TeesDance Skills Session: Contact Improvisation

Skills Session: Contact Improvisation with Annie Lok

Annie Lok has been a freelance dance artist since 1999, and qualified as a biodynamic craniosacral therapist (BCST) in 2014. She makes live performance works through experimental and collaborative processes. She has choreographed and co-directed over 35 works in the UK and abroad with professional and non-professional performers. Teaching and facilitation are key parts of her practice and she has taught in many community, professional and Higher Education settings. In 2021 Annie became one of the first leaders of colour to direct a dance organisation as Co-Artistic Director and Joint CEO of Siobhan Davies Studios (SDS) alongside independent producer Kat Bridge. Outside of SDS, Annie continues to freelance and parent her 6-year-old daughter.

This workshop is an invitation to examine how we want to be in touch and connection. It takes as a starting point Annie’s interest in exploring power, agency and choice in both our solo and contact dancing. How might awareness of our decision making (and what it is rooted in) support us to move together with an altered sense of permission, purpose and responsibility?

A series of open frames and invitations will be offered to explore and observe:

– what power and agency feel like in micro moments of dancing alone
– how this then informs my choice making when dancing with others

This workshop combines elements of Annie’s on-going work with performance, choreography, contact improvisation/the Underscore and biodynamic craniosacral therapy. Guided work in tuning proprioception, observing physical sensations, and using anatomical and physiological information will lead us into noticing choice, agency, and desire. Gradually, we will work our way into giving and receiving touch, support, and weight.

This is a practical session suited to professional dancers who have experience of working with contact improvisation and/or the Underscore.

Our programme for North East based dance practitioners is subsidised and therefore participants must meet the following criteria to benefit from this provision.

Participants must:

Be over 18 years old.

No longer be studying within a Further (GCSE/A-level/BTEC) or Higher (Degree) Educational setting.

Hold a completed qualification in creative arts at Level 5 (foundation degree) or Level 6 (undergraduate degree) or higher, or an equivalent e.g., Scottish Bachelor's Degree or international qualification. Any artists working professionally with more informal training please do get in touch with us as we’d love to hear from you.

Be currently based in or from the North East (Tees Valley, County Durham, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear)

Please note that spaces for professional activities are limited and offered to those who meet the above criteria to ensure those who are pursuing a career in dance can access suitable training, support and professional development to meet their needs within the professional dance industry. TeesDance reserves the right to amend the qualifying criteria where appropriate.