Join our events in 2023

Dancing contact improvisation at one of our dance sessions, Dec. 2016. Photo: Pier Corona

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You can dance and learn improvised dance with us - dancing in physical contact (contact improvisation) or physically distanced. Sometimes we dance outside in the park too! We've welcomed beginners and experienced dancers since our founding in 2014.

Note: Our events - classes, dances - which are known as 'jams' (similar to musicians improvising and jamming together) - are for adults (18+ years). If you have particular needs, please contact us.

This is our maxim: All life a dance; everyone a dancer; every moment a dance

Autumn & Winter 2023

September - December

Oxford Contact Dance session December 2016. Photo credit: Pier Corona

November/ December schedule

All sessions are Wednesdays 7.30-9pm, suitable for beginners and experienced dancers.

November

1: Jam - dance practice for contact improvisation.
8: Class - suitable for beginners and those returning to contact improvisation.
22: Jam.
29: Class.

Note: No session on Wed 15 Nov! This is a change to the previously published schedule!

December

6: Jam - dance practice for contact improvisation.
13: Class - suitable for beginners and those returning to contact improvisation.

Venue

We use the University Club, Oxford for most events.

We're using the MPR room on the lower ground floor - through the entrance and dance down the stairs. There are changing rooms, lockers and showers - plus a bar/cafe upstairs, and bike parking. Oh yes, and the best sprung floor in Oxford!

The club is a 10 minute walk from the bus or train station in central Oxford. Limited street car parking or preferably use the park and ride.

Note: You don't need to be a member of Oxford University to join us at the club!

This is the address: University Club, 11 Mansfield Road, Oxford. OX1 3SZ. Their website: http://www.club.ox.ac.uk

Cost, booking

You don't need to book - just turn up. There's no card payment. It's £10 on the door for a class or jam either cash or bank transfer. Thank-you.

If you'd like details of our ongoing programme then please join our email newsletter list or our social media - see above. Thank-you.

What does contact improvisation look like?

More information about Contact improvisation

October schedule

All sessions are from 7.30-9pm; suitable for beginners and experienced dancers.

4: Jam - dance practice for contact improvisation.
11: Free Taster Class - suitable for beginners and those returning to contact improvisation.
18: Jam.
25: Class.

September schedule

All sessions are from 7.30-9pm; suitable for beginners and experienced dancers.

13: Jam - suitable for beginners and those returning to contact improvisation.
20: Jam.
27: Class - Breath, how we can use our breath in our dancing.

May, June 2023

‘In between’ - a dance using contact improvisation. Jo Dyer & Andrew Wood dancing. Bruno Guastalla & Josie Webber on cellos. Photo: Karl Wallendszus.

May Sat 20: Class with guest teacher - see below
May Sun 28: Jam (A jam is a dance session for contact improvisation)
June Sun 11: Class
June Sun 18: Jam
June Sun 25: Class

Time: 2 - 4pm every session.

Venue: Upper floor hall, Jericho Community Centre, 33A Canal St, Oxford. OX2 6BQ

Cost: £12 Standard ticket (admits everyone); £15 Supporter ticket (admission+donation).

Tickets: All tickets online via (Eventbrite)

Flyer with these dates and details to print out(PDF)

Saturday 20 May, class 'Share the dance - learn contact improvisation'

Date/time: 2-4pm, Saturday 20 May

Venue: Ground floor hall, Jericho Community Centre, 33A Canal St, Oxford. OX2 6BQ

Booking/cost: £12 Standard ticket; £15 Supporter ticket.

Booking essential: Booking link (Eventbrite)

We can share our dance to create a playful physics using techniques and practice from contact improvisation. If you are new or returning to it then this is for you: everyone welcome.

This class will include individual and partner work, exploring shifts of weight as a conversation between dancers. We will walk, run, roll and fall, with a focus on the enjoyment of sharing the space together – dancing alongside, with and in contact with others.

Please bring a water bottle and wear loose clothing in which you can move freely.

About the teacher - Josephine Dyer

Jo Dyer is a dance artist and teacher. Having trained in contemporary dance, Jo began to explore different dance forms and movement practices, including training in Contact Improvisation with Nancy Stark-Smith. Jo has performed her work work at various venues, including the South Bank Centre, the Linbury Studio (ROH) and the Masdanza festival. She performs with the Bicycle Ballet Company, and teaches regular CI classes at Chisenhale Dance Space in East London.

Her first public performance in Oxford was the 'In Between'; dance at the Turrill Sculpture Garden (Summertown Library), Oxford in 2019 with local dancers and musicians. See video below and photo above.

About Oxford Contact Dance

Founded in 2014, we are the only dance school in Oxford specialising in contact improvisation and improvised dance. We organise classes, dance sessions (called 'jams'), and performances. We invite everyone to dance.

Join our email list - see box above

Spring 2023 fundraiser for dance - thank-you

Primrose April 2023

We reach our target of raising £100 in our Spring 2023 Fundraiser for dance. Thank-you to everyone who contributed to meet our essential costs - including insurance.

Fundraising link here - on our Ko-fi page or use the button below.

February/March 2023

For February and March we shall be using the dance studio at the Old Fire Station in Oxford on Saturdays - but not every Saturday! See here for details and booking.

You can book for any or all of the sessions at our Eventbrite page.

All start at 2pm on Saturdays. Cost: £12 each session. Booking essential (online tickets).

Class and Dance – A drop-in class with a dance practice (a ‘jam’) suitable for beginners and experienced dancers. We’ll explore movement and dancing together.

Jam – Dance session for contact improvisation. Friendly social dancing for everyone. Beginners always welcomed.

February

Sat 4: 2 hours - Jam (dance session for contact improvisation)
Sat 11: 3 hours - Class & dance (Jam)
Sat 18: 2 hours - Jam

March

Sat 11: 3 hours - Class & dance (Jam)
Sat 18: 2 hours - Jam
Sat 25: 3 hours - Class & dance (Jam)

January 2023

Saturday 21 January - Beginning Contact Improvisation (11am-4pm)

Photo: Pier Corona

Date: Saturday 21 January 2023

Time: 11 - 4pm (with half hour lunch-break, 1-1.30pm)

Cost: £38 each ticket and bring a friend for free! No sales on the door.

Booking essential (Eventbrite): Book for Beginning Contact Improvisation, Saturday 21 January.

Venue: South Oxford Community Centre, Lake Street, Oxford. OX1 4RP. (See Map here). Note: We are using the hall with mats (the dojo martial arts hall) which is on the left hand side of the building and around the back then through the gate into the yard. The hall door will be open!

Important: If you have any symptoms of Covid-19 then please do not attend.

This one day course will introduce you to the fundamentals of contact improvisation. Learn techniques for improvising and extending your dance. Let’s discover the joy of dance within us all. For the price of one ticket you can bring a friend for free or come on your own.

Dancing with others isn’t easy – there’s the befuddlement of where to start, and anxiety of how to come into physical contact. We’ll create a safe and supportive environment where this is encouraged.

Using our innate understanding of bodies in motion, we'll to create a ‘playful physics’ and share the dance. At the end of this course, you’ll be confident joining a dance session for contact improvisation (a ‘jam’) with other experienced dancers.

Practicalities: There is lunch break from 1-1.30pm. Please bring food with you. Wear loose clothing and bring a water bottle. Thank-you.

What does contact improvisation look like: YouTube - Duet ('in-between' dance); YouTube - Jam (dance session for contact improvisation).

Sunday 22 January - Jam! Dance session for contact improvisation (2-4pm)

Photo: Piotr Znamierowski

Date: Sunday 22 January

Time: 2 - 4pm

Cost: £12 each, 2 hour session. No sales on the door.

Booking essential (Eventbrite): Book for Sunday 22 January.

Venue: South Oxford Community Centre, Lake Street, Oxford. OX1 4RP. (See Map here). Note: We are using the hall with mats (the dojo martial arts hall) which is on the left hand side of the building and around the back then through the gate. The door to dojo will be open - come straight in.

Important: If you have any symptons of Covid-19 then please do not attend.

Join us for a two hour jam, and you can drop-in whenever you want. Please wear loose clothing and bring a water bottle. Beginners and experienced dancers welcome. Jam video (YouTube) FRU - Polish Contact Improvisation Festival - Trio

Autumn & Winter 2022

Jam! Dance session for contact improvisation - Sunday, 4 December

Photo: Piotr Znamierowski

Dates: Sunday 4 December

Time: 2 - 4pm

Cost: £12 each, 2 hour session. No cash sales on the door - online only - right up to the start of the class.

Online payment (Eventbrite) Tickets for Sunday 4 Decemberr.

Venue: South Oxford Community Centre, Lake Street, Oxford. OX1 4RP. (See Map here). Note: We are using the hall with mats (the dojo martial arts hall) which is on the left hand side of the building and around the back then through the gate. The door to dojo will be open - come straight in.

Important: If you have any symptons of Covid-19 then please do not attend. We provide free tests - if needed.

Join us for a two hour jam, and you can drop-in whenever you want. Please wear loose clothing and bring a water bottle. Beginners and experienced dancers welcome. Jam video (YouTube) FRU - Polish Contact Improvisation Festival - Trio

Class & dance for contact improvisation - Sunday, 20 November

Photo: Pier Corona

Dates: Sunday 20 November

Time: 2 - 4pm

Cost: £12 each, 2 hour session. No cash sales on the door - online only - right up to the start of the class.

Online payment (Eventbrite): Tickets for Class & dance.

Venue: South Oxford Community Centre, Lake Street, Oxford. OX1 4RP. (See Map here). Note: We are using the hall with mats (the dojo martial arts hall) which is on the left hand side of the building and around the back then through the gate. The door to dojo will be open - come straight in.

Important: If you have any symptons of Covid-19 then please do not attend. We provide free tests - if needed.

This is a drop-in class with a dance practice suitable for beginners and experienced dancers. We'll explore movement and dancing together. Class theme - Head First! We'll have an hours class and an hours dance practice (a 'jam'). We'll be exploring movement using contact in the head, neck and shoulders. By setting up movement in the spine from the head, we can allow it to flow through our bodies, into our dance partners and the space around us. Please wear loose clothing and bring a water bottle.

Jam! Dance session for contact improvisation - Sunday, November 6

Photo: Piotr Znamierowski

Dates: Sunday 6 November

Time: 2 - 4pm

Cost: £12 each, 2 hour session. No sales on the door.

Booking essential (Eventbrite): Book for Sunday 6 November.

Venue: South Oxford Community Centre, Lake Street, Oxford. OX1 4RP. (See Map here). Note: We are using the hall with mats (the dojo martial arts hall) which is on the left hand side of the building and around the back then through the gate. The door to dojo will be open - come straight in.

Important: If you have any symptons of Covid-19 then please do not attend. We provide free tests - if needed.

Join us for a two hour jam, and you can drop-in whenever you want. Please wear loose clothing and bring a water bottle. Beginners and experienced dancers welcome. Jam video (YouTube) FRU - Polish Contact Improvisation Festival - Trio

Beginning Contact Improvisation - bring a friend for free, Saturday October 22

Photo: Pier Corona

Date: Saturday 22 October 2022

Time: 11 - 4pm (with half hour lunch-break, 1-1.30pm)

Cost: £38 each ticket and bring a friend for free! No sales on the door.

Booking essential (Eventbrite): Book for Beginning Contact Improvisation, Saturday 22 October.

Venue: South Oxford Community Centre, Lake Street, Oxford. OX1 4RP. (See Map here). Note: We are using the hall with mats (the dojo martial arts hall) which is on the left hand side of the building and around the back then through the gate into the yard. The hall door will be open!

Important: If you have any symptoms of Covid-19 then please do not attend. We provide free tests - if needed.

This one day course will introduce you to the fundamentals of contact improvisation. Learn techniques for improvising and extending your dance. Let’s discover the joy of dance within us all. For the price of one ticket you can bring a friend for free or come on your own.

Dancing with others isn’t easy – there’s the befuddlement of where to start, and anxiety of how to come into physical contact. We’ll create a safe and supportive environment where this is encouraged.

Using our innate understanding of bodies in motion, we'll to create a ‘playful physics’ and share the dance. At the end of this course, you’ll be confident joining a dance session for contact improvisation (a ‘jam’) with other experienced dancers.

Practicalities: There is lunch break from 1-1.30pm. Please bring food with you. Wear loose clothing and bring a water bottle. Thank-you.

What does contact improvisation look like: YouTube - Duet ('in-between' dance); YouTube - Jam (dance session for contact improvisation).

Jam! Dance session for contact improvisation - Sundays, Sept 25 & Oct 2

Summer 2022

Re-connect in dance - 19 & 26 June 2022

Refresher & introduction to dancing contact improvisation

Oxford Contact Dance, Intensive (2017).

It’s two years since we hosted dance classes and sessions for contact improvisation where our improvised dance has physical contact with others. But now, we’re restarting this way of dancing. Time to re-connect.

Contact improvisation is a dialogue in movement which is joyful, creative, and health giving. We’ll have a one hour class and a one hour dance session (‘jam’). These sessions are for everyone who loves to dance including beginners and experienced dancers. Please wear loose clothing in which you can move freely and bring a water bottle.

See an example of dancing contact improvisation (Youtube)

Important: The Covid-19 pandemic is still here but with widespread vaccination and immunity in the community we think that it’s the right time to return to dancing this way. We also want everyone to feel safe and allay lingering anxiety which some people feel.

Hence we’re offering free lateral flow tests for Covid-19, available 20 minutes before each session to ensure that we don’t unknowingly infect others when we have no symptoms. Otherwise, please bring a lateral flow test taken on Sunday morning prior to the dance session showing that you’re free from infection. Thank-you.

Dates: Sundays – 19 and 26 June.

Time: 2 – 4 pm (with lateral flow tests available from 1.40pm – free!)

Cost: £12 each 2 hour session. No sales on the door.

Booking essential (Eventbrite): Book for 19 June. Book for 26 June.

Venue: South Oxford Community Centre, Lake Street, Oxford. OX1 4RP. (See Map here). Note: We are using the hall with mats (the dojo martial arts hall) which is on the left hand side of the building and around the back.

Re-connect in dance - 29 May, 5 &12 June 2022

Refresher & introduction to dancing contact improvisation

Booking essential (Eventbrite): Book for 29 May. Book for 5 June. Book for 12 June.

Landscape Dance - physically distanced dance - Sunday afternoons, February 2022

Dance outside with Oxford Contact Dance.

On Sunday afternoons in February, we'll ride out into the countryside near Oxford on our bicycles, and dance together in the landscape. Afterwards, there's the opportunity for a hot drink at a local pub.

This is a facilitated dance session, and we'll use improvised dance including techniques from our research at Dance in the Park (see this article) - and the landscape itself - to dance with and through. Example of landscape dance here

If it's raining then we won't be going! In order to participate then you need to register - see below.

Please wear or bring warm clothing that you don't mind getting dirty, and some waterproofs/suitable footwear too. We'll be using natural surfaces with which we'll contact. Bring water or a hot drink/biscuits.

Location: registration essential - see below. Meeting with your bicycle (on the date which we agree - February 6, 13, 20, 27) at 2pm at Keble Gate, University Parks, Parks Road, Oxford. OX1 3PU. The gate is opposite the intersection of Keble Road & Parks Road and beside the Physics Institute (Beecroft Building). Keble Gate is shown on this map. You can also see a picture of Keble Gate on Google's Streetview too.

Time/date: 2pm - 5pm, Meeting (on the date which we agree - Sunday February 6, 13, 20, 27)

Cost: Donations appreciated (£5 suggested) as we need to pay for insurance/website, etc!

Registering: Please Email c-o-n-t-a-c-t@contactdance.org (Remove the dash symbols from the email address. They're included to reduce spam!). Then we'll use a doodle poll to find which Sunday(s) afternoon people are available, and select the one(s) which is most convenient for us all.

Safety: If you have any symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19) then please do not attend! Stay at home and contact the NHS. It's essential for us to comply with the law and guidance on COVID-19, and to minimise the possibility of infection. Let's stay safe!

You can dance with or without a face-covering.

Previous events at Oxford Contact Dance, 2021-2014

See events in 2021 and before.