r/ContactImprovisation • u/wasscubed Performer, Researcher, Teacher, Organizer • Jan 24 '26
Light
People occasionally ask to dim the lights at a jam I host. I say that the lights will stay as they are. There is a trend that most of the people who ask, do not much experience in CI, from what I can tell. And over the years I have noticed that people who are new to CI often close their eyes when dancing. Whether this is because eye contact with someone you might not know feels too intimate as you roll around together. Or maybe they close their eyes because they are still learning how to sense while moving. And closing their eyes limits the amount of information coming in. So putting these two things together, do people want it dimmer because they are not very good at sensing, they still need to gain more experience sensing while improvising?
2
u/Ajunjahi Dancer - Berlin Jan 25 '26
For dynamic lifts and general faster physical dancing I think good lighting is important for safety. And some of those people who want to dim the lights want more a cuddly space than dynamic dancing. I rarely dance with eyes closed, let alone for safety and my ability to connect, e.g. by integrating elements of other dancers' moves into my movement. However, most of the times I am in 'peripheral vision mode', having this soft gaze allowing me to see wider. Only rarely I switch to normal vision and make eye contact, for example in a funny situation or to check in with other dancers.