Mary Pearson
Photo by: Alan Smith
Class Description: "Out of my head, into the jam!"
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How does this thing work? Jam spaces can be challenging environments for beginners of CI, with seemingly mysterious non-verbal social codes and cues. Yet, hopefully, people are drawn to CI from their desire to connect with others through dancing. I can remember waiting on the sidelines, wondering: How do I find a partner? How can I tell if someone is ready to dance with me? How do I know, and what do I do, when the dance is done? This class will explore diverse and playful strategies for getting into the jam, and connecting with others. Such as: finding my solo, creating and proposing games, copycatting, joining ensemble happenings, long distance dance relationships, and making secret scores. We will practice clear communication for engagement, non-engagement, and leaving dances. Our aim is to enter the jam feeling empowered with a set of survival skills to join the dance.
Biography:
Mary Pearson (USA/Liverpool) is an interdisciplinary performance maker who first collided with Contact Improvisation at Oberlin College (USA), studying Visual Art and dance. Her CI practice took root at the ‘Wednesday jam’ (Berne, CH), Freiburg festival, Earthdance with Nancy Stark Smith, and the Liverpool Improvisation Collective (UK). She began teaching CI in 2009 at Liverpool John Moore’s University, and has since taught at Improspekcije 2019 (Zagreb), WCCIJam 2017, Freiburg festival 2016 (Germany), The Berkeley Jam, London CI and CI Society Goldsmith’s, Improvisation Exchange Leeds, and The Glasgow Jam. She has trained, performed, and mentored at Ponderosa Tanzland festival and P.O.R.C.H. summer school. Her solo works have toured internationally 2012-18, along with FAILURE Lab improvisation and performance workshops. Current collaborations: How to Be Afraid? duet with mayfield brooks, and Anthropo+Screen by-products with fashion designer Alena Kudera. ~ www.mpearsonater.com