What Moves Us and Why?

Dance Improvisation Workshop with Kirstie Simson

An opportunity to engage with Kirstie and her passionate interest in the liberating experience of dance improvisation and the exploration of freedom. Imagine what our relationship would be to dancing if we had no prior notion about what the moving body should look or feel like. Participants will work beyond culturally conditioned expectations and other limitations, to celebrate moving together using practices that Kirstie has developed over thirty-five years of teaching dance improvisation.

Kirstie draws her from her knowledge of contact improvisation, dance techniques, the Alexander technique, aikido, meditation and her extensive experience of improvisation in performance. Her work explores the huge potential of the body’s response to the primal urge to move, inspired by the energy released through human interaction, physical challenge and a daring to go beyond inherent ideas of limitation.

What moves us and why?

There is deep inspiration and rigor in a practice of improvisation that posits vulnerability at its heart. Developing the skills to be able to care for, engage, respect and respond to that state of vulnerability in oneself and others gives life to improvisation that is powerful and transformative.

This is the work that Kirstie engenders through facilitated exercises, open time for play and exploration, movement scores, observations and discussion. Much of the work is experienced through partnering and connection with others, balanced with solo time for processing and reflection.

Her art form is her life practice, and she shares insights gleaned from thirty-two years experience of loving and living dance improvisation.

Back to Elective Workshops 2019