Silent Contact Retreat

A gathering for Contact Improvisation practitioners moving and living in silence

What is Silent Contact Retreat?

SCR is like an empty canvas. We curate a container intended to focus ourselves on movement, dance, contemplation and expression.
The process unfolds by itself, with minimum intervention. Imperceptible facilitators, present only to hold the space, to support and to remind, if needed, the intention we came with.
No teachers, no classes and no guidance.

A day in Silence

Jams

An open score. The place to move and be. Non facilitated, non unstructured. Open to arrive and leave.

 

Authentic Movement

A sustaining practice that cultivates both, the mover, and the aware non-judgemental witness.

Scores

Every evening, we choose structures/focuses for movement, within the frame of silence and dance research.

Intentions

The meaning of Silence​

The experience and meaning of silence differs greatly, in depth and quality.
Our interest…

Is Dance

In the Silent Contact Retreat silence is in service.
The experience and expression of our movement appears clearer and more authentic with an open wide focus. But this focus, slippery, is prone to slid away in response to the external stimulus. For this, we invite to this retreat.
To spend 8 days together, deepening our focus, moving between expression and introspection.

Without words

This is our common field. Giving up verbal communication and conventional interactions to open up for other ways of being present, perhaps more subtle ones.

Schedule

23rd Jul

Morning - 2 pm

Arriving

4 pm

Registration

7- 8 pm

Dinner

8.30 - 10 pm

Opening Jam

24th - 28th Jul

7.30 - 8.30 am

Open space / Contemplative time

8.30 - 10 am

Breakfast

10 am - 1 pm

Open Jam

1 - 2.30 pm

Lunch

4.30 - 6.30 pm

Authentic Movement

7- 8 pm

Dinner

8.30 - 10 pm

Evening scores

29th Jul

7.30 - 8.30 am

Open space / Contemplative time

8.30 - 10 am

Breakfast

10 am - 1 pm

Closing Jam

1 pm

Closing the Silence

Afternoon

Harvest circle, Feedback, Meet in words, Celebration, Depart

Organization / Facilitation

Ann Kristin Holten

Auri Ladeira

Mario Blanco

Alessandro Rivellino

Venue - Nordmarkskapellet

Our home for SCR 2024 is in Nordmarka, north of Oslo.  Nordmarkskapellet, a chapel in the forest built on community effort in 1933.  The place is accessible by public transport from the center of Oslo (or the Airport), adding an approximately 1 hour hike into the forest from the last metro station.

The chapel has a beautiful wooden floor and high ceiling. Attached to it is a living room with fireplace and the dining area. Sleeping rooms are spread between the chapel building and another house on the yard, and a third cabin more secluded on the other side of the path. Indoor and outdoor fireplaces, lots of firewood and sauna. 

The surrounding area is the wide green forest and Blankvann lake (10’ walk).

Registration

In the form you can choose between the different accommodation options, as well as the retribution for organizing and facilitating the retreat.
When registering you agree that during the retreat you will avoid:
Communication through words or gestures.
Use of electronic devices.
Reading, writing or drawing (allowed on specific areas).