How do you find a dance?

[Cheryl Pallant]

What is your secret for finding a dance at a jam, whether folks are soloing or in duets?

[Robert Anderson]

I find the Underscore structure a useful way to enter a jam. I take my time to arrive energetically and physically. Before I want to meet another dancing body I find it really helpful to meet my own body first. So I generally like to spend time with the floor, my breathing, sensations of touch and weight in my skin, tissues, bones. Of course the amount of time this takes varies. Continuing to work from sensation I'll then ease myself into movement patterns across the floor and gradually out of the floor. I try to establish a sense of my personal solo dance so that I feel at home in the space. When I'm content I've got that reasonably sorted I let my awareness begin to spread into the space and to the movement of others. Maybe I will take some time to move in the space with others feeling the influence and connections resonate through space before entering touch-based dancing. Maybe I will graze between dancers to get a taste for touch through brief meetings. From this place my first contact dance (development) usually arises with very little willful effort. I'm open and receptive to the other people dancing. Perhaps I join a duet or a solo dancer. Perhaps a solo dancer or a duet will join me. I enjoy the surprise of not knowing who I'll dance with before entering the jam. Well this generally works for me.
Warm wishes to all. Robert xx (sitting in an Apple store in London waiting for data to transfer from magically repaired Earthdance-wetted iBook to sparkly new 5th Street MacBook. Result!)