Contact @ the Dojo — class Mar 1 Contact Tango! w/ Erica Skye & Patrick Crowley + JAM!
Schedule
Sun Mar 15 2026 at 03:00 pm to 06:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
Aikido of Northampton | Florence, MA
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CONTACT @ the DOJOContact Improvisation (CI) class & jam
Mixed level. Open to beginner & experienced dancers
3:00 pm Class. 4:30-6 pm Jam
CLASS:
3/1 Erica Skye and Patrick Crowley
3/15 Lani Nahele
4/5 Patrick Crowley
4/19 Sarah Young
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Mar 1: Contact Tango! w/ Erica Skye and Patrick Crowley
We will brighten our understanding of Contact Improvisation principles through exploring concepts of Argentine Tango, also an improvisational dance form. Finding a “Balance & Paint Brush” use of weight, how to move around room w/ partner (Ronda), staying connected to partner (Embrace), leg dances, small lifts, & ensemble. Our foundation will be deep conversational listening and emergent movement. No experience necessary.
Erica Skye (she/they): Erica’s first memory is learning folk dances with their grandparents. They began performing folk dances at ten and began learning Argentine Tango at nineteen. Erica played at the edges of Contact Improvisation (CI) and tango fusion for more than fifteen years before diving in and studying CI in 2019. Erica began teaching dance in 2007 and is available to teach or co-teach Tango Fusion, ConTango Fusion, Salsa Rueda, and boundaries & consent workshops. Erica brings a devotion to life-long learning — especially with dance and community.
Patrick Crowley first started exploring Tango with Danny Trenner several decades ago and has been interested in the intersection between Tango and Contact Improvisation ever since. He has taught Contact Tango several times with Erica Skye at various venues. He is currently studying Tango with Danny Trenner, Erica Skye, and Cyla Bagolan. More bio below.
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Patrick Crowley teaches once a month, and then once a month, he curates other teachers who hold and convey Contact Improvisation with a comprehensive depth. Contact @ the Dojo began in Oct 2021, meeting 2 Sundays a month.
Dojo comes from “Do-”, a variation of Tao/Dao (the way) and “jo” (immersive learning space).
CLASS
A broad range of Contact Improvisation will be explored — states, skills, scores/Underscore, artistic practice, life learnings.
Dancers play with movement pathways in contact with a partner — in relationship with gravity, momentum, inertia of motion, and friction. We work with ease and natural tone in our tissues and neurology. We explore rolling, falling, and flying in CI with the freedom of mats as our floor.
The slow and subtle brings us to the big and enthusiastic, and vice versa. Centering, perception, integrated body, solo/follow/lead/3rd entity, reflexes, experiments, readiness, rigor, heart, awareness, and enlivening will all be in the mix.
JAM
The jam will be open space to play and practice — with some music and possible structure/warm-up.
For those experienced and new to CI, honoring different abilities.
Please read Health safety agreements (www.patrickcrowley.net/health-safety).
Emphasis will be given to those coming to both class & jam. Please arrive a little early.
WHAT is Contact Improvisation? https://patrickcrowley.net/whatiscontactimprovisation
WHERE: Aikido Dojo, 30 N Maple St, #14, Florence, MA 01062
(Park in parking lot to right of building. Come in entrance in parking lot. Go in and upstairs to the right.)
REGISTRATION & PAYMENT
https://patrickcrowleybodyworkdanceyogasomatics.as.me/events
or text 617-320-9792
Class & Jam (3:00–6:00 pm): $35–$30–$25
Just Class (3:00) or just Jam (4:30): $25–$20–$15
(sliding scale: abundant–regular–low)
If unemployed, student, or wanting to do work/exchange, please contact Patrick.
INFO & QUESTIONS: (617) 320-9792 (text/phone)
Patrick Crowley has been engaged with Contact Improvisation and dance improvisation since 1983. He has taught at numerous dance centers, festivals, and universities both nationally and internationally, including Yale University, Boston University, Argentina Contact Festival, Freiburg Festival, Earthdance, among others. He is a coordinator of the Global Underscore. He worked with Nancy Stark Smith closely until her death in 2020, and studied or performed with many prominent teachers in CI including: Andrew Harwood, Kirstie Simson, K.J. Holmes, Daniel Lepkoff, Nina Little, Alan Ptashek, and others. Patrick has a background in modern and contemporary dance, Body-Mind Centering®, bodywork, yoga, theatre (Playback Theatre, Action Theater), contemplative practices, expressive arts, and martial arts. He has performed with various dance and theatre companies, including the Underscore +/- Group, Zany Angels, Six and 1/2 Project, and Boston's Access to Theater. He was certified in bodywork by Sensei Toshiko Phipps and Nationally Certified in 1993 and also teaches Playback Theatre, Yoga, and somatics. https://patrickcrowley.net/contact-dojo
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Where is it happening?
Aikido of Northampton, 30 N Maple St, Florence, MA 01062-1344, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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