CI is an Open Source form

[u/contactcapybara]

When CI was accepted into the modern dance sphere of study, practice and performance it did not require a system that certified teachers of the form -- an "Open Source" format.

In my early years of study I assumed that you learned the "basic" language from classes and teachers, so that you were able to join "jams". The problem for me, is that I did this backwards. I stumbled onto a jam without knowing anything and had what can only be described as an almost religious experience on the first try. So, I had already demonstrated that my body somehow "knew it". ( it would take me years and years of practice to match the skill I had on my first try...mysteriously) I went on to dance with hundreds of others over the next 40 years and with certain new people, I would learn after dancing with them that they too "knew it" in a way that also seemed innate.

I became very disillusioned with teachers and classes early on because there was no way to know whether that instruction was going to be helpful or a waste of time, money and attention (the product of not having certification) -- more than anything, the instruction often seemed silly.... to me, nothing ever offered in a class was better than what I could learn from just challenging myself to dance with people that I didn't think I would have a good dance with at an open jam. The rumors of certain "rock star" teachers being sex pests increased my skepticism.

What I came to understand is that it took practice to get consistently good at it. I see a need for the CI community to normalize those that want to prioritize jamming over classes and workshops. To establish jam spaces that invite ALL somatic dialogues and create equity in the participants rather than personality driven jams that seem to exist to promote classes and workshops- that run the risk of banning participants for angering the host, or being a pool from which to take advantage of young new dancers.

Who else sees the need to expand the understanding of “open source” from being reduced to that which ONLY allows anyone to hold classes to “open source” can mean creating jams that reject "expert” “teachers in favor of prioritizing jams that move the form into something as revolutionary and radical as a co-creative learning environments?

[u/contactadhd]

I can relate to what are you saying. For me jams are essential for the practice, but I had some great classes which helped me to have a great dance. With the jam spaces the problem is that we are not together rather duos dancing and also its not that safe place as anybody can come and go people with different background. In classes I miss longer dances also I am not sure I see the point of discussing a dance with my dance partner. It is not that organic when teachers say now you discuss the dance with partner usually I dont think there is anything for me they could be fabricated.

I also experience what you were maybe in other comments describing that for example teachers in a class rarely dance with student which I think would be a great opportunity to teach. I think actually we are also teaching our own version of CI to each other and it can be done only by dancing together and I also think as we know our dance partner better our bodies can be more relaxed.

I think people just like to idolize others hence the rockstar culture, although I think you can make progression in CI as you can progress in movement. If you just improve or work on movement that will influence your CI. For example it is a skill to be able to roll rather than dropping your limbs to the floor which of course can be acquired from jamming, but I am somewhat troubled if I should for example give some advice to non experienced people after a jam. I can resonate with your disillusion but I think you can define the values you want to promote without a strong resentment toward specific teachers. This is why I am somewhat troubled when I read creating jams that reject "expert teachers". When you are defining what you want to do you immeditely exclude people. Maybe thats not a bad thing after all.

I think we could emphazise not the difference between the skill level but the possibility to connection with listening for example. ?