Toning and Releasing
Contact Improvisation invites us to play with toning and releasing. A toned body falls differently from a released one. Releasing the legs while toning the spine creates a particular quality of movement and support. Toning provides structure, while releasing provides freedom and safety.
In this class, we will explore these themes through solo movement, shared weight, off-balance positions, leaping, and falling. We’ll see how simple shifts in tone and release can change a structure and inspire spontaneous movement.
Expect plenty of time to play with these ideas, both through classic CI games and free dancing.
Teacher Bio
Patrick began dancing Contact Improvisation in the ’90s in Western Massachusetts, studying with teachers such as Nancy Stark Smith, Martin Keogh, Andrew Harwood, and Daniel Lepkoff, to name a few. He moved to Amsterdam in 2000 and created the Saturday “Class to Jam” structure in 2002, where he has been dancing and teaching ever since.
He currently also teaches six-month extended workshop series for small groups of enthusiastic CI dancers. He works full-time as an Alexander Technique teacher at Smartbody Studio in the centre of Amsterdam. The Alexander Technique heavily informs all of his dancing, teaching, and living.
Patrick also teaches running and anatomy for Pilates teachers and gives periodic workshops on the science of posture, attention, and movement.
Website: https://smartbody.nl/en/alexander-technique/
Substack: https://smartbodyalexandertechnique.substack.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smartbody_alexander_technique
Toning and Releasing
Patrick Johnson