Contact Improvisation Intensives Worldwide

An intensive is a multi-day deep-dive into Contact Improvisation, usually led by one teacher or a small teaching team around a single theme, going further into one thing than a festival's mixed program has room for.

22 upcoming eventsin 12 countries

First multi-day event? What to pack, and how to pace yourself →

Intensive

Seamless Intensive

Seamless Intensive is the signature programme of the Seamless project — a 3-week residential Contact Improvisation training in Bali, Indonesia (August 30 – September 17, 2026) led by Roman Singh and Anastasia Karpa. This is the fourth edition. The programme is structured as four independently bookable modules that build on each other. Nexus (Aug 30 – Sep 3) focuses on liftings and supports: every level, every nuance, and how to enter a partner from any position — the recommended starting point. Running in parallel, Blossom (Aug 30 – Sep 3) is a beginners track covering the psychology of the practice, weight-sharing, listening, giving and following weight, and staying in contact without losing yourself. Yield (Sep 6–10) explores falling and flow: effortlessness, surrender, and agreement with gravity through both specific forms and open improvisation. Soar (Sep 13–17) works with dynamics and flying — jumps, running, amplitude — growing out of the same foundation of yielding, with more tone, more space, and more speed. The Seamless approach treats CI as open and accessible without losing depth: combining Contact Improvisation, somatics, solo movement, dance acrobatics, and partnering. Each module runs 4 days. Modules can be attended individually or combined. Contact: hello@seamless.club

Aug 30 - Sep 17, 2026

Ubud, Indonesia

Intensive

CI Fundamentals Intensive

CI Fundamentals Intensive is a four-day residential dive into the fundamental skills, concepts, and techniques of Contact Improvisation at Dreaming Stone Arts and Ecology Center in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, NC (September 10–13, 2026). Now in its third annual edition. A safe and welcoming space for beginners, with greater depth for those already engaged with the form. The programme centres on five 2.5-hour intensive classes led by Toni Craige and Tevyn East, supported by video screenings of important practitioners, guided discussions, and jams. There will be plenty of space for rest, reflection, informal connection, and time with the river. Toni Craige has been practising CI since 2006 and teaching in the Triangle area of North Carolina since 2012. She co-directs Living Arts Collective's CI and Somatics Program in Durham, NC (serving over 80 students/week) and holds an MFA in Choreography and Performance from Smith College (2020). Her practice draws on Nancy Stark Smith, Alicia Grayson, and the Axis Syllabus. Tevyn East is the founder and director of Dreaming Stone. She studied with Nancy Stark Smith for over 200 hours and has 25+ years of CI practice, having taught in California, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. She graduated from Hollins University in dance and has created and toured extensive work in immersive dance theatre and community cultural organising. All meals and snacks are included from Thursday dinner through Sunday lunch — abundant, locally sourced, and delicious. Camping is included in the registration fee (with access to showers and toilets); indoor rooms and additional dwellings are available at extra cost. Work-trade and partial scholarships available. Contact: info@dreamingstone.org

Sep 10 - Sep 13, 2026

Rutherfordton, United States

Intensive

Wind Dances Me

The second installment of Bari Kim's ongoing "Dance of the Four Elements" (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind) somatic dance research series, following "Water Dances Me" earlier this year. Five days becoming the wind — observing and exploring the phenomenon of wind blowing within our own bodies (breath and movement), researching bodily flight and grounding, and meeting the dance of birds that ride the wind. The intensive incorporates movement, touch, sounding, solo improvisation, and Contact Improvisation, plus partnering, writing, and discussion. Target audience: practitioners with at least one year of Contact Improvisation experience, people training in other movement/bodywork disciplines, or those with a self-directed physical/somatic practice. Involves movement dealing with speed and weight — consider your physical condition before applying. Open to anyone regardless of whether they attended "Water Dances Me." Single-day drop-in registration is also available (see price tiers).

Sep 20 - Sep 24, 2026

Seoul, South Korea

Intensive

Surfing Gravity & Alive Pausing

Surfing Gravity & Alive Pausing is a two-part Contact Improvisation study program with Jörg Hassmann, held in Ubud, Bali, and organised by Unfold — a Contact Improvisation Research Collective. The program consists of a seven-day intensive (September 29 – October 7) followed by an optional two-day laboratory (October 10–11), open only to participants who complete the intensive. The intensive is a guided process of deep physical inquiry into momentum, flow, falling, suspension, muscular tone, stillness, micro-movement, and the subtle compositional intelligence that emerges through Contact Improvisation. The work includes solo explorations, partner work, bodywork-informed research, witnessing, dancing, and the gradual development of a shared group field. Sessions run 10:00am–2:00pm, with scheduled days off on October 1 and 5. The laboratory shifts into a more open research mode: following questions that arose during the intensive, working with personal and collective edges, and allowing the dance itself to reveal what wants to be studied. Both lab days include a morning session (10:00am–1:00pm) and an afternoon session (3:30–5:30pm). This program is designed for dancers with previous CI experience who are ready for a committed period of study — not suitable for first-timers. The intensive can be taken alone; the laboratory is an optional continuation for intensive participants only.

Sep 29 - Oct 11, 2026

Ubud, Indonesia

Intensive

The Ecosystem of Fluids — Contact Improvisation Intensive Workshop, Athens

The Ecosystem of Fluids is a Contact Improvisation Intensive Workshop with Carola Robles (Peru) and Alessandro Rivellino (Brazil), at the Duncan Dance Research Center in Vyronas, Athens. We will study, explore and enjoy the fluid pathways and structures in the currents of space and time as a ground for contact improvisation. Our paths unfold in time, space, and embodiment. Space and body are extensions of one another, and time is life's process of finding its place; everything happens here, in this mystery we call the body. The senses and attention are only parts of that whole. It is within this mystery that we like to navigate, seeking to give the point of contact its own agency. We are interested in working with fluids: the structure in fluids creating relational, binding, elastic resistance, weights, times, different spatialities. Let's imagine the body as a living geography: the lymph with its directed, clear spatiality and suspended time, as a support for calmly not-knowing; the blood flowing through its vessels; the pericardium embracing the heart in its inward and outward circulation; and the lightness of cerebrospinal fluid as counter-support. We will work with the 3 columns (structural, medullar and digestive), the thoracic diaphragm, the lungs and the heart, and the brain as an integrated whole rather than a thought factory, exploring how movement, impulse, and the gravitational field arise to play within it. We will seek that zero point, the middle of the middle, yet in motion, connecting what is underground with what lies beyond the skin, dancing with surrender, not knowing the path, and trusting the structure to support the exploration. Schedule: Thu 1/10 11:00-14:00 morning session; Fri 2/10 11:00-14:00 morning session, 16:00-16:45 registration, 17:00-20:00 afternoon session; Sat 3/10 10:00-10:45 arrivals, 11:00-14:00 morning session, 14:00-16:00 break, 16:00-19:00 afternoon session; Sun 4/10 10:00-10:45 arrivals, 11:00-14:00 morning session, 14:00-16:00 break, 16:00-19:00 afternoon session.

Oct 1 - Oct 4, 2026

Athens, Greece

Intensive

Nita Little Workshop

A 4-day advanced workshop with Nita Little, one of the original pioneers of Contact Improvisation. Exploring the physical and relational practices that support extraordinary levels of communication in CI as it moves beyond duets into more complex formations. Workshop language: English. Advanced CI experience required.

Oct 1 - Oct 4, 2026

Vienna, Austria

Intensive

The Connected Body in Contact

Brenton Cheng explores Patterns of Total Body Connectivity (PTBCs), developed by Peggy Hackney out of Bartenieff Fundamentals and Laban Movement Analysis. These developmental movement patterns underpin the complex movements of CI — when they function well, dancing is fluid, strong, and effortless; when underdeveloped, certain movements feel awkward or risky. The patterns also serve as a map of personal movement tendencies, revealing areas to explore and integrate. Each day begins with a PTBCs warm-up, moves into identifying patterns in oneself and others, and culminates in applying them functionally and creatively within contact dances. Optional evening jams Fri (20–24h) and Sat (19–22h), and a contact class Sun evening (19–22h), at the door. English, translation on request. Some prior CI experience recommended.

Oct 3 - Oct 7, 2026

Cologne, Germany

Intensive

L'attention incarnée — Nita Little Intensive

An invitation to embodied attention: bringing an authentic presence into the physicality of Contact Improvisation and collective composition. Drawing on more than 40 years of experience, this workshop explores introspection, interaction, and ensemble/collective composition — inviting participants to reveal themselves fully, as bare flesh, available to one another. This quality of presence brings clarity and power to the dance, and deepens safety in relational communication. Work spans several levels: physical and attentional capacity, personal and creative practice, authenticity and clarity of movement, the ability to sense the contact of attention, and mutual attraction and rejection within relational dances — engaging participants on both a personal and collective level. For intermediate and advanced CI dancers. Arrival the evening of Oct 13 or before 10am on Oct 14; departure Oct 18 at 5pm. Held at Cyprès des Arts, a glass-walled studio with a 140m² sprung floor, set among trees. Vegetarian, low-lactose, low-gluten lunches provided; breakfast and dinner self-catered (welcome potluck the evening of Oct 13 for early arrivals). Accommodation on-site: €10/day camping (van/tent) or €20/day in a 4-person dorm room, plus a €5 annual Contact Impro Ariège membership fee. A €100 deposit secures registration, refundable before Sept 10, non-refundable after.

Oct 14 - Oct 18, 2026

Cintegabelle, France

Intensive

A Study on Trust - Contact Improvisation Weekend by Yuval & Aistė, Rūdiškės

A three-day Contact Improvisation intensive at the Rūdiškės Crafts School in Lithuania (October 16–18, 2026), led by Yuval Finkelshtein (Israel) and Aistė Jančiūtė (Lithuania), exploring trust as an ongoing practice rather than a fixed goal: an inquiry into "what is supporting me right now?" from which to learn to take more risks. Together, participants deepen physical awareness to discover how falling becomes flight, cultivating both strength and vulnerability while stepping into the unknown, and creating a safe, soft ground for themselves and each other. Open level, suited to both newcomers and experienced dancers. Accommodation is in shared rooms (four people per room), with a full vegetarian/vegan menu (four meals a day) prepared by Raminta Janulienė. Each evening includes a jam; Saturday's jam features live music. Participants may register for the full three days or for a single day.

Oct 16 - Oct 18, 2026

Rūdiškės, Lithuania

Intensive

Spanda — Contact Improvisation Intensive, Dharamsala

Spanda is a Contact Improvisation Intensive with Áron Kiss, returning to Dharamsala this October. This immersive program is a deep dive into the foundations, principles, and mechanics of Contact Improvisation, while also exploring how these practices can deepen awareness, compassion, and relationship with one another and with nature. Through movement, meditation, listening, and attention, participants investigate how dance can become a form of inquiry, a way of exploring the unknown and moving with trust in the face of uncertainty. The intensive draws on a variety of tools including Contact Improvisation techniques, somatic practices, meditation and awareness practices, and improvisational movement exploration, exploring how these tools can support participants not only on the dance floor but also in everyday life. The program is open level and welcomes everyone regardless of previous experience in Contact Improvisation. Daily schedule: 10:30-13:00 Contact Improvisation Workshop, 13:00-14:30 Lunch Break, 14:30-16:30 Contact Improvisation Class, 16:30-19:00 Open Jam. It is possible to attend the full intensive or participate partially (single day, or open jam only). Money should not be a barrier to attending; financial support is available on request.

Oct 16 - Oct 19, 2026

Dharamshala, India

Intensive

FeldenJamLab

A Jam/Lab and Feldenkrais immersion for experienced (contact) improvisers. Seven days combining daily Feldenkrais training (about 2.5 hours a day, including bodywork and functional integration sessions) with extended time for open jams and structured scores: contemplative dance practice, Underscore, Long Jam, Authentic Movement, silent jam. Taught in French. For experienced CI and improvisation dancers only; no beginner instruction offered.

Oct 19 - Oct 25, 2026

Sainte-Croix, France

Intensive

Feeling Connected: Sensory Perception and Desire Space in CI

Over the past year, Laura Doehler has explored how we meet the intimacy of touch personally and collectively, and how we understand what we want and what we bring to others when we come together. This workshop explores awareness of identity, trust, and desire within Contact Improvisation practice, with personal beliefs, boundaries, and consent practices central to the experience, enabling participants to connect more consciously and freely. Saturday: 13:30-18:00 (Studio 2). Sunday: 10:00-17:00 (Studio 3).

Oct 24 - Oct 25, 2026

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Intensive

Formless Archetypes Intensive

A 5-day workshop exploring archetypal patterns through movement practice, using Authentic Movement and Integrative Contact Improvisation to let archetypal qualities appear and expand range of expression rather than performing them. Includes different structures of Authentic Movement, artistic integration, dance pedagogy, touch qualities for relaxation and tonus regulation, and movement meditation, worked in solo, duet, trio and group formations. Open to everyone with basic experience in movement, dance, or bodywork; also serves as a module of the Advanced Teachers Training.

Oct 28 - Nov 1, 2026

Vienna, Austria

Intensive

Training Ground: a Contact Improvisation Intensive

A 4-day Contact Improvisation intensive with Rick Nodine exploring the ground that CI dances on. We will build connection to earth, through the floor, with solo somatics and simple but essential patterns that underpin the CI body. We will grow confidence in falling, rolling and inverting ourselves so that our partner dances can expand beyond habitual limits. Extended contact dancing guided by scores that demand connection through principles will guide us to the edges we need to work at. We will also reclaim the floor as a playground for fresh explorations of the form and the pleasures of improvisation for its own sake. Taught in English. Prices are teaching fees only and do not include food or accommodation.

Oct 29 - Nov 1, 2026

London, United Kingdom

Intensive

Organic Interaction

"From the Fluids into Gravity" — a Body-Mind Centering® and Contact Improvisation intensive with Angela-Mara Florant and Jennie Zimmermann, 9–15 November 2026 at SerVivo, Palmela, Portugal (40 min from Lisbon, in the Arrábida Nature Park). A week exploring BMC developmental movement patterns — from the fluid, prenatal movement of vibration, pulsation, and sponging, into the gradual formation of midline, center, and periphery — as a soft entry point into Contact Improvisation: deep center connection, easy weight shifts, and take-off from the ground. Price includes accommodation and meals. Full week (Mon–Sun): sliding scale €520–820 (early bird until 1 Sep) / €590–820 (normal). Weekend only (Fri–Sun): €230–370 (early bird) / €270–370 (normal).

Nov 9 - Nov 15, 2026

Palmela, Portugal

Intensive

Gravitude — Contact Improvisation Intensive Workshop

Gravitude is a 2-week Contact Improvisation Intensive Workshop with Sasha Dodo and Dolores Dewhurst-Marks, part of the Towards Winter Residency CI54. This winter's edition offers an in-depth introduction to the fundamental propositions and principles of Contact Improvisation, approached as an inquiry-based, transformative practice and cutting-edge art form. For those motivated to study the craft of improvisation and to practice responding creatively to subtle and radical change on the dance floor and in the wider context of their lives. Full commitment to the 2 weeks and punctual attendance to each session is required; no partial participation. Group size is 20-25 people. The program runs approximately 6-8 hours of practice per day, with additional space for integration, improvisation, and the practice of witnessing, plus 1.5 rest days. The program takes place at the Youth Camp in Chiang Dao: an open-air dance space under the Doi Luang Mountain beside a small stream, surrounded by green fields and protected UNESCO forest, a 10-minute walk from a natural hot spring on the river. Chiang Dao is 1.5 hours north of Chiang Mai. Nourishing Thai and fusion vegetarian meals are served three times a day.

Nov 10 - Nov 24, 2026

Chiang Dao, Thailand

Intensive

Layers of Listening

layers of listening 5 days of deep practice and study of Contact Improvisation with Alessandro Rivellino and Lilianna Kane Classes | jams | home cooked meals | rest | wood fired sauna | river dips - This workshop will be a focused container for the study and practice of Contact Improvisation. Classes will range from slow, subtle, and meditative material surrounding presence, listening techniques, and somatic exploration, to dynamic, playful and athletic dancing scores. We will review foundations for dancing with weight in motion, and entering into and out of touch. We will meet the ground as it meets our feet. We will pay attention to detail and patiently attune to each other and ourselves. We will also liberate ourselves to play and run like silly foxes in the snow. We will investigate the sensational experiences of falling, flying, rolling, and stillness. We will dance a lot.

Nov 11 - Nov 16, 2026

Bellows Falls, United States

Intensive

Silent Conversations — Deep Listening Creative Laboratory Chiang Dao

Silent Conversations is a 3-week Creative Laboratory of Deep Listening through Dance Improvisation, Poetry and Performance with Sasha Dodo and Dolores Dewhurst-Marks, part of the Towards Winter Residency CI54. This winter's edition is an invitation to craft clarity and spaciousness for the art of living life as a unique creative act, a gift for others and a mystery beyond time. For those motivated to study improvisation, deepen their listening, and practice responding creatively to subtle and radical change on the dance floor and in the wider context of their lives. Group size is limited to 35 people. Silent Conversations is a progressive laboratory developed by Sasha and Dolores, building on their Inspiral Contact Improvisation Intensive work. Those who have not attended Inspiral before may still be able to join, but are encouraged to first attend Gravitude (10-24 November 2026) as preparation. Alongside the main application, Towards also runs a scholarship program (for practitioners unable to pay the basic cost) and a work-study program (5 places, 12 hours/week supporting the space in exchange for reduced cost), apply separately for either via the Towards Initiatives page. The program takes place at the Youth Camp in Chiang Dao: an open-air dance space under the Doi Luang Mountain beside a small stream, surrounded by green fields and protected UNESCO forest, a 10-minute walk from a natural hot spring on the river. Chiang Dao is 1.5 hours north of Chiang Mai. Nourishing Thai and fusion vegetarian meals are served three times a day.

Dec 1 - Dec 21, 2026

Chiang Dao, Thailand

Intensive

Heart Plexus

𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑻 𝑷𝑳𝑬𝑿𝑼𝑺 3 week Experimental Study Program with Sasha Dodo and Dolores Dewhurst Marks 5 - 27 January 2027 Chiang Dao, Thailand TIME AND THE SPACE OF POTENTIAL ACTION EMBODIED HOPE AND DANCE WITH CRISIS INTUITIVE IMAGINATION AND THE CRAFT OF MAKING FUTURE GENUIS This experimental study program is dedicated to Contact Improvisation as a transformative practice and cutting edge art form. It offers an inquiry-based experimental learning environment intended to generate inspiration, revelation and innovation beyond Contact Improvisation's conventionally established identity, function and territory. Inviting those who are inspired to craft space and action in their work and art for individual and collective insight; thinking and imagining from the sense of the global community. This is an opportunity for us to come together to practice change and embodiment, to reflect on how our projects, teaching, and art making are made. To share what we are currently working on and what is on the horizon, to ask deeper questions and dare to answer, meeting what we have and what we can do with what we have right now? In the heart of this program is an ongoing investigation of one's own and the collective creative potential; our ability to radically change the way we relate and perceive the future we deeply desire. Formats will include embodiment practices, presentations, discussions, film screenings, and performances. 3 WEEK INTENSIVE WORKSHOP AND PROGRESSIVE LABORATORY 5 - 27 January 2027 (group size 35–42 people, no partial participation) The program will take place at the Youth Camp in Chiang Dao. The open-air dance space is situated under the Doi Luang Mountain beside a small stream, surrounded by green fields and protected UNESCO forest. The venue is a 10-minute walk from a natural hot spring on the river. This study program is part of CI54 Winter Residency. COST Includes meals; accommodation not included. Regular price 42,000 THB. Low income price 37,000 THB (5 places). No income price 34,000 THB (3 places) — for applicants who are students, unemployed, or receive no help from family or other external sources. Priority is given to those who have previously attended Inspiral or Heart Plexus programs; first-time applicants are still welcome to apply. FOOD Thai and fusion vegetarian meals, served 3 times a day (brunch, late lunch, evening soup). ACCOMMODATION Camping space (bring your own tent), 22 nights: 3,300 THB. Bed in a shared dormitory, 3 weeks: 4,400 THB. Private bungalows also available nearby. APPLICATION Application form: https://forms.gle/8YoJ31JNqdDwRFEz5 Places are limited; accepted applicants receive confirmation no later than 1 September 2026. Priority is given to those who have previously attended Inspiral or Heart Plexus, but first-time applicants are welcome to apply. Scholarship applications (for dedicated practitioners unable to pay the basic cost, supported by Towards Initiatives): https://forms.gle/Ua1ydQGT4PgvyUtK8 Work-study applications (6 places, 12h/week in exchange for support with running the space): https://forms.gle/VdoFk2QazP6KYVvE9

Jan 5 - Jan 27, 2027

Chiang Dao, Thailand

Intensive

Root & Wind: 5 Day CI Intensive with Bari Kim in Koh Phangan

Root & Wind explores the relationship between rooting and flying, stability and freedom, presence and movement. Like birds, we will learn not simply to fly, but to listen to the wind. Through Contact Improvisation, solo practice, partnering, and group exploration, we will work with weight, gravity, breath, touch, falling, suspension, and collective improvisation, cultivating listening, sensitivity, and responsiveness while investigating how the body can remain grounded and open to change. We will approach movement as something that emerges through relationship. Wind reveals itself through breath, touch, attention, shared weight, and presence. Inspired by the Buddhist contemplation of the four elements (earth, water, fire, and wind), we will explore the body not as a fixed identity, but as a living process of continuous transformation. Together, we will explore questions such as: how do we root, how do we listen, how does movement emerge, how does the wind move through us. Over five days, we will experience dance as a transformative state, discovering how roots become wind, how wind becomes roots, and how both continuously transform one another. This workshop welcomes dancers of all backgrounds who are interested in Contact Improvisation, embodied awareness, and the living dialogue between rootedness and openness. Daily intensive sessions run 10:00-14:00, with three additional evening sessions. Note: accommodation is not included; most bungalows are a short scooter ride away.

Jan 26 - Jan 30, 2027

Koh Phangan, Thailand

Intensive

The Roots and Heart of CI

What is in the roots and in the heart of this form? Just past the 50-year mark of Contact Improvisation, this intensive honours and questions the dance and its underlying practice. Participants train body and mind to be ready and available to let the physics affect the body while dancing, working with attention to detail alone and with others, letting the dance pass through and be supported rather than done. The skills framework covers expanding attention to self, others, and space; lucidity of touch; supported changes of level; three-dimensional falling alone and together; and the dance of the unknown. Most mornings open with a short Feldenkrais session led by Lui Springer before Leilani Weis guides the group into the roots and heart of Contact Improvisation. For dancers with the desire to go deeper into the paths that sustain the dance. On-site sleeping available in the dance hall Friday-Sunday for a small nightly fee, bring your own mat and sleeping bag.

Feb 19 - Feb 23, 2027

Vienna, Austria

Intensive

From Zero to Flying

An intensive using somatic techniques to explore contact improvisation and aerial movement — flight patterns, fluid acrobatics & pure contact. Starts with developmental movement patterns and cellular awareness; participants learn flying, catching, landing, and fluid acrobatics at their own level, integrating skeletal organization and shared nervous-system awareness rather than isolated tricks.

May 15 - May 18, 2027

Mühlhausen, Germany