Sat, Sept 2nd
1 pm – 4
The Feldenkrais Institute of San Diego
$15 Cash, Venmo, PayPal, in person
Sat, Sept 2nd from 1 – 4 pm, Richie Villa and Marley BenShalom will be hosting the Underscore! A self-guided meditation in dance and Contact Improvisation designed by Nancy Stark Smith.
- Talk-through from 1 – 1:30 pm
- Doors close for dancing 1:30 – 4 pm
The following is a statement from Richie describing this endeavor:
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.
Some important guidelines for the experience
- The Rules and Guidelines for our Jam apply here as well. Please read and consent to them before attending.
- Registration is required if you’ve never attended a class or Jam with us since Covid.
- 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 welcome and encouraged as long as they are made with the attention and intention to connect to those of us sharing space with you.
- There will be no musical accompaniment beyond what we might create for ourselves.
- If this is your first Underscore, then we require that you attend the “talk through” to learn about the score and structure.
- Following the talk-through we’ll begin dancing the score, after which no one will be admitted. The score is meant to be practiced in its entirety, from beginning to end, with a consistent group of people.
- For the same reason of consistency we ask that if you attend, you stay until the conclusion.
If you consent to these guidelines, I would love to host this incredible experience with you!