Our guest today is Nitipat “Ong” Ong Polchai (Thailand) — performer, community builder, and long-time organizer of the Bangkok Contact jam scene. Ong’s journey began in San Francisco’s experimental-contact-art scene, training in Berkeley with Karl Frost. His work spans creative collaborations with other bi-cultural Contact performers for Pride in Thailand, teaching Physics by day, and championing “queering the practice” of CI to expand beyond the norms.

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ Dance privilege & inclusion

✨ Working with blind dancers

✨ Social issues through the CI lens

✨ Cultural perspectives on Contact Improvisation in Thailand

📲 Ong on Instagram: @spineparty

📘 Facebook: Contact Improvisation in Bangkok

🔗 Faces of CI is @momentumcontact

🌐 Upcoming Workshops by Aalia msha.ke/momentumcontact

#contactimprovisation #momentumcontact #contactdance #bangkokdance #lgbtdance #queeringthepractice #inclusivedance #somaticpractice #dancepodcast

Our guest today is Yasukichi Sazuki (Japan) — a pioneer of Contact Improvisation in Tokyo, sharing the form for over two decades and introducing it to her country.

In this episode, we explore:

✨ Trusting the environment & culture of caring in Japan

✨ Staying rooted in CI fundamentals — gravity, fall, expansion, breath

✨ Offering space for authentic encounter

✨ “Simple is the strongest.”

📘 Find Contact Improvisation Japan

🙏 Special thanks to dancer Izumi Kuribayashi for translating this first bilingual episode.

🎧 Faces of CI online: Instagram @momentumcontact

🔗 Upcoming Contact Workshops by Aalia

#contactimprovisation #momentumcontact #contactdance #tokyodance #japan #asiandancecommunity #somaticpractice #dancepodcast

Our guest today is Kirstie Simson — legendary improviser, award-winning dancer, and teacher of Contact Improvisation for over 40 years, described by The New York Times as “a force of nature.”

In this deeply personal conversation, recorded during her 3-week Chiang Dao residency Resilience and Support in Difficult Times, we explore:

✨ Navigating cancer with grace and resilience

✨ Environmental philosophy in art and movement

✨ The influence of aikido on her dance

✨ Sexuality vs. sensuality in CI

✨ Storytelling and transmutation through improvisation

🌐 Kirstie's Website: kirstiesimson.com

🎧 Faces of CI online: Instagram @momentumcontact

💃 About Aalia, the host: aaliadances.com

📚 Learn CI online: www.contactbody.ca

#contactimprovisation #momentumcontact #contactdance #kirstiesimson #dancepodcast #improvisation #somaticpractice #dancer

Live from Towards CI50 Conference, we welcome Damla Özçelik — Contact Improvisation facilitator from Turkey.

In this conversation, we explore:

✨ Teaching CI to blind dancers

✨ Body–self–empowerment workshops for teenage girls

✨ Navigating consent in CI

✨ Fusing tango with contact improvisation

🌐 More about Damla: Instagram

🎧 Faces of CI online: @momentumcontact

🔗 Upcoming Contact Workshops by Aalia

📚 Learn CI online: www.contactbody.ca

#contactimprovisation #momentumcontact #contactdance #damlaözçelik #dancepodcast #improvisation #somaticpractice #dancecommunity

Recorded in the mountains of Chiang Dao, Thailand at a mystical monastery during Part 2 of the Towards 50th CI Anniversary Conference. For 10 days, 35 contact dancers lived together beside a hot springs “Heaven.”

Our guests are CI teachers and dear friends Francisco Borges (Portugal) & Geraldine Acevedo Espansa (Colombia) — facilitators of Ocean Dance, water contact, and CI in Koh Pha Ngan.

In this conversation, we explore:

✨ The philosophy of CI

✨ The water & nature body

✨ Freedom from rules in dance

✨ Teaching CI without words to village kids on the Myanmar border

🌐 More about their work: Instagram @hojadeltropico & @awakedanceflow

🎧 Faces of CI online: Instagram @momentumcontact

🪩 Upcoming Workshops by Aalia

📚 Learn CI online: www.contactbody.ca

#contactimprovisation #oceandance #momentumcontact #contactdance #waterdance #dancepodcast #contactdance #improvisation

This is one of my favorite episodes so far!

We’re live in Chiang Mai, Thailand for the Towards 50th CI Anniversary Conference — a month-long dance festival intensive.

Our guest is Khuyen “Kasper” Bui — teacher of CI, philosopher, TED speaker, and writer based in Vietnam.

🌐 More about his work: www.khuyenbui.com

🎧 Faces of CI online: Instagram @momentumcontact

📚 Learn CI online: www.contactbody.ca

#contactimprovisation #momentumcontact #contactdance #dancepodcast #dancefestival #dancephilosophy #somaticpractice #improvisation #ci50

We’re live in Chiang Mai, Thailand for the Towards 50th CI Anniversary Conference — a month-long dance festival intensive.

Our guest is Bari Kim — teacher of CI, Body-Mind Centering®, and choreographer based in Seoul & Jeju, Korea.

🌐 More about her work: Instagram @bari.dance & barikim.blogspot.com

🎧 Faces of CI online: Instagram @momentumcontact

🪩 About Aalia www.aaliadances.com

📚 Learn CI online: www.contactbody.ca

#contactimprovisation #koreandance #momentumcontact #contactdance #dancepodcast #dancer #ci50 #bodymindcentering

We’re in Vancouver, Canada at EDAM Dance Company — the first studio where I learned Contact and a space that holds a special place in my heart.

Our guest is Anne Cooper — Contact Improvisation teacher at EDAM for over 20 years, artist, performer, and choreographer. Her Sunday classes offer a patient, inquiring approach that’s especially welcoming to newcomers.

We chat about:

✨ Performance & choreography in CI

✨ Improvising at a distance during Covid

✨ Funding for dancers

✨ …and how Contact can be a metaphor for a perfect day at the beach

🌐 EDAM class schedule: edamdance.org

🎧 Faces of CI online: Instagram @momentumcontact

📚 Learn CI online: www.contactbody.ca

#contactimprovisation #annecooper #momentumcontact #contactdance #dancepodcast #edamdance #somaticpractice

Faces of CI: Conversations on Contact Improvisation

Ubud, Bali — a place that’s become my unofficial new home after spending 9 months here this year. 🌿

In this (long-awaited) episode, we’re joined by local teachers and friend- dancers:

✨ Helena Kober (Spain)

✨ Somaji Surya (Costa Rica)

✨ Fay Yeo Un Kim (Korea)

✨ Anika Gunawan (Indonesia)

Together, we explore the spirit of Ubud’s Contact community, the dancers who shape it, and the connections that keep us coming back to the floor.

🎧 Follow along: Instagram @momentumcontact

📅 Upcoming workshops by Aalia https://msha.ke/momentumworkshop

#contactimprovisation #ubudbali #momentumcontact #contactdance #baliartists #somaticpractice #ubud #dancecommunity

Welcome to Faces of CI: Conversations on Contact Improvisation

We’re in Koh Phangan, Thailand, during Art Continuum Nomadic Residency, joined by guests:

✨ Dolores Dewhurst-Marks (England)

✨ Bernd Vollmer (Germany)

✨ Astrid Van Zon (Netherlands)

Together we explore:

🌊 Dance as life philosophy

✨ The highs of movement

🧘 Yoga-to-CI journeys

❓ The magic of not knowing

🌿 Dolores Work Towards.Contact & Instagram

🎧 Follow along with Aalia on Instagram @momentumcontact

📅 Upcoming workshops by Aalia https://msha.ke/momentumworkshop

#contactimprovisation #kohphangan #momentumcontact #contactdance #dancepodcast #somatics #contactimprov