Five Ways In
Research Themes
Community
What is the community of contact improvisation? How can contact improvisation be used in intentional communities and in creating community?
Personal Transformation
How does contact improvisation contribute to personal, spiritual and social transformation? In this theme we include therapeutic benefits and the appreciation of nature.
Political Change
Can contact improvisation contribute to making real changes in the world?
Teaching and Education
How is the way CI is taught and learnt relate to the quality of experience in CI events?
Intersubjectivity-Visual Anthropology
What concepts and areas of anthropology can best do justice to the transformative impacts of CI and the other research themes that emerged from the process of filming and feedback? How can the research value of this documentary be best argued in relation to current social and visual anthropology?
Visual Media
How can visual media be used to research and communicate key aspects of CI?
Performance
How is CI performed? What is it’s value within wider contemporary dance performances? What are the value of performance evenings in CI festivals?
Contribute a new theme
What new research themes does the documentary open for you?
Docusphere
Social Anthropology Conference Screening & Feedback
Five Ways In was screened in the Film, audio and multimedia programme as part of the annual anthropology conference of the ASA (the Association of Social Anthropologist of the UK and Commonwealth). ASA15 Symbiotic Anthropologies: Theoretical Commensalities and Methodological Mutualisms was held at the University of Exeter in April 2015. Our film was shown last from a number of multi-media presentations. I was not able to attend in person but joined on skype to hear some feedback and receive questions about the film. I was particularly interested what questions social anthropologists would… Read More
‘Explore Contact Improvisation’ in Cambridge, Mass.
‘There was so much in there to take in. It is almost overwhelming to absorb their honesty- their physical honesty and their emotional honesty’. (Feedback from screening). I am really grateful to Marcus Schulkind for supporting this event and thrilled to have collaborated with another dance mentor to host this evening- Neige Christenson. Neige teaches Contact Improvisation in the area and is a supporter of the film. I am a Boston raised dancer but have been living in Europe for the last four years dancing and teaching Contact Improvisation, Modern Dance,… Read More
Being Generous
During an International Viewing and Discussion Session at Earthdance on January 8th, 2015 a group of around 30 people gathered to watch ‘Five Ways In’. This group contained staff from Earthdance and participants of Nancy Stark Smith’s 3-week Intensive, along with Alyssa Lynes (a co-director). Most people present were therefore intermediate—advanced and/or teaching CI practitioners. Many are familiar with festivals and various international CI communities. We represented the following nationalities and home countries: Russia, Germany, France, Mexico, Canada, Morocco, the US, Italy, England, Ireland, Switzerland, & Brazil. Alyssa: What were you… Read More
Return to Earthdance
During the hustle bustle party preparing evening of December 31st, 2014, at Earthdance (Plainfield, Massachussetts) some people were dressing up in crazy attire, preparing chocolate covered pineapple and other yummy midnight delicacies, or creating a ritual to release the old and create space for new. Around fifteen Contact Improvisation dancers sat in Studio 3 to focus on “Five Ways In”. We were almost all from the US and Canada. Here are a few comments that stood out from our feedback session afterwards. (Alyssa Lynes) Political Activist & CI dancer: [It is]… Read More
Researching Contact Improvisation 