ATTENTION CALENDAR, DANCE, AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30, 2006
PRESS CONTACT : Rachel Winograd, 845-532-1261 rachelwinograd@gmail.com

PHOTOS FOR PRESS DOWNLOAD (300 dpi)


THE 18TH ANNUAL WEST COAST CONTACT IMPROVISATION FESTIVAL
IN BERKELEY'S 8TH STREET STUDIOS, JUNE 29-JULY 4, 2006

( Berkeley , CA )  June 29th to July 4th marks the 18th annual West Coast Contact Improvisation Festival (WCCIF) when more than 30 of the West Coast's finest improvisation teachers will offer 5 days of superb and stimulating Contact Improvisation classes, intensives, performances, discussions and teaching labs at 8th Street Studios in Berkeley. For almost two decades, WCCIF has been a vital forum for fostering and disseminating the Contact Improvisation dance form in the U.S. T his year the festival highlights 4 intensives including a mixed-abilities workshop that is specifically for dancers with and without disabilities, 2 nights of student performance opportunities, and a curated gala performance. In addition, festival participants get free rehearsal space and time.

Picture this—8th Street Studios in Berkeley: In the lobby, voices and laughter flow out from a sprawled yet comfortable pile of humans; In a studio, a group discusses the implications of gender roles in 21st century dance culture; In another corner of the studio 2 people practice weight-sharing, lifts, and "rolling" versus "sliding" physical contact. T his can be described as a typical afternoon between classes at WCCIF.

Contact Improvisation (CI) is a unique dance form in which practitioners spontaneously create movement material using the human body as it already exists. T he form's fluid, weight-sharing and aerial partnering style is unmistakable in contemporary choreography today. Its essence created in the early 1970's, CI is a natural development in dance history: From the technically-introduced beginnings of Ballet, moving through classically placed Modern, and influencing contemporary release-based dance. In a world where physical contact is accompanied by preconceived ideas and judgments, CI has become a physical springboard for social discourse addressing the challenge of practicing physical intimacy without sexual innuendo and the question of striving for equality of movement, gender, and abilities. CI is a grassroots, community-based art form that has rooted itself in hundreds of communities across the globe; from Europe to Australia and South America to Japan .

Whether you are new to Contact Improvisation wanting to learn in a safe and respectful community, a professional dancer looking to re-connect with the Contact community and give and receive professional and artistic feedback, or someone who just wants to see some fabulous performances, this 5-day festival is a perfect way to become involved in a new community, learn and practice skills, develop your choreographic imagination, and see some excellent dancing. Come join us June 29th to July 4th and be a part of the physical and spiritual growth that is the West Coast Contact Improvisation Festival.