The lifting touch – consensual and authentic pathways into flying

Lifting figures have a magical attraction for many dancers in contact improvisation. The magic comes from the ease with which we lift. Lifts live from trust in myself, in my partners and a secure connection. In this workshop, we will look for what we need in order to lift or be lifted by other people from a good connection. We will look at it step by step

how to establish a safe connection
how to feel the consent for a lift in my body and in the body of the other person
how to look for the place for weightless contact from there
how to invite ourselves to a lot of freedom in the lift and how I can express myself with my needs at any time
For contact improvisation, these are familiar qualities in dance. They are often much less pronounced in the lift. So we take plenty of time for reflection, slowing down, and creativity. We look at how our patterns, our desires and fears are embodied and how we can deal with them. We help each other hold together in the group what may come up.

During the 5 days we will dive into techniques for

Pelvic lifts (front / back)
shoulder lifts with different ascents
lifts in kneeling position
rollover lifts from handstand and cartwheel
changing levels in the lift
The detailed immersion in techniques can expand our body awareness and improve our ability to dance in a relaxed way. The „Lifting Touch“ can give us a much deeper dance feeling.

There are no specific requirements for this workshop. If you havn’t done any lifting techniques before, it may be a lot of information for your body and you should take enough breaks.