Contact Improvisation events, venues & communities

Contact Improvisation (CI) is an improvised dance form. Two or more people move together through shared weight and momentum, rather than fixed steps or a set lead, staying connected through a rolling point of contact. Steve Paxton originated the form in 1972; Nancy Stark Smith became one of its most influential early developers, shaping much of what CI is today. It has since spread worldwide, practiced in studios, festivals, and open-air jams, as both a dance form and a somatic or movement research practice.

CI Treasure Hunt is a global directory of Contact Improvisation festivals, jams, workshops, intensives, and retreats, along with the venues, teachers, and communities behind them. The directory currently lists 156 events, 74 venues, and 262 communities across 68 countries.

Planning travel and want to find a jam or community wherever you go? Looking for your first jam, scouting the festival calendar for your next vacation or journey, or trying to find teachers and community near you? This is where to look.