Guidelines for CI events:
To ensure a safe and supportive environment for all participants during CI events hosted by Moving Stillness, please adhere to the following guidelines:
What Contact Improvisation Is — and Is Not
Contact Improvisation is a shared exploration of the experience of moving in free-form improvised contact with others - a space for curiosity, trust, and embodied listening rather than performance or pursuit.
Attraction and chemistry sometimes arise between dancers; this is part of being human, but CI spaces are not the place to express or explore sexual energy, even when it feels mutual, and even when such a bond may already exist. The dance floor is dedicated to movement, awareness, and creative exchange, not to sensual or romantic engagement.
If curiosity between two people extends beyond the dance, let it be met outside the space — with time, clarity, and respect — so that the shared practice remains free from assumption and projection.
Practice non-attachment: a beautiful dance is simply that — a moment of shared presence, not a promise of something more. Let it move through you, and return to the present moment.
Consent, Boundaries, and Listening
Everyone is free to join, pause, or leave a dance at any time. Boundaries can change (and may be different from one person to another) so keep listening to yourself and to those around you, and stay responsive to what you sense.
Mutual Care and Responsibility
Take responsibility for your own wellbeing. Move with awareness of your own body, your partners, and the space around you. Support or give weight with care, building trust gradually, and let safety and ease guide the dance. Stay within what feels steady and manageable for you, maintaining your own boundaries as you move.
Freedom and Inclusion
Allow movement to unfold without control or restriction. Welcome all levels of experience, move at your own pace, and stay open to learning from each encounter.
Presence and Participation
Allow yourself to slow down sometimes: whether resting, observing, and simply sensing the room, you are still a part of the dance.
You have the right and responsibility to maintain your own boundaries, whatever they may be. … You don’t have to apologise, accommodate, or explain.
- Kathleen Rea (from Suggested Guidelines for Safety and Awareness at the Jam, published by the CIB)
Reporting and Feedback:
If your feel your boundaries have been crossed during an event and you feel unable to resolve it directly in the space, you are free to speak with Justin or an assistant during the event, or feel free to contact Justin afterwards. You can also provide feedback (which can be anonymous if you wish), via the contact form.
Your feedback on any event is always valuable and appreciated. Likewise feedback on these guidelines is also appreciated, there will always be something that can be improved or clarified.
Guidelines from other CI communities
Contact Improvisation communities around the world have developed their own guidelines to support safe and respectful practice spaces: