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The character of Yin Yang and Chi in Contact Improvisation

안신희 1

1국민대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is, with harmony and creativity as a base, to find out the correspondence of Chi and Yin Yang with Contact Improvisation. Contact Improvisation usually takes place as a duet. Regardless of whether man or woman,tall or short and heavy or light, it leads the dance with new movements coming from harmony through interactive relationships. Contact must be accompanied by a partner. They move as one mass. It is individual but also a collective energy, and creates new energy by transcending You and I. The researcher of this study focused on ‘two entities’, ‘change’, ‘harmony’ and ‘another creation’ which are the unique characteristics of the contact. These features are very similar to keywords of Eastern Philosophy , “Yin Yang of the two elements and One as a Taiji” and “extreme harmony and creation”. Hence, this study examined Chi and Yin Yang aspects dissolved in Contact Improvisation. Firstly as a result, Contact Improvisation was born in the norm of nature, harmony, and equality which are the backgrounds of Eastern Philosophy that influenced the intellects and artists of that period. It was also developed from performance of oriental martial arts, such as Aikido and Tai shi chuan that Steve Paxton, thecreator, and the dancers of Contact Improvisation practiced. Therefore,Contact Improvisation fundamentally includes the characteristics of Chi and Yin Yang. Secondly, In Contact Improvisation when some power, which originated from cooperation and interaction creates unpredictable movements, it is called ‘it’ or ‘the third power’, and it can be considered as ‘Chi’ of the oriental martial arts. Chi is the kinematic origin of the universe, and makes life and characteristic of all livings and phenomenon of the nature through its diverging and converging characteristic. From Chi’s perspective, even though performers have different body structure and spirit,the moment they become one as they make contact is status when the individual’s Chi diverges and re-integrates. This is creation of another character beyond You and I, and the stage of Chi’s extreme harmony. Thirdly, various movements occurring from improvisation by the contact, have characteristic elements of activeness,passiveness, request and response in common. However, these four characteristics are quite contrastive. This distinctiveness isn’t much different from the characteristic of Yin Yang where the two of the contrast exist as one. From a perspective of Yin Yang, activeness and request are at the side of Yang, and passiveness and response are at the side of Yin. The four characteristics of movement which has Yin Yang aspects generates a new movement by situationally circulating and harmonizing one another. In the end, a union of Contact Improvisation’s activeness, passiveness,request and response parallels with a Yin Yang law of all things and phenomena are created by the harmony of Yin Yang. Thus, Contact Improvisation Dance contains the ‘Yin Yang’ law of the eastern and the aspects in relation to operation of ‘Chi’

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