Boston Focus Jams

In our desire to have jams remain a forum for the investigation of contact improvisation rather than a social gathering we borrowed the format of the “focus jam” from Buenos Aires.

A focus jam is a time to investigate the dance form through a particular lens. A strand of the form receives our attention. At these jams participants are welcome to embrace the focus, rebel against it, or ignore it.

We have found that having a focus introduces a palpable attentiveness into the room. After almost three years investigating within this structure, we have slowly become more articulate about our experience in the dancing.

Below are some themes we have worked with. Links take you to observations made at the end of each jam.

• Navigating into spherical space
• Suspension
• Generosity
• Following through
• Yielding our center to a mutual center of balance and luxuriating in the moments off balance
• Falling
• Establishing the connection / trust that allows for risk taking
• Un-weighting
• Precious / not precious
• Desire
• Continuity
• Support
• Invitations
• Candor
• Sensation
• Nuance
• Articulation
• Remember
• Simplicity
• Resistence
• Fluidity (with the sub-theme of: Disobedience)
• Independence
• Backspace
• Staying true
• Gender
• (Sensation into) Momentum
• Telescoping awareness
• Tonight — choose your own focus
• When curiosity spills over into fascination
• Surprise
• Your Solo Dance– while dancing alone and while dancing in duet