Steve Paxton의 Contact Improvisation과 Aikido의 상관성 연구

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the similarity between Contact Improvisation and Aikido. Steve Paxton started the Contact Improvisation in 1972. In 1960s, many post-modern dancers examined a form of dance. One of them is Taoist principle-including Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Tai Chi Chuan, and Aikido. Taoist principles and practices have had far-reaching influences in American modern dance in 1950s-1960s. Paxton began dancing in high school in Tucson, Arizona. He moved to New York where he studied with cunningham and he took Robert Dunn's composition work shop. At that time, he was in contact with Zen Buddhism, Taoism, existentialism. Paxton studied Aikido and began to experiment with rolling falling and partnering skill of that movement technique during 1970-76. Aikido training helps develop the individual Chi(氣). And Aikido's techniques are used to learn harmony, flow with another mind and body. In Contact Improvisation, the image of the body combines Aikido's concept of the body as synonymous with the person and movement as a sensuously apprehended experience. In some sense, the body movement itself in Contact Improvisation are also synonymous with nature, because they follow natural laws of gravity, momentum, inertia, and so on. Aikido training concept, or circle, flow, and harmony can be found in Contact Improvisation. The movement in Contact Improvisation is circle and curved. When more than one person is practicing Aikido or Contact Improvisation, there is a flow energy between them, and a projection of one to the other. While improvising, dancers vividly present the spirit and enjoyment of dance without showing any trace of technical struggle. At that movement, the performer becomes the performance through the transcendence of skill. Thus improvisation is spontaneous, direct, and follow the energy flow.