Invisible Dialogues with Physical Forces

1-Day Intensive Contact Improvisation Dance with Irene Pons

14th June 2025

ABOUT IRENE
Irene chooses Contact Improvisation as her main practice to touch the present and embrace the unknown. Her dance journey began as a child with Catalan folk dances, where she first felt the power of the collective through movement. Looking for more creativity and freedom, she later embraced Contact Improvisation. Irene has been deeply inspired by Towards, An Open Institute of Embodied Arts and Transformative Learning in Thailand, where she spent the last three years. She is more drawn to the spirit of the practice than to its form, exploring how to open the space for dance to unfold, create a state of readiness that can meet the constant change and transformation of life, and develop an awareness to expand beyond the walls. What can we take from this practice?

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
In this workshop, we will get inspired by the principles of Contact Improvisation, studying some material left from the first generation of practitioners. We’ll explore states of mind, vision, awareness, gravity, time, mass, weight, and physical forces through play and movement.

SCHEDULE

1st Class: Dancing Effortlessly
14th June, from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM

We will begin the day by creating a space of trust, confidence, and listening, where we can feel at ease to share, touch, and be touched by the group and the space. How can we be danced by the space without expectations? We will explore tone and equalizing, seeking ways to move together effortlessly, without forcing or being forced. We’ll play with weight and embrace imbalance. As Steve Paxton said, “Tension masks sensation.” So, we will start the day by bringing softness to the body and soul, opening ourselves to receive the world and establish honest connections.

2nd Class: Weightless: A Play with Gravity
14th June, from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM

What does falling teach us? What do we release when we fall? What is our relationship with the ground? In this workshop, we will soften the body to embrace the fall and be received by the earth, rather than resisting it. How can we fall together, support each other, and use the energy of the earth to return? Inspired by Steve Paxton’s Small Dance, we will explore gravity and how to use momentum to navigate through space. We will also experiment with different ways of using vision—both central and peripheral—exploring how they affect our awareness of space and movement, and how we can use disorientation as a tool for improvisation.

Contact Improvisation JAM
14th June, From 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
(Open to all, even if you don’t attend the classes)

No matter whether you are new to the practice or have been practicing it for many years, you are warmly welcome! The jam will offer a chance to integrate what we’ve practiced during the workshops in the most common setting for Contact Improvisation. The JAM is open to all, even if you don’t attend the classes.

FOR WHOM
This workshop is open to all levels. You’re welcome to attend just one class, though joining the first one may help you transition more easily to the second class and jam. Since the two workshops are connected, attending both will provide a more complete experience.

WHAT TO BRING

• Comfortable clothing for movement (sporty, flexible, and long pants)
• Water bottle
• Potluck vegetarian lunch (we will share a meal between the 2 workshops)

CONTRIBUTION

• 1 single class: Sliding Scale €25–€35
• 2 classes: Sliding Scale €40–€70 (for both classes)
• Jam: Sliding Scale €5–€10 (Open to all, even if you don’t attend the classes)

ABOUT IRENE PONS
Instagram: @irene-pons
Website: www.irene-pons.com

MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION

To register, fill this form: https://forms.gle/7W9m2nVYSttqC9NeA

If you have any questions, please contact Irene directly via email at  or on WhatsApp at +351 93 244 3749.

Important: Please register by June 1st to confirm your spot.

WHERE
SerVivo https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZQURymSpJGGqSRd26