Contact improvisation is a form of improvised partner dancing that has been developing internationally since 1972. It involves the exploration of one’s body in relationship to others by using the fundamentals of sharing weight, touch, and movement awareness. It has evolved into a broad global community of social dancing around “jams” characterized by their welcoming attitude towards newcomers to dance, as well as seasoned practitioners.

American dancer and choreographer Steve Paxton originated contact improvisation, drawing from his past training in Aikido, a martial art form, to explore and push boundaries with his colleagues and students to develop this new practice. Contact improvisation plays with the artistry of falling off balance, counterbalance, finding the shelves of the body, learning the mechanics of the body in order to handle someone else’s weight or be lifted, breathing techniques, and can involve the art of getting to know your partner past the physical point through the physicality.

Steve Paxton, along with other pioneers Nancy Stark Smith, Danny Lepkoff, Lisa Nelson, Karen Nelson, Nita Little, Andrew Harwood, Peter Bingham, and Ray Chung, thus participated in creating an “art-sport,” oscillating between different emphases depending on the moments and personalities.

The Axis Syllabus© is a collection of information about the limits and potentials of human locomotion. This rich source draws on numerous fields of science including anatomy, physics, biology, embryology, biomechanics, etc.
Being informed is the cornerstone of making an intelligent decision when choosing a movement practice. Although we humans have all evolved unique body architecture, there are commonalities in form, structure and function due to the laws of nature to which we are all equally subject. These commonalities provide us with a reference point to develop a deeper understanding of the moving body in space and time.
Axis Syllabus provides observation and exploration tools, proposes strategies, and offers a unique perspective on how we can improve our movement skills to feel resilient and self-empowered in our individual learning. Its originator Frey Faust is a brilliant dancer, choreographer, teacher and the author of the book “The Axis Syllabus” Human Movement Lexicon. His wisdom and unique perspectives on the living human body in motion are visionary and ground-breaking. His indispensable efforts to educate and critically engage are a powerful inspiration to all who aspire to a self-determined life.

Body Mind Centering® (BMC) is based on the embodiment and application of anatomical, physiological, psychophysical and developmental principles.
BMC® explores movement, touch, voice and mind and teaches us to recognise ourselves and interact with others, through focusing attention and intention.
Developed by dancer and occupational therapist Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen,  BMC® fosters a dynamic body mind awareness for processes of learning and repatterning. The method takes place in dance and movement training, bodywork, physiotherapy and occupational therapy and is constantly evolving.