Join The Castro Room for a playful evening of contact improvisation. This class will be taught by Marcus van Duren with live jam music by Craig Berletti.
A guided pre-jam class will be from 8:00 - 9:00p and then will flow directly into a jam until 10:30p. In class, we’ll explore themes of weight-sharing, counterbalancing, signaling, listening, and everything in-between. The jam that follows is an opportunity to continue researching your movement & relational curiosities that sparked from class. First-timers and experienced dancers are all very welcome!
*Class 8:00-9:00pm taught by Marcus van Duren
*Jam 9:00-10:30pm with live music by Craig Berletti
Come for the whole evening or feel free to drop-in to the jam anytime
Teacher:
Marcus van Duren is a dancer, teacher and musician based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Marcus has intensively studied movement and dance since his discovery of contact improvisation in 2012. He has been teaching CI locally and internationally for more than 10 years. Marcus is an active member of the axis syllabus community and is currently an Axis Syllabus Teacher Candidate. For Marcus, teaching is not just about transmitting information, but also about creating a safe space for participants to explore, take risks and collaborate. The goal is not to give people a fresh catch but rather teach them how to fish, and leave them with a felt sense that can inspire further research. When it comes to teaching dance, Marcus specializes in merging the technical information of bio-mechanics with play, humor and ritual to create engaging learning experiences that aim to serve the whole person, not just the dancer.
Musician:
Craig Berletti has been playing music for over 20 years. He specializes in trumpet, piano, and accordion. You can find Craig performing across the bay, teaching music, and tuning pianos. Reach out at https://www.berlettipiano.com/ & https://www.thebackdimplesband.com/ | venmo @craig-berletti
Host:
Merrick Jacob is a lover of movement, continuously in awe of the body and its potential for delightful expression, wild creativity, & authentic connection. Influenced by her practices of contact improvisation, figure skating, acroyoga, and hand-balancing, she guides playful movement experiences as an opportunity for deep listening, research, and co-creation. Merrick hosts contact improvisation across the SF Bay Area. Say hi here: merrickjacob.com
About Contact Improvisation, Agreements, FAQS
First time?
Is it your first time hearing of this movement form? It can be defined in many ways. I love this definition from Ray Chung, “Contact Improvisation is an open-ended exploration of the kinaesthetic possibilities of bodies moving through contact. Sometimes wild and athletic, sometimes quiet and meditative, it is a form open to all bodies and enquiring minds.”Curious first-timers to experienced dancers are all very welcome!
What happens in class and do I need a partner?
Class is a time to explore themes of weight-sharing, counterbalancing, signaling, listening, and everything in-between in solo, duets, and as a group. Each teacher brings their own unique flavor to the class. No need to come with a partner. The teacher will facilitate pairing people together and switching partners throughout the class.
What's a jam?
This is an opportunity to continue researching your movement & relational curiosities that sparked from class or just to enjoy sharing creative movement space together. Dance, witness, investigate, have fun. Come & go as you please with care.
Price: $25 for Class + Jam
$10 for Jam only