ABOUT FESTIVAL
During the 14th edition of the Warsaw CI Flow International Dance Festival we would like to invite the participants to reflect on the physical and creative core of Contact Improvisation, a practice referred to initially as an ‘art-sport’, and on how the principles of CI shape our community today. Somewhere between openness to the unknown, delving into one’s somatic self, and accepting challenges, there lies a space where we appreciate our uniqueness and differences, where simply sharing the experience becomes deeply interesting and engaging.
It is our pleasure to invite you to a diverse, international festival with many experiences to offer. This year’s programme features somatic work, CI technique classes, and performative practices. There will also be space for labs, site-specific workshops, jams, and bodywork. All classes and scores will be facilitated by a team of practitioners, artists, and teachers from all over the world. We believe that CI creates a unique context to meet with each other and with oneself. Through the practice of movement and embodied reflection, we develop our personal resources, creativity and knowledge that go beyond the dance itself. These qualities support the inclusive nature of CI as an embodied practice, welcoming a diversity of physical and communicational possibilities. They also support a communal way of being together and promote relationships based on mutual understanding, empathy and trust. See you at MIK!
ABOUT FESTIVAL
During the 14th edition of the Warsaw CI Flow International Dance Festival we would like to invite the participants to reflect on the physical and creative core of Contact Improvisation, a practice referred to initially as an ‘art-sport’, and on how the principles of CI shape our community today. Somewhere between openness to the unknown, delving into one’s somatic self, and accepting challenges, there lies a space where we appreciate our uniqueness and differences, where simply sharing the experience becomes deeply interesting and engaging.
It is our pleasure to invite you to a diverse, international festival with many experiences to offer. This year’s programme features somatic work, CI technique classes, and performative practices. There will also be space for labs, site-specific workshops, jams, and bodywork. All classes and scores will be facilitated by a team of practitioners, artists, and teachers from all over the world. We believe that CI creates a unique context to meet with each other and with oneself. Through the practice of movement and embodied reflection, we develop our personal resources, creativity and knowledge that go beyond the dance itself. These qualities support the inclusive nature of CI as an embodied practice, welcoming a diversity of physical and communicational possibilities. They also support a communal way of being together and promote relationships based on mutual understanding, empathy and trust. See you at MIK!
ABOUT THIS YEAR'S EDITION
Every year, we find ourselves reflecting on recurring questions: What will the festival be like this year? For whom? About what? This time, to answer these questions, we turned to our wishes, values, and basic needs.
We want to build the Warsaw CI Flow 2023 in the spirit of inclusivity; we want the programme and the facilitation style to acknowledge and address the diversity of physical and communicational needs and abilities. We want to make space for challenges, as well as for silence, stillness and deep rest. We want to cultivate both freedom and care. We want to co-create this festival with you. We believe that Contact Improvisation awakens in us not only physical creativity, but also a unique sense of community that allows us to coexist with ease and support each other in the spirit of empathy, mindfulness and trust.
During the festival week, we want all participants to feel physically and emotionally safe, and in this way to create a space conducive to creative experiments and transcending our images of ourselves. For these few days, we would like everyone to simply be themselves in movement, dance and conversation. We would like everyone to be seen and accepted with all the sensitivity, curiosity, uncertainty, and challenges we bring into CI. We want to give space to the art of dance and to the community practicing this unique form of movement.
Therefore, in this year’s programme, you will find somatic practices such as ‘Feldenkrais for Contact’ with Simonetta Alessandri to dive deeper into the somatic layer, ‘Joyful Techniques’ with Sebastian Flegiel to grow more confident in the physical aspects of contact, and performative practices with Jess Curtis to awaken creativity and refine our performance skills. These morning intensives will be accompanied by a series of afternoon workshops (including classes translated into Polish Sign Language), labs, single lessons, site-specific work, a long underscore practice and evening jams with live music. Most importantly, however, the festival is not just about classes; it is also a time for community, a time in ‘in-between’, which we hope you will fill with your fullest selves. The space will be waiting for you.
ABOUT THIS YEAR'S EDITION
PROGRAM INCLUDES:
PROGRAM INCLUDES:
Somatic Intensives
Intensive morning workshops exploring how different traditions of somatic education (Feldenkrais, 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 5-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.
Inclusive mini-intensive
3-day inclusive workshop with live translation into Polish Sign Language. The workshop considers individual communication and movement needs and is designed for participants new to CI and for those with years of experience.
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.
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.
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.
