The summer workshop immerses us in dancing that includes focusing on forms that occur in improvisational dance: Solo Body, Contact Improvisation Body, and Ensemble Body. We move comfortably within all three of these forms to embody performance of improvisational dance as an art form. Dance systems: Articulating the Solo Body, ReWire Movement States, and Ensemble Thinking developed with the Lower Left Performance Collective from Martin’s embodied performance research practice prepare us to experience the deep satisfaction of dancing as part of an ensemble that recognizes and supports the dancing of every individual in the group. Morning sessions warm-up in Solo and Contact Body practices and afternoon sessions use Ensemble Thinking as a frame for our open score dancing.

Ensemble Thinking (ET)— A system of collaborative group performance practices. These compositional scores refine the individual’s ability to perceive, initiate, and support collective action. ET’s conceptual nature allows for equality of access regardless of background, aesthetics, or physical capabilities. http://www.ensemblethinking.com/

ReWire: Movement States— Somatic movement system that motivate dance from a kinetic body state and a neurological brain state which opens an improvisational world that bypasses pre-planning of actions into truly spontaneous dancing states where pre-conscious desires arise.

Articulating the Solo Body— A collection of dance practices culled from Martin’s postmodern dance studies (Trisha Brown, Deborah Hay, Mary Overlie, Elaine Summers, Barbara Dilley, Steve Paxton among others) and innovations incorporating ReWire Movement States and that support solo improvisational dance practice.