore consistent without interruption for new people or the vibe they might have coming in separate from the initial attendees. I won’t enjoy it but I must TURN AWAY folks that arrive after 11:30 and/or who haven’t attended a “walk-through” before.
• For the same reason of consistency we ask that if you attend, you stay for as long as possible. The dancing portion is a total of two hours long and it makes a big positive impact to finish together with everyone we began with.

If you can consent to these guidelines, I would love to host this incredible experience with you! The cost of the event will be 15 dollars at the door, with Venmo and PayPal options for those without cash. And if you aren’t able to afford the cost, please reach out to me before the event and we can work out a work trade to allow you to attend!