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 5-year old daughter.

This workshop is an invitation to re-examine how we want to/can be in touch again, right now. It takes as a starting point Annie’s experience of missing regular practice during the hiatus of the pandemic and a desire to reconsider dancing in contact. How have our physical and emotional capacities changed? And, how might we move together with an altered sense of permission and purpose?

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

- how I move

- what/who affects my dance

- what/who is my dance effecting

This workshop combines elements of Annie’s work – performance, choreography, contact improvisation, and biodynamic craniosacral therapy. Guided work in tuning proprioception, observing physical sensations and use of 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.

Suited to dancers who have previous experience of working with contact improvisation and/or in close contact with others, and who are keen to return to the form after a period of hiatus. This distance could be due to a lack of spaces and groups to frequently practice, a loss of interest and/or confidence, or another reason.

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.

Photo credit: Cheniece Warner