Prem Tara is dance artist, performer and teacher living in Helsinki. She graduated in 2004 as Master of Arts in dance from the Theatre Academy of Finland. She also has Master in Art Pedagogy. She been working closely with improvisation and contact improvisation in several performing groups and has performed in the choreographies of many internationally acknowledged choreographers like Tomi Paasonen, Tuomo Railo, Mirva Mäkinen, Lisa Nelson and Nancy Stark Smith. She has worked closely with many visual artists like Outi Heiskanen, Marjatta Hanhijoki, Tomas Regan, Jani Ruscica and Olli Keränen. These co-operations have resulted in many dance videos, art installations with movement and performances. She is part of many artistic and artistic-scientific collectives working in the field of improvisation and ritual art. She has been practicing, teaching and performing CI for over 20 years, and she is one of the founders of Goa contact Festival and Skiing on Skin Festival.
INTENSIVE in Festival
Somatic Composition
This intensive wants to approach contact improvisation as somatic practice, which yet can be composed. We want to share contact techniques and skills in a way, that it can be experienced as somatic composition.
We also approach CI as a larger phenomenon of improvisation
incorporating solo and group composition in the work.
We will flow in and out of contact, viewing the dance as a playful dialogue, which breathes freely in time and space.
The focus is to explore the state of improvisation and creativity,
to emphasize the courage to play and investigate the unknown.
This exploration is based on in-depth somatic information sourced from axis syllabus, anatomical study of safe and functional movement, and of course the principles of CI.
We will navigate smoothly between solo, duet, trio and group improvisation. Exploring through a variety of different methods including explorative exercises, experiential anatomy and specific technical material.
Learning and unlearning.
Recognising our habits,
enjoying them
and distroying them.
Composing the contact.