Contact and Democracy: the body as laboratory for examining dialogue, choice-making, roles and habits
interactive talk/workshop with Eryn Rosenthal

- FULL NAME: ERYN ROSENTHAL

- PHONE NUMBER: [+1] 248.914.8179

- EMAIL: ERYNROSENTHAL@GMAIL.COM

- SHORT BIOGRAPHY (400-500 characters) – relevant to the proposal, Symposium theme

Choreographer Eryn Rosenthal examines the democratic underpinnings of Contact Improvisation, and the role of the body in transgressing previously legislated boundaries. Her dance theater performance on youth activism, Freedom Suite: Transaction Being Processed, based on ongoing oral history research with anti-Apartheid activists from New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, will be touring to several festivals in South Africa, the US and Europe in 2017-19.  Eryn is currently the Artist in Residence for Dialogue-Building, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives at the University of Michigan.  www.erynrosenthal.com

 ____________________________________________________________                                                                                         

- TITLE OF THE ACTIVITY: Contact and Democracy: the body as laboratory for examining dialogue, choice-making, roles and habits

- DETAILED CONTENT DESCRIPTION (max. 2000 characters):

All dialogue is negotiation, give and take, compromise and dance. This workshop, which I have previously taught at the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy (CANRAD) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU); in Barcelona at the In-Touch Festival; in Madrid at La Universidad Complutense and La Puerta Roja; in the US at Middlebury College and at multiple locations throughout the University of Michigan, is a participatory, game-based workshop that use the body to engage with, problem-solve, and play with issues of agency, dialogue, roles, and habits. Dance and Dialogue workshops engage directly with issues of self/other identity and perception, diversity, empowerment, and inclusion. They also build skills and empowerment in dialogue-based legislation, a.k.a. the pedagogy of CI.

This material comes from my research on the connections between Contact Improvisation (CI) and the political writings of Paolo Freire, Nelson Mandela, Ada Colau, Steve Biko and Judith Butler, among others, and there is a critical theory component I will present at the beginning of the workshop to introduce my own experiences of CI, what drew me initially to the form, and how I arrived at these connections. Consideration of the wider socio-political implications of our body-based study of democracy includes an examination of the complexities of social transition and democratic practice in post-Apartheid South Africa and in post-dictatorship Spain, to name two examples. The pedagogical practice of Dance and Dialogue/ Contact and Democracy also pays tribute to the popular political education classes that formed part of the different liberation movements in South Africa during the anti-Apartheid Struggle. For more information on Contact Improvisation and some of the background behind Dance and Democracy workshops, please see:

http://erynrosenthal.com/contact-improvisation/
http://erynrosenthal.com/dance-and-democracy/

- SUMMARY OF CONTENT DESCRIPTION AND MOTIVATION (max 400- 500 characters; for publishing)

In this critical theory seminar/ participatory workshop, I share my research on the connections between Contact Improvisation (CI) and the political writings of activists from South Africa, Spain, the US, and elsewhere. We will examine some of these connections through games and discussion, and articulate ways the body can engage with, problem-solve, and play with agency, dialogue, roles, and habits. These workshops engage directly with issues of self/other identity and perception; they also build skills and empowerment in dialogue-based legislation, a.k.a. the pedagogy of CI.

- SHORT BIOGRAPHY (max 60 words for publishing (if co-taught all in all max 60 words)

Choreographer Eryn Rosenthal examines the democratic underpinnings of Contact Improvisation, and the role of the body in transgressing previously legislated boundaries. Her dance theater performance on youth activism, Freedom Suite: Transaction Being Processed, based on ongoing oral history research with anti-Apartheid activists from South Africa, will be touring to several festivals in 2017-18. Eryn is currently the Artist-in-Residence for Dialogue-Building, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives at the University of Michigan.  www.erynrosenthal.com

- GENERAL INTERESTS, CODE/KEY WORDS

Contact Improvisation, democracy, play, dialogue, physical listening, pedagogy, choice-making, activism. 

__________________________________________________________

- Participating requirements (for whom is this workshop for?)

This interactive talk/workshop is intended for a wide audience; the only requirement is your own curiosity.

- TIME REQUIREMENTS (how much time do you need for sharing?)

Depending on the size of the group, 90 min- 2 hours.

- SPACE REQUIREMENTS (what kind of space do you require for your sharing? studio size etc)

Again, this will depend on the size of the group, but a medium to large size studio, ideally with smooth floor suitable for rolling.

- TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS (what kind of technical support do you require? audio, beamer etc)

- Screen and projector with compatibility for late 2014 Mac
- podium, if possible, or other mechanism for easily speaking and clicking through slides;
- microphone;
- speakers with audio hookup for ipod;
- gym or dime store bouncy-balls (roughly the size of soccer or volleyballs)—enough for 1 ball per every 2 participants (i.e. if there are 40 people, we would need 20 balls). These balls can usually be found very cheaply at 1Euro stores or discount supermarkets, or could also be borrowed from an elementary school or gym; yoga balls could also work. I realize this is a bit of an unusual request, and I am happy to investigate these channels in Vienna myself (I have a few friends in Vienna who may be able to help with these logistics).   

- OTHER REQUIREMENTS – comments.

Thank you very much for organizing such a timely and evocative symposium! As this will be my first time at IDOCDE, I would love to hear any suggestions or ideas from the organizers about how this proposal can best fit in to the structures and goals of this year’s symposium; I am happy to schedule a skype conversation to discuss. Also, see above note about balls.

__________________________________________________________

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND WILL TO SHARE YOUR WORK...