Instagram story viewer> @austincontact> Posts

austincontact

@austincontact

813

followers

148

following

Contact improvisation happening in Austin, TX - Jams every THURSDAY from 7-10pm

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

THURS 9/24 LIVE MUSIC CI JAM + CLASS

East Side Performing Arts
7 sharp - 8 class
8:15 -10 jam

⭐️this week all are asked to attend the opening circle at 8:15 before the jam

LIVE MUSIC by Jason Traweek!

Class Desc:

In this class we will STAY WITH by cultivating a quality of togetherness in the dance that allows for surprising possibilities to emerge. With an open ended, curious attitude towards fitting our centers together, we’ll share weight and follow the point(s) of contact into genuine unknown territory.

Bios:

Nora Gross @thatss.gross is a mover, visual artist, chef, and educator who has co-facilitated the Austin Contact Jam since 2024. She has studied CI locally and internationally and weaves a sensitivity with looking at things from a birds eye view: asking the continually renewing question: why are we dancing?

Katherine Lain @katherine__lain lives wide between Austin, TX and Athens, GR, and draws inspiration from observing nature and animals, caring for small humans, and swimming in wild places. She has organized and taught at Austin’s weekly CI jam since 2022, and studied/ taught/ performed dance improvisation in the US and internationally.

Jason Traweek, @jason.traweek CHP is a certified Hakomi Practitioner (somatic therapy), conservation biologist, and musician of over 40 years. He specializes in mindfulness-based therapy, shamanic practice, men’s work, and live/recorded music. With 40 years of experience. his musical curiosities and explorations have led him not only to many different kinds of instruments, but also to varied genres. He leads live, improvised music events with Spirit Lab, records project albums, and produces recordings for musicians. You can find his music across all the major platforms. by @austincontact

40

1

24 days ago

:
Women’s Only CI Class + Jam 🌀
Wednesday 9.30.26
Class @ 7:30-8:30pm • Jam @ 8:45pm

This month we’ll have a CI fundamentals class offered by @katherine__lain and we’ll have @hexpartner weaving a live soundscape into our jam 🔥

𝔽𝕝𝕠𝕨 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘
7:30~7:45 • Arrival
7:45~8:45 • Class w/ Katherine
8:45~9:00 • Opening circle/orientation
9:00~10:15 • Jam + Live music
10:15~10:30 • Closing circle/departure

𝕃𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟
East Side Performing Arts Center
979 Springdale Rd Ste 815, Austin, TX 78702

𝔸𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤
We’ll practice meeting the earth through another’s body and playing with different ways to connect as we move through the space together. Can we be in connection through touch without losing contact with the whole room?

𝔸𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕣
@katherine__lain lives wide between Austin and Greece, dancing to flirt with the unknown and trust what emerges from the collective. She has studied contact improvisation with devotion for five years, and learns just as much from sitting quietly in wild places.

𝔸𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕟
@hexpartner is a synthesist, strings player, and VJ who lives in Austin, TX and focuses on spatial audiovisual performance.

Bring kneepads, a refillable water bottle and wear comfortable clothes to move in. Pants recommended and bringing layers that offer coverage is helpful.

$20-$35 sliding scale
ℕ𝕆𝕋𝔸𝔽𝕃𝕆𝔽

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮.

The jam was created for women within the CI and other dance communities in and around ATX. Open to all women wanting a focused space to jam, lab and create together. All levels of experience welcome, beginners strongly encouraged to attend the full event.
Inclusive space for non-binary and LGBTQ+ women.

𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙩/𝘿𝙈 @𝙜𝙞𝙜𝙞__𝙠 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩 🤍

(Photograph in slide 2 taken by Arthur Moss) by @austincontact

79

3

a month ago

hey yall , registration is open for lanis upcoming workshop! it’s coming up and there are still spots available!

This is a rare opportunity to learn from a seasoned practitioner of CI and BMC here in Austin. Lani has a very playful and calm teaching style as well as much wisdom to share about Body Mind Centering ® as well as Contact Improvisation amongst other modalities. She has been practicing these forms for many decades.

The workshop will take place September 25 and 26 in Austin Texas! The link with more info is in bio. Hope to see you there :) taken in Wood Haven ATX by @austincontact

27

0

a month ago

Class and jam tonight! 9/3! Come dance!

Class description:
How do you witness without sight? We will practice exercises from the DanceAbility method to amplify our ability to “see” with all our senses. Changing the way you perceive can open new ways to relate. By dampening visual input, we may find we can focus more effectively on perception of the present moment in turn opening up new ways of relating to each other without preconceptions. Optional blindfolds will be provided.

Olivia O’Hare, PhD, MA
Olivia is a movement educator who combines her extensive knowledge of fitness, somatics, improvisational dance, and physical theatre to create a unique experience in each class she teaches. She believes that body awareness, movement, and an understanding of non-verbal communication are an essential part of the human experience and should be made accessible to all people. To learn more about Olivia’s work visit pilatesbyolivia.com by @austincontact

23

0

a month ago

TODAY! Thursday 8/20 class with @katherine__lain and jam!

doors 6:45
class @ 7 sharp !
jam 8:15 - 9:45
closing circle 9:45 - 10

Rock, Roll, + Ride

In this class, we’ll find softening, rocking, supporting and counterbalancing inside duet work. Through bodywork exchange, we’ll open spaces inside the fluid spaces of our partner’s joints and tissues. We’ll work patiently from the earth up, cultivating a state of soft attention and openness to support us on a final surprising and delightful ride in and out of the earth.

Bio:

Katherine Lain is a movement improviser, dance facilitator, writer, and bodyworker living between Austin, TX and Athens, GR. Katherine draws inspiration from observing nature and animals, caring for small humans, studying developmental movement patterns, swimming in wild places, and a decade of massage therapy practice. She has organized and taught at Austin’s weekly CI jam since 2022 and presented original work at M54 (Athens), Jardin d’Alice (France), and the Austin Dance Festival. Katherine is currently pursuing a Masters in Counseling Psychology in Athens and taking many naps by the sea.

Photo from Des/orientations with Louve Renaud, Athens 2025 by @austincontact

22

0

2 months ago

Thursday 8-13 Class with Teagan Lehrmann + Jam
@ ESPA

doors 6:45
class @ 7 sharp !
jam 8:15-9:45

Water Bodies

This class will explore the water bodies inside the skin body that flow us into movement. Specific attention will be given to the bowl of the pelvis and the skull as anchor points in moving weight in both our solo and contact dances.

How do we invite patience into our dance through slowing down the pelvis? How does our dance change when we lead with our pelvis versus with our head? How do we stay oriented — to ground, self, and other — as the fluid skull tips off balance?

Bio:

Teagan Lehrmann (they/them)
Teagan is a compositional improviser, movement researcher and dance therapist investigating the nature of dis/orientation in movement and relationship. Teagan orients to their practice of dancing and teaching as a place to explore rest & exertion, connection & disconnection, play & boredom.
Teagan’s movement is informed by their background and study in gymnastics, diving, contemporary dance, authentic movement, contact improvisation, synergetic play therapy, tibetan buddhism, and napping. by @austincontact

9

2

2 months ago

This Thursday - 7/30 - Long Jam - @ ESPA

opening circle at 7pm
jam til 9:45

no class ! just jam <3 come dance with us 🌀 taken in East Side Performing Arts - ESPA by @austincontact

25

0

3 months ago

Joining from where you are, in the moment, this workshop welcomes movers from all backgrounds and levels of experience. Drawing from decades of practice in Contact Improvisation, Contemporary/Postmodern Dance, and Body-Mind Centering, Lani Nahele will invite participants to trust sensation as a guide, allowing movement to emerge through inquiry, presence, and relationship, rather than focusing on achieving specific shapes or techniques. One of the inspirations for this workshop is related to spirals found in nature, in our bodies, and in our growth patterns throughout history. We repeat, but at a new level, with integrated information. Together, we will investigate and explore developmental movement patterns and sequencing, anatomical structures, as well as spatial relationships, both in solo exploration and in contact. Through structured improvisations and exercises, we will experience how the body’s tissues, weight, and organization support movement, cultivating greater efficiency and responsiveness.

Saturday, September 26 | 10:00 AM–3:00 PM
Sunday, September 27 | 11:00 AM–2:00 PM

Sliding Scale Pricing
$175–$220

We are offering two BIPOC scholarship spots for $75 first come first serve. update- scholarships have been claimed , payment plans available

Lani Nahele is a professional dancer, choreographer, movement educator, and bodyworker based in Western Massachusetts. After earning her BFA from SUNY @ Purchase, she danced in New York City with Ohad Naharin and was a member of the Trisha Brown Dance Company for several years. For over four decades, Contact Improvisation has been central to Lani’s movement and teaching practice, and she had the opportunity to study directly with Steve Paxton, the instigator of the form. She also studied extensively with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and became a Certified Practitioner of Body-Mind Centering in 1994.

Lani is also trained and certified in Circulatory Massage, Pilates, Gyrotonics, Gyrokinesis, and Reiki.

♡♡♡♡♡♡

For any questions or inquiries email gabriellekahn6@gmail.com

Link in bio to register:) taken in Austin, Texas by @austincontact

50

1

3 months ago

Class + Jam this Thursday! Today!
class with Jacob Regan @flyingfloorward 7-8 then jam after til 10

Class description: _Dynamic Stability_
Through the lens of Contact Improvisation as an act of intentional and attentional awareness, this class focuses on cultivating and expanding upon the foundational skills of dynamic stability, kinesthetic listening, tracking, and responding to physical forces in real time. The focus will be on weight sharing, bearing, and directing; falling; when, how, and why to muscle or not; various tables, shelves, and other furniture-based imagery; and how all of this can lead to improvised dancing together. Join us as we slide, pivot, roll, and transfer our weight into, away from, over, under, and around moving bodies both real and imagined. Bring a water bottle, comfortable clothes, and your favorite kneepads. All levels of movement experience are welcome.

Bio: Jacob Regan is a movement improviser, performance artist, and dance researcher currently on faculty at Sam Houston State University. His ongoing fascinations revolve around the phenomenological and biological accounts of movement improvisation and wondering what it means to improvise without free will. Jacob views dance as a synthesis between artistry and athleticism, values harmony between erudition and elation, and believes in the facilitation of creative environments conducive to fostering autonomous artists. His summer reading list includes _East of Eden, Fahrenheit 451, At the Mountains of Madness, Babylon Girls_, and the next installment of the _Dungeon Crawler Carl_ series.

Photo credit:
Ashley Deran @aderanphoto featuring Jacob and Jen Passios performing their duet _Apply Pressure and Wait_ for Midwest RADFest 2026 by @austincontact

15

1

3 months ago

* IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR TONIGHT *

Class will be CDP with Angela Kaylor @gigi__k ! 7pm

jam @ 8:15

Contemplative Dance Practice invites participants into a state of deep listening and embodied presence. This space helps us cultivate an intimate relationship with our authentic expression through movement and witnessing, and expands the landscape of our experience into infinite realms of possibility and spontaneous emergence.

This movement container was created by dance educator and performance artist Barbara Dilley at Naropa University in the 1970s. CDP combines meditation and dance improvisation through a sequential progression of seated meditation, personal awareness practice and group movement. The container for this practice is woven collectively and actively held through compassionate witnessing of the group, by the group. CDP is a dynamic exploration of self awareness, fostering authentic expression and a deeper relationship with our internal and external world.

Angela has been dancing and performing in Austin for over 15 years, with a focus on contemporary aerial, post modern and site specific work.Â Sheâs performed with siteÂ specificÂ aerial dance company Blue Lapis Light and has been featured in various performance projects with several localÂ choreographers. Over the past 4 years her movement research has been primarily focused on experimental dance forms of improvisation, CI and ensemble work. Sheâs been especially influenced by working with Deborah Hay and Nina Martin/Lower Left Collective. In 2023, she completed a 550 hour ISMETA Somatic Movement Education certification from ACC, and has been a practicing LMT for 10 years.

Due to unforeseen circumstances Olivia & Pat are unable to teach tonight as planned! Enjoy this impromptu practice.

Can’t wait to dance with you all tonight 🌀 taken in East Side Performing Arts - ESPA by @austincontact

33

0

3 months ago

This Thu July 9 class + jam! ESPA 7-10. Again we dance with Olivia + Pat for class 🤍

Class description:
“I see movement as a language. By listening to our bodies speaking, we can access wisdom and ways of relating different from that offered through spoken language.” - Alito Alessi, founder of DanceAbility method

This week we will explore the Approach Work from the DanceAbility method, an inclusive style of contact improvisation. Our intention is to offer a study of deep listening and intuitive communication to prepare for moving through a silent jam to follow.

Pat Stone, MA, LMA
Pat is a performer and choreographer who taught in the dance department at Texas Start University for 30 years before retiring. Her root forms include post-modern dance, Laban Movement Analysis and Contact Improvisation.

Olivia O’Hare, PhD, MA
Olivia is a movement educator who combines her extensive knowledge of fitness, somatics, improvisational dance, and physical theatre to create a unique experience in each class she teaches. She believes that body awareness, movement, and an understanding of non-verbal communication are an essential part of the human experience and should be made accessible to all people. To learn more about Olivia’s work visit pilatesbyolivia.com by @austincontact

10

0

3 months ago

🌀 Join me on Wed July 29th for the first CI Jam reserved exclusively for the women of the dance community. This is the first of what I hope to be a monthly event 🌀

I’m 𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭 to be joined by 2 lovely & talented women whose offerings will elevate the evening ✨
@mira_cook_music will be weaving a live improvised soundscape into our dancing, and @ojohare will facilitate a rich movement experience that’ll unfold seamlessly into our jam.

𝔽𝕝𝕠𝕨 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘
7:30~7:45 • space opens/arrival
7:45~8:00 • opening circle/orientation
8:00~8:30 • movement experience w/ @ojohare
8:30~9:45 • jam + live score @mira_cook_music
9:45~10:00 • closing circle/departure

Reminder to bring kneepads, a refillable water bottle and to wear comfortable clothes to move in. Pants recommended and bringing layers that offer coverage is helpful.

𝕃𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟
East Side Performing Arts Center
979 Springdale Rd Ste 815, Austin, TX 78702

$20-$35 sliding scale
ℕ𝕆𝕋𝔸𝔽𝕃𝕆𝔽

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮.

The container is created specifically for women within the CI and other dance communities in and around ATX. Open to all women wanting a focused space to jam, lab and create together. All levels of experience welcome.
Inclusive space for non-binary and LGBTQ+ women.

Looking forward to gathering and dancing together 🤍

𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙩/𝘿𝙈 @𝙜𝙞𝙜𝙞__𝙠 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩
.
.
. by @austincontact

90

19

3 months ago