Advanced Improvisation

photo by William Federking

This class is for those who wish to explore the art of dance improvisation both as a performing art and as a vehicle to develop new avenues for sensing, feeling, imagining and choreographing dance. We will take an interdisciplinary approach to composition in order to re-examine our perception of place and time, the body, human relationships, and aesthetic design. Ultimately, our goal will be to access our most powerful dancing bodies while drawing upon our personal experience and our capacity to engage deeply with others. The class is about the integration of technique, performance and the poetic imagination. Documented prior improvisation study and practice is required.

Chris Aiken is a leading performer and teacher in the field of dance improvisation and contact improvisation. His work has evolved through ongoing investigations of performance, composition, movement technique and design. His work has been significantly influenced through the somatic practice of the Alexander Technique, ideokinesis, yoga and the fascia and structural integration. Chris has performed and collaborated with many renowned dance artists including Steve Paxton, Kirstie Simson, Nancy Stark Smith, Peter Bingham, Andrew Harwood, Ray Chung and Angie Hauser. He has received numerous awards for his artistic work, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, as well as commissions from the Walker Art Center, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Dance Theater Workshop and the National Performance Network. Chris is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Smith College and the Five College Dance Department.