Influences on Paxton

Some things that could have influenced Paxton's artistic views could be that when he started dancing with Limon, Cunningham and other post modern dancers it was during the 1960s "The Golden Age".  This is an age when tremendous change was going on!  There was events like the assassination of JFK, and music was changing how people thought.  This time era in general might of had a lot to do with why Paxton was so interested in partner work (contact improv).  The one that sticks out to me the most would be the Vietnam war that was going on, maybe Paxton was interested in bringing people together artistically.  I believe that this would have a lot to do with his development of his artistic voice.  At the same time in the 60s everything was changing so much which could be why he chose to use movement that wasn't the "norm" in post modern dance.  He used a lot of walking, running, and pedestrian movements, which was so different from other works.  This could be because of the heat of the Golden Age, and the fact that everyone was changing their thoughts and actions!

-Amelia

Robert Ellis Dunn lineage

Robert Dunn started off studying tap and then studied and taught  music in England. From there, he began studying at the Boston Conservatory where he began working with Merce Cunningham. He
first collaborated and is known for working with Cunningham in Boston and New York City. Dunn attended many of John Cage's seminars on composition and applied many of Cage's principles to his movement classes. Dunn appreciated and applied Cage's non-judgemental approach in teaching. He encouraged his dancers to play and experiment with phrasing and musicality inside of improvisation.
Steve Paxton, Trisha Brown, and David Gordon are some of his students that he had. In 1962, his class performed his work at Judson Memorial Church. This performance was considered a new era of modern dance because of its non traditional approaches to choreography, specifically in the use of improvisation. Dunn was interested in "videodance" and worked with Matt Chernov on installing this and premiered this in the Haggerty Museum of Art in Milwaukee in 1997.

"For several years now, I have felt that the two greatest learning occasions of my life were provided by John Cage, my teacher of experimental music, in the late 50s and early 60s, and Irmgard Bartenieff, my teacher of movement analysis, in the early 70s. In each case the influence was so deep and pervasive that it is impossible to lift it out for objective examination." -Robert Dunn, Strathmore Museum

-Melissa Gross

Steve Paxton influences

Steve Paxton started off as a gymnast and is the creator of contact improvisation.  Paxton was a member of the Josè Limón in 1960 and danced for Merce Cunningham as well in 1961.  He became an avant-garde dance collective in Judson Dance Theater.  Paxton tries to break the wall between dancers and non-dancers.  Paxton questioned the elements of dance, and pushed limits.  He was inspired to look at the human spine in ways that no one else did.  He has a whole movement exploration on the spine and how it can be used in a meditative way while dancing.  The human body was an inspiration in itself for Paxton.  I believe that a lot of movement would seem irrelevant if it wasn't for Paxton.  Paxton is also known as the creator of contact improvisation, contact improvisation is an ever evolving form of movement done with more than one person.  Improvising with this person in a space where you come into contact with other bodies to find a certain connection.  These bodies are in a physical connection with each other that can create a type of communication between the two bodies.  Contact Improvisation is an exploration not only with other bodies but with other elements as well, like gravity and momentum.  The spontaneity of contact improv also creates an alertness between dancers, which can build a tremendous amount of trust.  Trust is one of the most important aspects of contact improvisation, this keeps the bodies movement from becoming anything but organic looking.

 "Contact Improvisation is an open-ended exploration of the kinaesthetic possibilities of bodies moving through contact. Sometimes wild and athletic, sometimes quiet and meditative, it is a form open to all bodies and enquiring minds."

-Ray Chung workshop announcement, London 2009

(http://www.contactquarterly.com/contact-improvisation/about/cq_ciAbout.php)

-Here is a video of what some contact improvisation looks like

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcrbIdY3HZc

"Each body has a center of gravity of its own, but when they come together there is one center of gravity that they share." -Youtube video "Interkenected"

-Here is a video of what some of Paxton's work on the spine looks like

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CntWmA1YTw

-Amelia Morris