ABOUT FESTIVAL
13th edition Warsaw CI Flow celebrates 50 years of contact improvisation. We invite international teachers to facilitate our practice in contact technique, somatics and performance arts. Alongside the festival, we hold an exhibition and discussions about the history and social context of CI. Contact Improvisation creates a unique container for meeting truly each other and ourselves through movement and embodied contemplation, supporting our personal resources, creativity and resilience, which, all in all, will contribute to building social capital whose value goes beyond the dance itself. We hope, once again, to co-create with you a safe and inclusive place for dancing, researching and experience exchange.
ABOUT FESTIVAL
13th edition Warsaw CI Flow celebrates 50 years of contact improvisation. We invite international teachers to facilitate our practice in contact technique, somatics and performance arts. Alongside the festival, we hold an exhibition and discussions about the history and social context of CI. Contact Improvisation creates a unique container for meeting truly each other and ourselves through movement and embodied contemplation, supporting our personal resources, creativity and resilience, which, all in all, will contribute to building social capital whose value goes beyond the dance itself. We hope, once again, to co-create with you a safe and inclusive place for dancing, researching and experience exchange.
ABOUT THIS YEAR'S EDITION
In recent years, we have experienced many unexpected changes and difficulties. And although we look with hope at the end of the pandemic, we are already facing new challenges. As we write these words, Poland has become a temporary home for over 2 million refugees from Ukraine, and a solution to the conflict in Eastern Europe is yet to be seen. Yet, we participate in everyday acts of solidarity – sharing resources and homes, helping with day-to-day struggles and giving emotional support. And more than ever, we need our resilience, contact with inner resources, hope and faith in the possibility of change and a better future.
This year, we intend to co-create with you a festival space that allows us to feel a part of a larger community. We believe that dance can nourish our physical, mental and social resources. That the unique, multidimensional and inclusive KI community will allow us to find creative strength to build and rebuild what has been strained by recent years. Therefore, the program includes intensive workshops sourcing from somatic education, which will allow you to be aware of yourself in your body. There will also be a performance project that will invite you to collaborate in movement in a larger group. In addition, we include open classes, evening jams and work demonstrations. The festival takes place at the Mazovia Institute of Culture, providing us with a lot of shared space to rest or socialise and exchange in small groups.
The 13th edition of the festival is also the 50th anniversary of contact improvisation – half a century has passed since the Magnesium sharing prepared by Steve Paxton and his first experiments with CI at the Oberlin College in the US. Since then, CI has changed the face of dance – in terms of performance, somatic education, research practice and, above all, it has built a unique community of ci practitioners. In 2022, we invite you to celebrate the 50th anniversary of CI with us in Warsaw! We planned plenty – from the exhibition which will introduce the history and development of CI, through workshops allowing us to experience and experiment with the form, to discussions and jams letting as meet as a community.
ABOUT THIS YEAR'S EDITION
In recent years, we have experienced many unexpected changes and difficulties. And although we look with hope at the end of the pandemic, we are already facing new challenges. As we write these words, Poland has become a temporary home for over 2 million refugees from Ukraine, and a solution to the conflict in Eastern Europe is yet to be seen. Yet, we participate in everyday acts of solidarity – sharing resources and homes, helping with day-to-day struggles and giving emotional support. And more than ever, we need our resilience, contact with inner resources, hope and faith in the possibility of change and a better future.
This year, we intend to co-create with you a festival space that allows us to feel a part of a larger community. We believe that dance can nourish our physical, mental and social resources. That the unique, multidimensional and inclusive KI community will allow us to find creative strength to build and rebuild what has been strained by recent years. Therefore, the program includes intensive workshops sourcing from somatic education, which will allow you to be aware of yourself in your body. There will also be a performance project that will invite you to collaborate in movement in a larger group. In addition, we include open classes, evening jams and work demonstrations. The festival takes place at the Mazovia Institute of Culture, providing us with a lot of shared space to rest or socialise and exchange in small groups.
The 13th edition of the festival is also the 50th anniversary of contact improvisation – half a century has passed since the Magnesium sharing prepared by Steve Paxton and his first experiments with CI at the Oberlin College in the US. Since then, CI has changed the face of dance – in terms of performance, somatic education, research practice and, above all, it has built a unique community of ci practitioners. In 2022, we invite you to celebrate the 50th anniversary of CI with us in Warsaw! We planned plenty – from the exhibition which will introduce the history and development of CI, through workshops allowing us to experience and experiment with the form, to discussions and jams letting as meet as a community.
PROGRAM INCLUDES:
PROGRAM INCLUDES:
Somatic Intensives
Intensive morning workshops exploring how different traditions of somatic education (BMC, Axis Syllabus) can support the technique of movement and CI dancing. Open to all participants, especially those who wish to deepen their understanding of movement through embodied experience.
Performance Intensive
This workshop explores the performative dimension of KI. Intended for people with more established dance practice, interested in ensemble creative work and relation with the audience. You will share the project outcome at the festival.
CI Classes
Intensive 3-day long morning workshops, some open to all levels, others intended for advanced practitioners (to choose while registering). Afternoon classes are open to all participants. You can just come.
CI kids & families
Space and time for children and their parents to co-create and collaborate through movement. Based on spontaneous play, improvisation, elements of CI and developmental movement methods. Supporting independence and self-confidence of both youngsters and oldies.
Jams
Evening jams with various flavours, including focus jam, live music evenings, blind jam. Primarily, it is a time to celebrate the diversity and resilience of the CI community. Time to meet in dance.
Exhibition
50 years of CI: Seeds, Roots, Branches. This exhibition is a glimpse into the early years of the practice – the proposition as seeds laid out by Steve Paxton and his collaborators – and maps out the spread & development of the work and the growth of new branches.
Conversations, discussions
We will place our practice within the theoretical context; we will discuss the topics relevant to our practice and questions about what bothers us. People involved in teaching, theory and practice will share their research on CI.
CI library
A space where you can find books, publications and magazines related to CI. Do you have interesting materials, books or articles or maybe you write about CI yourself and want to share your work with others? Please send us a copy or bring it with you to the festival.
Teachers meeting
A space dedicated to exchanging experiences and designing the most creative, safe and inclusive space for people participating in the festival and introducing good practices to the community.
Conversations and lectures
During the talks, we will place our practice in the theoretical context, we will consider together the topics that are interesting to us and questions that bother us. People involved in learning, theory and practice will tell us about their research and experiences on CI.
Teachers meeting
A space dedicated to exchange of experiences, designing the most creative, safe and inclusive space for people participating in the festival and introducing good practices to the community.
CI Science Day
We would like to approach CI dance as a laboratory situation, creating opportunities to study the foundations of human connection. We invite dancers, researchers and scientists to join us for a full day workshop/seminar exploring this topic.
