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about ACIC
ACIC, or the convergence, is the annual gathering of the australian contact improvisation (CI) community. It takes place over the Queen's Birthday weekend, the 2nd weekend of June. Initiated by NORPA in 2005, the convergence has doubled in size since then and has become the most anticipated event of the australian CI calendar. Each year's programme is a rounded mix of workshops, discussions, jams and labs, which support a rich CI culture and conversation. Highlights of this schedule have been the live music jams with musician Barry Hill and friends, and the performance evening on the final night.
The convergence is currently located in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, where the idyllic landscape infuses the event with a deep tranquility. As dancers commune more with their physical bodies and natural laws, the resonance can be felt to the surrounding environment. Many participants relish the outdoor jams that have occured at the convergence. The possibility to stay residentially has only increased the ability of those at the convergence to enjoying the stunning surrounds.
But at the core of the convergence is the opportunity for the growing number of CI dancers, of many different levels of experience and from all over this wide continent, to share their immersion into the CI realm. Here the value of collaboration and exchange come to the fore. As we converge and deepen into the dance together, the spirit of investigation, research and play expands. And this continues to foster our strong national CI community and indentity.
In 2009, ACIC was proudly presented by <proximity> magazine.
history of ACIC
ACIC began in 2005 and for the first two years was a small scale, non-residential event hosted at a country hall, Durrumbal. About 40 participants came each year. Emma Newman was the main organizer and driving force, producing the event on a small grant and assistance from Dance Action and NORPA. At the end of ACIC06 Emma, Lucy Angell, Joey and Jacob Lehrer and Peter Notley gathered around a table on the verandah of Durrumbel Hall to plot the future of ACIC. The event was growing, Durrumbel was too small for next year and ACIC should naturally grow and develop as the principle annual gathering of CI practitioners in Australasia.
The participants of that meeting formed the ACIC organizing committee - little did we know the magnitude of our dreams - acic07 super sized itself!!! We relocated, became residential, provided three meals a day, developed a program to support, nurture and advance the practice of CI in Australia and of course numbers increased to about 60. The complexities, planning, logistics and work of organizing ACIC increased with this move and commitment to a goal orientated program. acic07 was a steep learning curve for the organizers as we burrowed away for months figuring out how to do it.
acic08 was logistically smoother and increased in numbers to about 70. We focused on fine-tuning and experimenting with the program. We added a two day residential Teacher’s Exchange (ACITE) and increased the number of venues and teachers at ACIC. We ran sessions simultaneously to afford participants choice and support depending on their experience and need; we had sessions aimed at skills, beginners, outside environment and performance. We provided space for jamming, labbing and sharing of skills between participants themselves. Our aim in programming was to support and enhance the teaching basis of CI in Australian communities and to nurture in the Community a sense of inquiry, self-direction and ownership of the development of CI, in a word - empowerment. We are committed to continual improvement and development of ACIC and adopt an ongoing process of reflection, feedback and innovation to ensure ACIC is dynamic, relevant and important to CI practitioners in Australasia.
From '05 - '08, ACIC was generously presented and supported by NORPA. acic09 grew more independent with the generous support of <proximity> magazine to present the event - a natural fit, as <proximity> has had a strong presence at ACIC from its beginnings.
about contact improvisation
Contact Improvisation (CI) is a highly enjoyable dance form where partners improvise their movement around a shared point of contact. It involves the dynamic interplay of natural forces, such as gravity and momentum, with the communicative ability of touch and contact. CI is danced all over the world by people from all walks of life and levels of experience.
The above is just one breief description of CI, and many more can be found on the web if you choose to search them out, but perhaps its truest description is in the dancing itself.