Hampshire & Dorset Contact Improvisation

Movement, Creativity and Connection through Dance

with Richard Parker

A facilitated dance class for learning about Contact Improvisation. Suitable for anyone that is curious about movement and embodied dance through close physical contact and improvisation. Perfect for introducing newcomers as well as helping more experienced dancers develop their practice.

  • Learn about the possibilities of movement within your body

  • Explore a co-creative dance practice

  • Feel an embodied human connection

Further Class Details

What is Contact Improvisation?

Upcoming 2025 Class Dates with Richard Parker:

  • 20th December 2024 (end of term jam, more suited to those with experience)

  • 10th & 24th January (all levels welcome, including newcomers)

  • 7th & 21st February (all levels welcome, including newcomers)

  • 7th & 21st March (all levels welcome, including newcomers)

Times: 7pm - 9.30pm

Cost: £15

Venue: Emery Down Village Hall - Venue & Travel Details

We are also selling CI-specific kneepads that can be added to your booking.

Stay Connected and Join the Community:

Class Details

Contact Improvisation (CI) is a practice of how two or more bodies move together as one in close physical contact. It teaches how to listen and communicate through movement within a spontaneously unfolding improvised dance. Ranging anywhere from playful & energetic to sensitive & quiet with dynamic movements that go from standing to the floor.

We explore physical techniques, movement pathways, embodiment practices, sensitivity training and relational awareness, whilst progressing through a series of solo, partner and group exercises. Each class includes a guided embodiment warm-up, teaching or exploration of certain principles to learn about how to dance CI and an opportunity to dance and improvise with what you have learnt.

Come and join this vibrant dance community that promises to both challenge and excite you with all its wonderful possibilities.

Please get in touch before attending if you have any questions or concerns.

Personal Considerations

  • Wear clean clothes that cover your body (chest, shoulders and legs) and are suitable for dynamic movement with close physical contact.

  • Remove any sharp objects from your clothing and body (e.g. piercings & jewellery) that could potentially cause someone an injury.

  • Refrain from wearing strong perfumes and fragrances including essential oils.

  • Bring a water bottle

Venue & Travel Details

Venue: Emery Down and Bank Village Hall, Emery Down (Near Lyndhurst), New Forest SO43 7EB Google Maps Link

Facilities: Wooden dance floor, good heating, natural and ambient lighting, toilets and changing facilities as well as access to a kitchen and garden.

Parking: Free right outside the hall.

Lift Share: We have regular attendees from around the south including Southampton, Bournemouth & Winchester, please get in touch if you need a lift and we can link you to our community WhatsApp group to easily make these arrangements.


What is Contact Improvisation

Contact Improvisation (CI) is very hard to describe in words as it draws from many inspiring practices, has a wide scope of movement possibilities and is used in many different contexts from social jams to performances. Even though it has its own unique style and is often practised as a socially interactive dance by people from all walks of life, it is very much left to the individual to interpret its possibilities and context.

Formally it is described as a dance practice in which points of physical contact combined with a sharing of weight between two or more people provide the starting point for exploration in movement improvisation, however, there are many more subtleties that one may also explore and experience. For me, it's all about connectivity, co-creation, trust, awareness, presence and committing to the moment and how through this practice we can embody these principles into our lives. It can be playful, sensitive, quiet or energetic, where giving and taking weight, rolling, suspending, flying and falling are all possible ingredients within the spontaneity of the dance.

Below are some words from members of our local community who have written about their experiences. I hope these words inspire you to come along and join us whenever you feel ready.

“CI leads me into the present moment very directly. When I’m dancing with another and if I’m really in tune and fully there, then there is no space for thoughts and analysis. This is freedom - expansive, open and timeless. And because there is another whom I’m in contact with, it is a shared experience where connection flows and infuses the dance. And because it's dance, my whole body listens and responds and moves and is moved - fully embodied.”

“I love the intuitive, responsive, intimate nature of this dance, and the way it inspires, challenges and delights me.”

“Having spent 15 years being a team-sport person in my younger days, my body and mind longed to engage in an exercise that requires my body, mind and soul to act together simultaneously to challenge and develop myself whilst connecting with others. I found that exercise in CI.”

“It has taught me the language of the body, both mine and of others.”

“CI allows me to drop into myself, listen to my deepest instincts and urges, and over time I have learnt to trust and follow them. Through regular practice, both technical and creative, and through group and solo reflection I learnt to appreciate my authentic movement and that of others, and to apply this somatic knowledge in my daily life.”

About Richard

Richard Parker is passionate about the relational and deep human experience that can be revealed through this profound practice. His workshops are a refined balance of skills, creativity & free exploration, taking participants on a journey into the co-creative wonders of Contact Improvisation, which always includes a healthy dose of safety and care for one another. With a grounded and easy-going approach, he loves sharing both his detailed and extensive understanding of the principle movement forms within Contact Improvisation alongside the subtle nuances, helping people to truly embody the fundamental aspects of the dance. Most importantly creating a sense of relational awareness and a sense of togetherness as we co-create within the dance space.

He has been developing his skills and knowledge as a Contact Improvisation (CI) dancer since 2006. Over the years he has extensively trained with many amazing international teachers within CI including Karen Nelson, Lisa Nelson, KJ Holmes, Nita Little, Andrew Harwood, Ray Chung, Martin Keogh, Scott Wells, Benno Voorham & Joerg Hassmann. Since 2011 he has shared his teaching of CI within Professional, Educational, Festival & Community Organisations as well as organised his own CI Festivals, Retreats and Camps.

“A true love for the form and genuine investigation is at the heart of Richard's teaching. He plans and delivers material in a thoughtful, reflective and thorough way, each exercise leading on to the next fluidly. His gentle, clear and encouraging manner gives students the confidence to push their practice further and his commitment to staying true to the form ensures that others can continue to discover and enjoy the beauty of the dance."

Please get in touch before attending if you have any questions