The DC Sunday Contact Improv Jam

VENMO: @DC-CI


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What

The Washington, DC Sunday jam is a gathering to practice Contact Improvisation (CI). It  has been happening every Sunday since around 1982, with exceptions only when necessary (like COVID quarantine), at various locations around DC. The Status text in the next section is kept reliably current.

Everyone with a genuine interest in CI is welcome, regardless of prior experience, identity, or ability.

The DC Sunday Jam is part of the Dance Place adult class schedule. We either include a contact improvisation class during the first hour or, on the first Sunday of each month the whole session is devoted to an Underscore – a sort of class / jam combination. Please be on time when attending the class or the Underscore! (Check the status section for any exceptions to this arrangement.)

When

Every Sunday (except as noted in the Exceptions section) from 2:00 to 5:00 pm:

On Sundays that are not the first Sunday in the month:

On the first Sunday of each month: Underscore from 2:00 to 5:00 pm:

Class/Jam/Underscore Session Payment

Latest Schedule / Venue Exceptions

Regular Schedule and Venue

Sunday Jam Class

Starting in October, 2022 the DC Sunday jam is being included in the Dance Place adult class schedule. As part of this arrangement our regular sessions will include a contact improvisation class during the first hour, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Led by experienced CI teachers from our group, the classes are intended to help newcomers and experienced dancers alike develop and deepen their skills and understanding of Contact Improvisation. The classes lead into a jam – a free-form gathering to explore contact improv – that continues from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. There often is a closing circle during the last half hour.

Pricing

Jam Structure

Location

From October, 2022 onwards the Sunday Jam+Class is held at Dance Place

(*) Note : Prior to October, 2022 we were at Saint Monica and Saint James Episcopal Church and before that the Dance Institute of Washington.

Time

Accessibility

See the Dance Place visit-us Accessibility topic. All are welcome at our sessions, regardless of prior experience, identity, or inherent ability. We ask that you bring interest in contact improvisation and responsible and considerate behavior.

Jam Logistics

Checking the Current Jam Status: the Status Note

We keep the Status Note on the home page and on this page up-to-date with the status of the upcoming jam. We post time or venue exceptions there, as soon as we know about them.

Keeping Tuned In: the DC-CI Mailing List

We use the dc-ci mailing list to share notifications about contact improv in the DC metropolitan area. Subscribe to receive emails about venue changes and special events. All members can post, but conversation is held to jam and local CI-related dance topics. See that page for details and posting guidelines, as well as self-service subscription instructions. Membership is by moderator approval, but nobody is turned away if they're actually interested in contact improvisation and are respectful of others.

DC-CI Facebook Group and Page

These are our presence on Facebook. Note that we prioritize the DC-CI mailing list (see above) for practical coordination.

Jam Etiquette

Contact Improvisation is based on mutual cooperation rather than control. Good dances as well as general jam wellness and safety depend on respecting each other's boundaries - please read.

To make it easy for everyone to have whatever time they need to return to partnering, we maintain this structure – an improvisation-organizing "score". Please be familiar with it, so we can all support each other's choices.

The regular Sunday jam is open to all. Beginning in October, 2022 we have a CI class during the first hour. See above for more info about the class.

The first Sunday of each month is special - another good opportunity to get acquainted with the jam. We conduct a more organized session, called the Underscore. For the Underscore sessions it's important that people previously unfamiliar with it attend an orientation talk, just after 2:00. In general, the score depends on everyone arriving and ready by 2:20 for the opening circle. For more details, see Our Monthly Underscore.

While the first Sunday Underscore is a good opportunity to get acquainted with the jam, anyone interested in practicing CI, or just seeking a glimpse of it in practice, is welcome to all sessions. You don't need previous experience to join us, just  considerateness and curiosity to explore contact improvisation.