Join our events in 2022

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

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We use improvised dance - either in physical contact (contact improvisation) or physically distanced, and sometimes we dance outside in the park too! We are continuing to adapt our dance to the changing situation with Covid-19.

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

Autumn 2022 - September onwards

Beginning Contact Improvisation, 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. 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 symptons 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.

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

Photo: Piotr Znamierowski

Dates: Sundays, September 25 & October 2

Time: 2 - 4pm

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

Booking essential (Eventbrite): Book for Sunday 25 Sept. Book for Sunday 2 Oct.

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.

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

What does contact improvisation look like?

More information about Contact improvisation

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.