10-DAY CONTACT IMPROVISATION INTENSIVE
WITH MARK YOUNG & LILIANNA KANE
NOVEMBER 13 - 23, 2025
AT THE FIELD CENTER!
A deep dive into various practices and mechanics relevant to dancing Contact Improvisation
**** MORE INFORMATION + REGISTRATION COMING SOON ****
HOW THIS WORKSHOP CAME TO BE:
For the past many years, Mark Young has been teaching his approach to Contact Improvisation in a two-week format at his iconic studio, LEVIATHAN, on Lasqueti Island, BC. His approach connects Tai Chi, to disciplined spiral work from Steve Paxton’s Material for the Spine, to fundamental practices of Contact Improvisation such as rolling point of contact, weight-sharing, and nuanced listening skills. In 2023, Mark invited Lily to collaborate in teaching the intensive: Mark would lead his approach in the mornings (more systematic, mechanical, and accumulative) while Lily would lead the group in the afternoons through more improvisational, somatic inquiries, followed by a daily Contemplative Dance Practice (a practice combining mediation and improvisation developed by Barbara Dilley). The combination of the two approaches provides a comprehensive and unique way in to the ever-expanding practice of Contact Improvisation. We are SO excited to be bringing this intensive to the East Coast, for 10 days, in November, 2025.
ABOUT THE TEACHERS:
MARK has studied Tai Chi since 1991. A casual study became serious after a traumatic car accident in 1997, when Mark made Tai Chi his principal form of rehabilitation. Intuition told him that a neural injury would benefit from a balance based exercise such has Tai Chi. Mark was right. An early prognosis was that he would be permanently disabled and never work again. This bad news was inspiration to work harder and prove that recovery from traumatic brain injury was possible. The subsequent five years was a full-time study of Tai Chi and dance. After five years of this apprenticeship, Mark was committed to building a dance studio. Mark built Leviathan Studio over the next 8years while continuing to study dance at various jams with many teachers, including Nancy at Earthdance and many others at Breitenbush. Mark remains deeply committed to the study of Tai Chi, Contact Improvisation and Vipassana and is convinced that these disciplines will serve one right as we age or recover from injury.
MARK’S CLASS: This workshop connects Tai Chi to Material For the Spine to Contact Improvisation. It involves a lot of spiral movement. We start with floor work and slowly work our way up, rolling over each other, finding the floor with safe and gentle landings, we explore the fear reflex, overcoming old habits, exploring new pathways and possibilities.
The Tai Chi style that I studied extensively in the 90’s is based entirely on spiral movement. It is the natural organization of all life. Everything from the DNA to the Milky Way is spiralling. Our bones and muscles are designed and function in spirals. This way of moving accesses both strength and lightness. When lifting, we are stronger and more stable when utilizing spirals. When flying, we are lighter when twisted.
LILY’S CLASS:
Classes will begin with exercises focused around tuning our attention – to sensation, to timing, to the subtlety and surprise of how weight falls, to the inevitability of change, etc. We will practice opening up our back-space, modulating tone through pushing, pulling, pouring, and receiving weight, and getting comfortable being off-balance. We will exercise patience, falling and going upside-down. We will investigate ways of offering / using our bodies as structural supports. We will spend a lot of time incorporating active & embodied inquiry into our practice: When dancing Contact Improvisation, I am in a continual cycle of asking questions. The longevity of my dance relies on the capacity of my curiosity, and my willingness to be in unknown terrain. I ask questions with my body, my attention, my relationship to weight, space, my partner(s), time…How can we use inquiry and curiosity as our motor for our dancing? All of these explorations will function as warm-ups for longer scores and durational practices, such as Barbara Dilley’s Contemplative Dance Practice, which we will practice daily.
DAILY SCHEDULE
Open morning
Breakfast
Mark’s class
Lunch
Nap / rest / quiet / free time
Lily’s class / Contemplative Dance Practice
Dinner
Jam / Sauna / Movie
*Arrival Thursday, November 3rd evening. Half day Tuesday, November 18th. Departure Sunday, November 23rd evening
TUITION / REGISTRATION
Tuition is $1250, which includes a bed in the Field Center’s shared dorm rooms, all meals, snacks, access to Sauna
Payment plans are available.
This workshop is limited to 20 participants maximum.
Contact lilianna.kane@gmail.com with any questions.
Registration opening soon.