Weight and Wait
Exploring Patience & Listening in Shared Weight
Contact Improvisation Workshop with Richard Parker
In this workshop, we slow things down to focus on one of the more challenging and tender aspects of Contact Improvisation: waiting within shared weight. Rather than moving quickly into momentum or action, we’ll explore the subtle dance of what happens when we pause — physically and emotionally — in moments of contact.
We’ll practice:
Yielding and leaning with time and patience
Entering and exiting shared weight with clarity
Tracking tone and breath as indicators of readiness
Giving time for the integration of weight between bodies
Navigating the emotional landscape of giving and receiving weight
Releasing fear around “being heavy” by building trust and responsiveness
Why it matters:
It is not uncommon for Contact dancers to have fear around giving weight. This can create unconscious resistance, bracing, holding back, or collapsing, all of which can lead to a feeling of “heaviness” in the dance. By learning to wait before fully offering weight, we give ourselves and our partners time to prepare, receive, and adapt. This not only makes the physical exchange safer and more effective, but also allows us to meet the emotional weight of the moment with compassion and presence.
Waiting in this context becomes a radical act of trust: trusting our own body to release, trusting another to meet us, and trusting the connection itself to reveal what’s needed. It’s in this space that fear begins to melt, and the dance becomes lighter, more mutual, and more playful, even when working with substantial weight.
This workshop welcomes dancers of all levels and offers a nourishing space to grow confidence, deepen relational awareness, and discover lightness in movement.
Mindfulness and Improvisation Beyond Technique
This workshop will include guided scores and mindfulness practices to help you connect deeply to the present moment. By listening inwardly and outwardly, we’ll cultivate improvisation as a language of movement that transcends technique, inviting richer, more expressive, and unpredictable dances to unfold.
Cultivating Confidence and Creativity in Jams
Build confidence and ease in jam settings by learning to respond intuitively to the evolving flow of the dance. We’ll explore how to access jams with openness and curiosity, developing trust in yourself, your partners, and the improvisational process.
Through listening and response, we’ll create dances that are alive with creativity, spontaneity, and connection.
Level
This workshop is not suitable for newcomers to Contact Improvisation, but it welcomes anyone who has begun to explore the practice, from those with some experience to well-seasoned practitioners.
Venue & Travel:
Venue: Our workshop will be taking place in The Old School Room within the venue RISE, a large, wooden floor, well-lit and fully heated space.
Centrally located within the heart of Frome, RISE is a 5-minute walk from the town centre, or a 20-minute walk from the Frome train station.
Parking: There is a long-stay car park at the Cheese and Grain situated a short walk away.
Inclusivity:
At Emerging Hearts we hope to make our events as accessible as possible. We understand that while we try to price our events reasonably, support may still be needed. If you are on a lower income, we offer the option of paying in instalments, or at a reduced cost if the price is truly out of your range. Please visit our inclusivity page and we will be happy to assist you. Please note that while we offer further support beyond instalments, only a certain amount of these spaces may be available.