Irreverent Intentions: Contact, Composition, Performance

Sat, 16 May, 2026 at 12:00 am to Sun, 17 May, 2026 at 07:15 am UTC+10:00

Dancehouse, Melbourne Australia | Melbourne

Emily Bowman
Publisher/HostEmily Bowman
Irreverent Intentions: Contact, Composition, Performance
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Irreverent Intentions: Contact | Composition | Performance
A 2-day CI workshop with [ two for now ], Emily Bowman and Joey Lehrer
Description
This 2-day workshop explores three entangled modes of contact improvisation drawn from our practice: contact, composition, and performance. Each mode offers a distinct yet overlapping lens. Contact as a space for sensing and observing the materiality of the contact body. Composition as the emergence and shaping of dancing in real time. Performance as a heightened awareness for attending to the improvisation.
We work with an approach of irreverent intentions. For us, this is the generative tension between a commitment to detail, alongside a willingness to disrupt it. Intentionality brings the rigour, the precision, the loyalty to the moment. Irreverence brings the openness, the weird and giving less f**ks in the dance. How to stay with what is happening, and also to let it skew, slip, undo?
Drawing on over a decade of collaborative research, Emily and Joey share tools from their long-term duet practice. They will offer scores and situations for solo and partnering work, as well as group improvisations, where dancing becomes a site for experimentation.
About us
Melbourne based improvisation duo [ two for now ], comprises of Emily Bowman and Joey Lehrer. They have collectively four decades worth of CI experience. They have a research based practice in Melbourne, where they dance, perform, and teach CI together. They are respected teachers, having both taught and performed CI extensively across Australia, as well as around the world such as New Zealand, Malaysia, Germany, United States, Canada, Japan and India. They enjoy creating a sense of playful focus, a space for exploration and fun, where improvisation does not get lost in concepts or skill.
Booking Link
www.trybooking.com/DLCIX
Details
Date: 16-17 May, 2026
Time: 10am - 5.15pm each day
Location: Dancehouse, Carlton North
Cost: $235-$295*
**Early bird discount if $30 if you book by Friday 24th April.
If you are experiencing financial difficulty, please discuss fee amounts with Emily or Joey.
If you would like to discuss the workshop or suitability, please reach out [email protected]
[Image credit: James Wright, 2024]
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Event Venue

Dancehouse, Melbourne Australia, 150 Princes St, Carlton North VIC 3054, Australia, Melbourne

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