Contact Improvisation with Eliza Sanders & Footnote Dance

This intensive week offers a rare opportunity to dive deep into the practical tools and nuanced territories of Contact Improvisation. Fresh from three weeks of intensive CI training in Thailand, Eliza returns with new wisdom and embodied understanding to share with our community.

This workshop brings together an extraordinary learning environment where Footnote's four full-time dancers will practice alongside independent dancers and community participants, creating a rich exchange of distinct yet equally valuable body wisdoms. Together, we'll explore the multilayered practice of Contact Improvisation in its depth and complexity.

Through structured explorations and guided improvisation, we'll delve into the physical practice while also discovering the connections between how we move together and how we navigate life with greater ease and joy. As is Eliza’s style, we'll explore both the practical tools of the craft and uncover how this embodied practice offers insights for moving through the world with more presence and connection.

We'll venture into advanced techniques and principles of Contact Improvisation. Each day will build organically on the last, allowing for genuine integration and discovery. The specific focus will evolve from the insights and practices Eliza brings back from the Inspiral intensive in Thailand.

This intensive creates magic precisely because it brings together diverse perspectives and experience levels. We welcome:

• Graduates of Contact Improvisation foundations workshops ready to deepen their practice
• Experienced movers curious about the broader applications of CI principles
• Proffesional dancers eager to nuance and expand their practice
• Community dancers eager to learn alongside professional practitioners
• Anyone interested in exploring movement as a pathway to more effective communication and compassionate action
• Those drawn to embodied practices for personal and social transformation

Prior Contact Improvisation experience recommended but not essential—our kaupapa embraces the wisdom that emerges when professional and community dancers share the learning space.

When: Monday - Friday, October 13-17, 2025 Time: 9am - 5pm daily Where: Footnote Dance Studios Capacity: Maximum 10 participants (alongside our 4 Footnote dancers) What to Bring: Comfortable clothes for dancing, long sleeves and socks recommended Included: Tea and snacks throughout each day (lunch not included)

Early Bird: $300 (until September 12th) Regular Price: $350

Eliza brings years of dedicated Contact Improvisation practice and teaching, known for creating environments where technical skill development and personal discovery flourish together. Her recent intensive training in Thailand with internationally renowned teachers adds fresh depth to her already rich understanding of CI as both movement practice and life practice. Former participants consistently highlight her ability to create space where everyone—from newcomers to experienced dancers—can access new layers of understanding and embodied wisdom.

The most profound discoveries in Contact Improvisation emerge from the unexpected—from the intersection of different bodies, experiences, and ways of moving through the world. Your unique perspective and embodied wisdom are exactly what this learning community needs. Come ready to explore, to be surprised, and to discover how the dance floor becomes a training ground for creating the more compassionate, connected world we all long for.

No perfection required. Just openness to the movement.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Footnote New Zealand Dance, 80 Cuba Street, Wellington, New Zealand