The 1st annual Davis Contact Jam
December 10-12
at the University Club,
University of California, Davis
The Davis Contact Jam is intended as a low-cost, open contact jam for those who have already been introduced to the basics of contact improvisation.
The emphasis will be on creating lots of open space for dancing. Some structure will be offered to facilitate dancing and conversation, but the emphasis is on the dancing.
The jam will take place in UC Davis's University Club, a 3500 square foot studio with sprung hardwood floor, across from Putah Creek and the Arboretum and walking distance from downtown Davis. If the event grows larger than the anticipated 50 participants, or if small groups want to meet for labs, we have the possibility to expand into some of the other theater spaces.
We are hoping to pull dancers from the many contact communities that exist within driving distance of Davis (San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz, Nevada City, Arcata, Sebastapol, Ashland, etc), and perhaps from farther afield.
We expect
- evening jams with dj'd soundscape and live music
- warm-ups and mixer scores facilitated by experienced Northern California teachers
- afternoon "Contact Encuentros" with silent dancing and opening and closing circles to explore and process the experience
- lots of opportunities for informal meeting and networking with regional dancers
- Lots of dancing with people you know and people you don't!
Feel free to write for more info (or to get some fliers mailed to you to drop around your local dance spaces)!
Logistics:
Schedule (tentative)
| Friday, Dec 10 | Saturday, Dec 11 | Sunday, Dec 12 |
| 9am - studio is open | ||
| 10am warm-up class and mixer, leading into ... | ||
| open jam | ||
| lunch break when you feel it... | ||
2pm - 5pm "Contact Encuentro" short circle verbally naming personal interests, 2.5 hours of silent open dancing, then verbal feedback and harvest |
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| 6:30p - arrive and register | 5pm on - open jam space suggested to do dinner at 5pm or 6pm |
5pm - closing circle |
| 7:30p - Opening Circle | 7:30pm - suggested to be back for open warm-up |
|
8:00p facilitated warm-up and mixer into an open jam dj'd soundscape and/or live music to facilitate focus and inspire different directions of exploration goes until people are done |
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Housing: out-of-towners will be housed with local contactors. Bring your own sleeping bag/sleeping pad, perhaps a tent for backyard camping.
Food: Everyone takes care of themselves for food. We suggest people to bring food for potluck lunches/snacks. There are several nice and affordable restaurants within walking distance of the studio, and a bit longer walk brings you to the Davis Food Coop.
Fees: TBA but will be relatively cheap. $60 or so as the bottom of a sliding scale? The event is a fund raiser for Body Research's new performance work, Body of Knowledge.
How to register: we'll work that out in the fall.
Getting Here: The University Club is on Old Davis Rd, less than a block from the intersection with A Street, right next to the Wyatt Pavilion. Googlemaps or Mapquest should get you here. You can park next to the University Club for $6 per day or you can park over on 3rd and H or so for free. If you are coming by Train, it is about a 10 minute walk from the Davis Amtrak train station, on G Street and 2nd.
How many?: 'expecting 50 or so people to attend. Within a 5 hour drive of Davis are contact communities in the San Francisco Bay Area (1 hour), Santa Cruz (2 hours), Sebastapol (2 hours), Nevada City (1.5 hours), Arcata (5 hours), Ashland (5 hours). We hope to be able to have people coming from all of them and perhaps others farther afield!
Contact: for the moment, write to info (at) bodyresearch (dot) org