.contact improvisation.

Contact Improvisation (CI) in an "art-sport" dance form. There are no assigned steps or curriculum taught technique.

It requires a physical point of contact between two or more people with the constant exchange of weight being used as a guide for these partnerings. The materials used in the development of the CI principles were physical forces such as momentum, gravity, and the application of these forces in the movement material. It began as an explorative physical form with a number of people contributing in its evolvement. Co- Founder of CI Steve Paxton also included to this new dance form principles from the martial arts that gave insight into the technical side of Contact. The technical movements of Aikido, specifically, falling and rolling techniques are used to avoid injuries while moving. Through these movements one could learn how to fall efficiently. In aikido, the body returns to its protective instincts and natural responses to the environment. In addition, it teaches how two bodies can approach each other without forming an opinion beforehand. 

With time, principles and elements of other forms were also added to contact improvisation. For example, Imagery (read above) was one of the forms integrated to CI to experiment with the “depth” physical contact can have for a person. In the co-founder’s words "Contact improvisation is an activity encompassing the range of movement from stillness to highly athletic”.  The demands of CI as a dance form dictated a relaxed approach of movement, which would enhance awareness and at the same time be on-flowing. The primal focus was for the movers to be in physical touch. To achieve mutual support and innovation, while reflecting on physical laws relating to their masses; gravity, momentum, inertia and friction.