More than any other dance, contact improvisation – a meditative, partnered dance form – has informed my tango. But most haven't even heard of it, much less practiced this amazing dance.
What is it? The "contact" part of CI means that two (or more) people remain in physical contact with at least one portion of their body. The "improvisation" part means that there are no patterns, that the dance is entirely improvisational and free in the movements. Those are the two "rules", though because the dance is potentially so intimate (like tango), honoring each other's physical and psychological space is, of course, also necessary.
Unlike most dances, CI is not danced to any music or rhythms. Although sometimes ambient tunes are played in the background (I sometimes play my native American flute). Also unlike traditional social dances, CI is danced without reference to gender. Women dance with women, men with men, and men and women together; it makes no difference. Similarly, CI has no leader and no follower. Each one leans in to meet the other where they are; no one dictates the other's movements. And those movements? They are so wonderfully varied! There is running and rolling, jumping and catching, balancing on shoulders or on the bottoms of feet. And, of course, there's resting … sometimes even in the famed "puppy pile"!
So what's the connection to tango? Contact improvisation exercises all the elements of good tango: connection, attention and intention, creative expression, and somatic awareness and control. Through CI, I have learned to focus on where my and my partner's bodies are in space, so we can most effortlessly and effectively stay in contact as we move across the floor as one. I highly recommend it.
Check out a "jam", if you have one in your area. In the mean time, here's a lovely little video: What is Contact Improvisation?
