Review Of "Resistance And Support: Contact Improvisation @ 50" Edited By A. Cooper

Document Type

Book Review

Publication Date

8-2025

Published In

Choice

Abstract

Cooper-Albright is a long-time practitioner and teacher of contact improvisation and Professor of Dance at Oberlin College (Ohio). A prolific dance scholar and author/editor of seven previous books, Albright also organized the twenty-fifth and fiftieth anniversary contact improvisation celebrations held at Oberlin College. Contact improvisation (CI) is a form of partner dancing begun in the US in 1972, originating in part, at Oberlin College. CI partners share weight via a moving point of contact and improvise in ways many view as progressive, egalitarian, and communal. This anthology gathers diverse perspectives from the global CI dancing community, some of whom participated in the fiftieth anniversary event. It is divided into three sections, entitled Productive Tensions, Responsive Touch, and Local Communities/Global Contexts. Each section is introduced/contextualized by Cooper-Albright. Twenty essays explore power dynamics, gender hierarchies, and ability differences in CI. Varying positions regarding racial, cultural, class, and sexual orientation in CI are also discussed. Writers include those with significant experience in CI and relative newcomers. Approaches range from interviews to practical guidelines and more historically, somatically, or theoretically-based contributions. Overall, a useful record and critique of CI fifty years after its founding. Photos, charts, bibliographies, and a comprehensive index enhance the text. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals.

Comments

This work is freely available courtesy of Choice Reviews. The review has been reproduced in full in the abstract field.

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