Sight as a sense defines greatly all our action – and also how we experience dance. And still most of dance is something totally different – experiencing movement, feeling the movement and sensing oneself, others and the world we are immersed in.

In this blindfold jam based on contact improvisation the temporary removal of the sense of seeing grants a possibility to sensitize into a deeper and more subtle perception and feeling of movement without the control of sight.

Removing the sense of sight may take the dance into more sensual direction than usual, but it can also stay on the level of just exploring movement. Regardless of the form, consent needs to be negotiated with care. We will give tools for this at the start of the jam.

The session consists of preparation, shared and facilitated tuning-in, dance and warming down.

We're asking everyone to arrive in the beginning (the latest by 19.30), but after that you're free to come and go as you feel is best for you. We ask everyone to arrive in the beginning so we can make sure everyone shares the same instructions on safety.

There is one person in the space at all times taking care of general safety, consent and the rules of a safer space.

You don't need to have experience from contact improvisation to attend.

The structure of the session is:

19 – 19.30 Preparation: Instructions about the space, choosing your blindfolds and doing your own warm-up.

19.30 – 20 Beginning: Sharing the main instructions together and a shared tuning-in while blindfolded.

20 – 21.30 Dance: Dancing blindfolded in the space. You can leave and return the dance space at any time (as long as you have arrived at the beginning), but you can be in the dance space only while blindfolded.

21.30 – 22 Warming down: You can move in the space also without the blindfold.

You can come and go as you like between 19 – 19.30 and 20 - 22 (as long as you have arrived at the jam before 19.30).

Between 19.30 – 21.30 you can move in the dance space only blindfolded.

You are very welcome to stay until the end, but you are free to leave whenever you feel best for you.

Jam place and time

Sat 4. 1. 2025 at 7pm

Kunstquartier Bethanien, Studio 2 (in the 2nd floor)

Address: Mariannenplatz 2, Kreuzberg, 10997 Berlin.

Facilitator

Samee Haapa (they/them) is an actor FIA, dancer and a dj, who has 20 years of experience in organising alternative clubs and raves and teaching and making radical contemporary dance. They are also the artistic director of The Center for Everything.

Some special notes

Letting go of the control of the sight changes your perception of others, space and boundaries. Please consider whether this is something you’re ready for. There are multiple safety precautions in place to keep everyone safe, but ability to recognize and articulate your own boundaries and respect the boundaries of others is essential.

For this jam we'll only sell tickets beforehand so we can anticipate the amount of people attending. This has to do with safety and so we can prepare the blindfolds beforehand. The blindfolds are carefully washed after each use and handled hygienically before given to you.

Please ask for further information about our precautions by sending a message to centerforeverything at gmail dot com.

If Holvi is not the best for you in terms of payment, we also have PayPal. For our PayPal, send a message to the e-mail above.

We might take some photos and possibly shoot some video at the jam. If you'd rather not be seen in these, please tell it to the facilitator and we'll sort it out.

Blindfold Jam is committed to the principles of safer space. This means respect for all genders, sexualities, backgrounds, bodies and abilities. Racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, other oppressive behaviour or harassment is not allowed.