Body first. We are tactile creatures. We are beyond the head-speak-automation of systems in a city, a society.

We are sensing skin, intuitive impulses, and adaptive awareness.

Something funny happened last year..

I believe it was an after effect of years of CI and being in smaller nature based communities.

I noticed the "talking head" syndrome coming back to the city.

I could feel when others were speaking, if they were in thier heart, thier body, thier mind, or thier consciousness. I could feel when they were disembodied.

I started *(albietly, probably offensively) telling others when I noticed they were in thier heads, "city people".

It did not go over well.

I noticed myself evolving back to "head speak", accompanying headaches, anxiety, and overwhelm at over-stimulation, in fast cities.

Dance and movement became not only my hobby, my profession, but a "had to be" necessity, to not lose sight of the other senses.

To re-orient out of the mind, and embody the entirety of the body.

- A

Yoga is (generally) a solo solitary practice on a mat. 👉 🧘‍♀️ 🕉

The physical practice of yoga includes asanas, Madras, bandhas, pranayama and meditation, usually in set sequences. It's roots come from Indian spiritual practice and the goal is ultimately to cleanse yourself and your karma to reach enlightenment.

Yoga is my personal daily practice for over 15 year. I have 200 hour YTTC Kundalini Hatha from India. Its how I stay fit in between dancing contact, and tune in to "how I'm doing" and where I need to clear myself, through meditation and kriyas.

Yoga is not: Connection. It's not dealing (very well) with how we come into contact with others.

After years of self practice, what myself (and many other yoga teachers who come to learn Contact Improvisation say the same)...

Only so much can be worked out in solitude. 👏

Contact Improvisation is (generally) 👉 in contact with others in a free flow dance exploring physicality and creativity what can happen in the moment.

Continues on Insta: @facesofci

This July, I'm back in my homeland of British Columbia, Canada. I decided to return to my base in Vancouver for a visit of 2 weeks at Edam Dance Company to train with my favourite Contact teachers, Anne Cooper and Peter Bingham (my interviews with them over on Faces of CI Podcast).
https://open.spotify.com/show/3OeuluBhg2ISpcxSTWGEv5?si=3QgihVNvStaZr97xhGsh4A

After years abroad, I have such an admiration for Canadian Contact - which came to our country in the 1970's, four years after it was created in the USA. The style and technique is strongly is connected to it's root form. Steve Paxton and Nancy Stark Smith have graced Edam with performances and workshops over the years. The studio feels it all. I left with new pathways and terminology that I will be integrating into my contact workshops.

I'm currently writing and dancing from Lena Residency, a small artist residency (3 of us here, 2 others are writers) on Galiano Island, created by Dayna, a former flamenco and tap dancer. I'm blessed to have my own dance studio for a week, overlooking a field of daisies and wild deer roaming around. A total dream! I'm doing my best not to be chained to the laptop to finish old projects.

Next week I'll be off to Saltspring Island, another BC favourite, known for farming communities, lakes and wineries (Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Eckhart Tolle all own vacation homes here). Last year I shared Momentum Workshop and I'm happy to say I'll be doing it again, this time at a bigger hall that's known for hosting the weekly ecstatic dance community. Details below.

I'm taking off in August to India for a YTTC and hiking trip (yes, really). Yoga came into my life 15 years ago and has been a daily personal practice. It was my gateway into healing my body from anxiety and too much computer work. This year I substitute taught a few yoga classes for a friend at a private retreat in Bali and my body was LIT up with energy all day. I tend to draw in a lot of yoga teacher students and see the complimentary-ess of movement, breathe, alignment and philosophy. I'm curious if this will be an adjacent path to contact improvisation, or just for personal education.

As a contact friend told me once,
"Go and trust."

The creative path is non-linear.

(As it should be.)

Who else is still digesting Bali Dance Festival? 🖐

Momentum Contact played around and brought Contact Principles, Improvisational Play & Authentic Movement.

It was the dance party we didn't know we needed! 🥳

Thank you to our new dancers & repeat-ers who joined us.

We were so lucky to have an incredible photographer on board - @el.whisper took these shots. Please reach out to him about future gigs.

You are welcome to post and re-share online crediting "Momentum Contact 2024 @facesofci @bali.dancefestival @el.whisper"

Tag your friends, I don't know all the new faces! 🙈

Full photo albums below on Facebook below (100 + pics!).

Day 1 Album:
https://shorturl.at/dmcVs

Day 2 Album:
https://shorturl.at/3IwTp

We will be back to Bali in October with Momentum Contact Workshops & more.

Enjoy Summer! 🌞

~ Aalia