Restorative Contact: Mindful Touch for Grounding and Healing

Restorative Contact is a mindful touch-based movement and body-centered empathy practice that developed from my choreographic explorations, my teaching of contact improv and my study of various somatic techniques including restorative yoga, tai chi, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Klein technique, authentic movement, and deep listening. I will explain what Restorative Contact is and why touch is important for human development and wellbeing. My presentation will include background on SEX TAPE, a performance where the ‘found choreography’ between myself and a male lover, documented on video, was meticulously reconstructed with one significant change, replacing the man with a longtime female friend.