My CI Bio

    My Contact Improv and movement arts background

    I’ve been practicing Contact Improvisation and related collaborative movement improvisation since encountering CI at an extracurricular college course in 1979. Since that time I have regularly attended CI gatherings - jams - and studied with central CI developers, including particularly Nancy Stark Smith as well as many others. Along the way I came to love Authentic Movement (initially studying with Sue Schell), Contemplative Dance Practice, and exploration of freeform ensemble jams. As my jam participation and studies continued I have gradually migrated into centrally facilitating the local DC jam (dccontactimprov.net) and a nearby regional jam (eastcoastjam.com). I also have taken on opportunities to teach CI and organize Authentic Movement in ongoing classes, retreats, workshops, and dance festivals.

    Learning and teaching improvisation raises a question I find fascinating: how does one teach an intrinsically spontaneous practice? Like riding a bike or surfing, Contact Improvisation is something that you really learn by doing. So what can a teacher provide? I believe that we can provide orientation to participate in a way that is conducive to learning what the practice teaches. Its closeness and immediacy provides myriad opportunities to learn about differentiation and clear boundaries.

    Some More Details:

    • Ken has been a regular participant of the DC Sunday jam since the mid-1980s, and has centrally coordinated organization of the jam since the early 2000s.

    • Ken studied extensively with central CI developer Nancy Stark Smith. He was acquainted with her project, the Underscore, starting from before it had a name and continuing as it developed. Since late 2003 Ken has facilitated the Underscore monthly at the DC Sunday Jam, sharing these responsibilities with another jam organizer since 2022.

    • Ken has attended the  East Coast Jam four day regional Contact Improvisation retreat since its inception in 1987. He has been on the Spring ECJ organizing team since 2006.

    • In addition to performing Contact Improvisation on many occasions, from September 2007 through 2015 Ken performed and helped to develop a combination of choreographed and improvised dance as part of the Nancy Havlik Dance Performance Group.

    For much more specific details see My CI Experience.

    Some photos: