Women’s Touch on March 30th:  Refining Nonverbal Communication in Contact Improvisation 

Co-facilitated by Claudia Richli

March 30th, 3.30-8.30pm / Siobhan Davies Studio

Booking here

What is Women’s Touch?

Women’s touch is an event curated by Marie Chabert, that offers a space for those who identify as women and non-binary to explore movement practices that are mainly based on touch (Contact Improvisation, somatic practices, improvisation) in a safe environment. It aims to empower women to claim their space and redefine it within a framework that challenges prevailing patriarchal norms. It offers both a place to embody and share our experiences verbally.

What’s in this 3rd edition?

For this edition Marie is inviting the researcher in Laban practice and movement practitioner Claudia Richli.

The workshop will address touch and non-verbal communication using Laban Movement Analysis (LMA), focusing on how movement affects interpersonal dynamics. We will explore the structural model of human movement, especially focusing on the relationship structure and dynamic structure.

Relationship Structure: We will examine different ways of interrelating through movement—such as different types of touch and proximity without contact—to develop greater awareness of how physical interaction influences perception and communication.

Dynamic Structure: The “how” of movement—the quality or impulse behind it—reveals the mover’s intentions, moods, or emotional states. We’ll explore how movement qualities like weight, time, space and flow, affect both the dancer’s experience and the interpretation by others. By reflecting on the diversity of sensations while dancing in different dynamics, dancers will understand that how they feel may differ from how their partner perceives the interaction.

Through this training, dancers will refine their ability to navigate nonverbal communication with greater consciousness, fostering more respectful and mindful physical engagements in contact improvisation.

Schedule (may slightly change)

3.30-4pm arrival, tea and intro – kitchen/lounge area

4-4.15pm: group agreement – research studio

4.15-6.30pm: workshop facilitated by Claudia Richli (includes writing and sharing)

6.30-6.45pm: break

6.45-7.30pm: Contact Jam facilitated by Marie Chabert

7.30-8.30pm: journaling, food sharing and open discussion