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, support if needed and remind the intention we came together 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. Sustained only by the common interest in the movement.
Authentic Movement
A sustaining practice that cultivates both, the nonverbal expressive mover, and the quiet aware witness. A dyadic process that supports the unfolding of our inner experience.
Scores
Every evening, we choose structures/focuses for movement. From a Round Robin or mini-underscore, to interesting novelties. All 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. It differs from one individual to another, as it differ for the same individual moment to moment.
As much as we enjoy philosophical or religious/spiritual thoughts and discussions on the idea of SILENCE, that’s far beyond our intentions. We leave that to the plethora of gurus and spiritual guides devoting themselves to that path.
Our interest…
Is Dance
In the Silent Contact Retreat silence is in service, it is a tool.
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.
From this point of departure each might go where they feel, or where the process takes them.
Schedule
17th Jul
Morning - 2 pm
Arriving
4 pm
Registration
7- 8 pm
Dinner
8.30 - 10 pm
Opening Jam
18th July
Rehearsal Day
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
19th - 23th 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
24th 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).