“With Material for the Spine, I was interested in alloying a technical approach to improvisational results. It is a system for exploring the interior and exterior muscles of the back. It aims to bring the light of consciousness to the dark side of the body, that is, the sides not much self-seen, and to submit sensations to the mind for consideration.” Steve Paxton

Material For the Spine concentrates accumulated knowledges from Paxton’s study of walking, Contact Improvisation and Aikido practice to explore the movement possibilities in the spine and the connections between the head, pelvis, and vertebrae. This solo practice is a meditative study of a series of exercises, body puzzles and ideokinetic imagery. These sensations can also be used as a palette for improvisation. This weekend intensive takes the work into more extended explorations and improvisations.

Otto Ramstad is a dance artist who makes performances, video works and installations for theaters, galleries, museums and different site and context specific encounters. He has an MA in Choreography from KHiO. For twenty years he has been collaborating with Olive Bieringa as BodyCartography Project. The mission of BodyCartography Project is to engage with the vital materiality of our bodies to create live performance that facilitates a re-enchantment of embodiment, relationship, and presence. BodyCartography has been creating performances, films, installations, and festivals internationally in urban, domestic, wild, and social landscapes. He has toured throughout North America, Europe, Brazil, Japan, Russia and New Zealand.