Current Productions

one actor holds on to another actor in a gliding pose in Moose Tracks performance

TDM Fall Productions

TDM Fall Dance Production: Contact Improvisation (Nov 13-14)

About TDM Fall Dance Production: Contact Improvisation

Course flyer for the Contact Improvisation course associated with the fall 2026 dance production

Learn more, including the rehearsal schedule, on the TDM 90CR Canvas page!

TDM Production Studios consist of a 4-credit course that meets weekly led by TDM Faculty and a full production process led by a professional Director or Choreographer which culminates in the public performance of an original work. This fall’s Production Studio will focus on Contact Improvisation (CI), one of the most influential contemporary dance practices today which attracts and inspires dancers and non-dancers all over the world. Developed in the early 1970s, contact improvisation explores how two or more people move closely together through space, playing with physical forces such as momentum, gravity, and inertia.

The course component, taught by dance scholar Laura Quinton, will delve into the history, theories, political, social, and practical applications of this global art form. We will also examine what it means to make a professional dance production, meeting with our choreographer, musicians, and designers to hear their insights into the creative process.

The production component will be led by professional choreographer Stephanie Turner. In weekly rehearsals leading to a weekend of professionally produced performances, students will collaborate with Prof. Turner to create a new dance work rooted in CI, developing their individual artistic voices while building a shared movement language. What does it mean to fall, fly, rebound, and dance together in a turbulent world? And what might contact improvisation reveal about the value of human touch, physical expression, and live performance in our digital age? In the spirit of contact improvisation, all movers – seasoned or first-time – are welcome. 

NOTE: Additional rehearsals are required as part of participation in this course. Full class and rehearsal schedule will be posted on Canvas. All are welcome, no prior dance/movement background required. Participation is limited to students involved with the production, either as performers or as members of the production team. Students who wish to be part of the production team should contact TDM’s Artistic Producer James Stanley (jamesstanley@fas.harvard.edu). This course satisfies the “Production Studio" requirement for TDM concentrators.