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Jun 132014
 

ContactJam

New Dialect is a Nashville contemporary dance collective founded by Banning Bouldin. Tomorrow night, they’re throwing a “contact jam” led by my good friend Erin Law. (You may have seen Erin’s performance art show You’re a Winner last year on the Noa Noa back porch.)

What the heck is a contact jam? The New Dialect event page explains:

Contact Improvisation (CI) came into existence in the early 1960s and was developed, expanded, and promoted primarily by Steve Paxton and Nancy Stark Smith among countless others who have since joined the CI community. Its creators have at times resisted defining the form, stating the very nature of CI is in the “doing.”  Most simply, it can be described as an extemporaneous form of movement most often done with a partner or small group of people.  Within the partnership or small group, various aspects of falling, touch, weight-sharing, lifting, and decision-making in the moment are explored.  Many do not consider CI to be a “performance form;” rather it is seen as a communal form of movement in which the experiences of the movers are central.

A jam is an extended improvisation during which dancers explore the possibilities of movement while embracing the unpredictability of each moment. It is an opportunity to “learn through doing” and a practice of problem-solving though making non-verbal decisions.  Through this format we have the opportunity to experience longer dances in the form of solos, duets, small groups, or the full group, while expanding and sharpening our sensory awareness as kinesthetic beings. The jam is a celebration of individual and community; there are no “wrong answers” (unless there is intent is to hurt someone.)  There is always the opportunity to exit and take a break and re-enter when ready.

Erin told me that she’s also looking for sound artists to join in, so bring your instruments and move your fingers if you’re uncomfortable moving your feet.

The contact jam goes down at Nashville Friends Meeting House Saturday, June 14th, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cost is $15.

Erin is also teaching a contact improvisation workshop June 16th -2oth. Details about the workshop are here.

New Dialect Contact Improvisation Jam
Saturday, June 14, 2014, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., participants 16 & up, $15

@ Friends Meeting House (map)
506 26th Ave N
Nashville, TN, 37209
United States

 

May 112012
 


Dual resident of New York City and Nashville BENTON BAINBRIDGE premieres his new video show SUPER LONG PLAY! tomorrow night at Seed Space. For the past two months, ERIN LAW, PERRIN IRELAND, and myself have been working with Benton on an upcoming experimental dance/video/sound performance. (More on that soon.) His low-fi experimental video work is nothing short of inspiring!

Of the new exhibit, Benton says,

“Super Long Play!” is an electronic sketchbook of 50 VHS T-15 tapes I made in the past two weeks here in Nashville along with my collaborators Erin Law, Perrin Ireland, Tony Youngblood, Ryan Hogan, Johnny Invective, and my 6 year old son Ezra Bainbridge-Powers.

I collaborated with Benton on 6 or so tapes, and it was a blast! I won’t reveal what we did. You’ll have to check it out for yourself.

How do you experience the tapes? You pick one up and pop it in the lone tv/vcr combo at the gallery. It’s that simple! To view a tape with a particular collaborator, hunt for the tapes with that person’s signature.

The Nashville Scene’s Jack Silverman interviewed Benton about SLP! and remembering Adam Yauch from the Beastie Boys. It’s essential reading. Check it out here.

Reception is Saturday, May 12th from 6pm to 9pm at Seed Space, located in Chestnut Studios, 427 Chestnut St, Nashville, TN.