Contact Improvisation & Related Practices Pedagogy Course

The crux of the course is investigating the six-part viewpoint of pedagogy for movement practice I have developed over 15 years teaching movement pedagogy for graduate arts programs. We will focus this on the work of Contact Improvisation and related movement practices. As CI is presented as open source, our concentration will be placed explicitly on teaching practice with space for each participant to utilize their own research and interest through hands-on praxis work to apply methodology.

The pedagogy course will be hosted at California State University Long Beach in sunny southern California. Mornings will begin at 10am with theory through practice, followed by teaching practicum and critical response in the afternoon, and fireside evening discussions that will wrap by 9pm. This immersive format will support up to eight participants in a hands-on investigation of CI & movement pedagogy. The course location is ideal with gorgeous landscapes during breaks for relaxation, study, and conversation.

Ezra LeBank is a Professor and Head of Movement in the Department of Theatre Arts at California State University Long Beach. He has taught movement pedagogy for the graduate programs at The University of Montana and CSULB for the past 15 years, and has facilitated pedagogy courses for movement teachers across Europe and the United States. Read more about Ezra here.

Ezra will be the primary facilitator, with support from special guests.

The purpose of this course is to establish space for investigation and collaborative support in service of Contact Improvisation community(ies). This includes material attending to work in teaching, facilitation, and organization. Through practice, reflection, and conversation we will approach a range of topics including pedagogical principles, jam facilitation, event organizing, ethics, diversity and inclusion, and building a teaching practice.

Honoring the nature of Contact Improvisation as an open form, this course seeks to value and include diversity as it speaks to diverse forms of CI-related movement practices and the backgrounds of those included. We will work toward these aims through curated content presented in the course, and financial support for BIPOC and participants from underrepresented communities.

This course is designed for those who currently teach or are interested in developing a teaching or facilitation practice. The format of the course is compressed into an intensive environment to be accessible for both local and traveling participants. Housing is available for a limited number of participants. Please note that this is not a teacher training certification course. As Contact Improvisation is an open source practice, there is no certification. This course may be eligible as continuing education for teachers or professors.