Introduction

This review is based on Steve Paxton’s show called “Talking Dance” which took place in Walker Art Center on its 75th anniversary in 2015. 

Summary

I, someone whose relation with the dance was only jumping and swinging all over when drunk up until a couple months ago, am not to criticize such an icon like Paxton. I am gonna go over and cover Contact Improvisation and Material for the Spine from amateur but curious eyes. What I am going to try to accomplish with this essay is to argue and hopefully understand the connection between that particular science experiment and the dance forms-methods he came up with which are “Material for the Spine” and “Contact Improvisation”.

Background of the Artist

Probably anyone,who is into dance or at least modern dance would know who Steve Paxton is. But for the sake of the review I should at least mention his biography and career briefly. So, Steve Paxton (was born in 1939, Arizona) is an experimental dancer and choreographer. He started his career as a gymnastician and got to work with Merce Cunningham and José Limón during these years.

Before he founded the experimental group Grand Union and in 1972, he also took part in the Judson Dance Theater as a founding member and later on he began to develop the dance form known as “Contact Improvisation” which he is most famous for. Contact Improvisation is a form of partner dancing that involves exploration of one’s body, which we will be talking more about. He is also founder of “Material of Spine” which is a system for exploring the interior and exterior muscles of the back. And aims to bring consciousness to the dark side of the body. 

So, he came up with a conclusion: “the mind can travel inside the body” he said. And this experiment has turned his mind to dance. In my humble comprehension what it means is that the mind, being connected to many inputs through sense organs and for some people through the soul, may focus the conscious on particular parts of the body  when there is an indicator warning. And when the oneself is aware of their own body they can move their minds  through their veins. Thereupon it is where Material for the Spine comes in use. Paxton developed this system for exploring the interior and the exterior muscles of the back, aiming to bring consciousness to the dark side of the body. In other words, to make the mind travel across the body. Yet, this time while being in control of both mind and body. When oneself succeeds at this system a particular part of the body can be in control rather than being controlled by mind. 

Conclusion

To sum up, these two experimental methods contributed to modern dance in various ways. Even for me, someone who is just so new to all this, after studying Paxton, every exercise in my contemporary dance lab made more sense. Even though there is still so much more to learn and they are way too theoretical, I am much more illuminated. All that being said, everyone who is into dance in any way should at least take a look into Paxton’s work. You’ll see the impact.