Compositional Awareness in CI

About this event

Compositional Awareness in Contact Improvisation is a four-day residential workshop with Andrew de Lotbinière Harwood at Earthdance in Plainfield, MA (September 10–13, 2026). Contact improvisation offers a container for non-verbal communication, expanded awareness, and creative expression while allowing what is unexpected to emerge. Grounded in the core principles of CI and focused on the dynamic subtleties of touch, tone, and weight, the workshop expands perception to include space, time, image, gesture, and design through duet, trio, and ensemble dancing. A lightly held compositional awareness supports connection, meaning-making, and engagement with innovative possibilities for individual and collective improvisation. Andrew de Lotbinière Harwood (Montreal) is renowned as a leading figure in dance improvisation, an internationally recognised pioneer of CI and master teacher/performer in real-time composition. For over fifty years he has dedicated himself to the research, development, and dissemination of these practices as rigorous movement disciplines and performing art forms. He first studied and performed with Steve Paxton, Nancy Stark Smith, Nita Little, Daniel Lepkoff, and other original developers of CI, and has collaborated with Chris Aiken, Ray Chung, Kirstie Simson, Julyen Hamilton, Lisa Nelson, Benno Voorham, and many others. He received the Canada Council of the Arts Jacqueline Lemieux Award in 2000. Meals are included with lodge and camping tickets. All participants contribute to 1–2 work shifts (meal clean-ups) and a final house clean. Equity & access discounted tickets available (apply by Sep 2). Arrival Thursday Sep 10 from 4–7pm; departure Sunday Sep 13 after 3pm.