Born in Tucson Arizona in 1939, Steve Paxton's early training was mainly focused in gymnastics. In 1960 he worked with the Limon company for a year and then with Merce Cunningham from 1961-1964. During these three years he helped Cunningham develop chance choreography. In 1962 Paxton became one of the founding members of Judson Dance Theater. Through the 1970's he worked with Freelance Dance and a large part of his work in the 80's consisted of public improvisation solos. He also performed in work choreographed by Yvonne Rainer. He also collaborated with postmodern choreographer, Trisha Brown.
Paxton questioned the parameters of dance and wanted to push it's boundaries. He incorporated pedestrian movements like walking and running into his dances; elements that previously had not been considered dance. He believed anyone, even those not classically trained, could dance. More recently, he experimented with the blind and disabled to create work.
Contact Improvisation is, by far, Paxton's biggest contribution to the dance world. He is very interested in physical laws like friction, momentum, gravity and inertia. In his work, he explores how these laws effect the dynamic between two dancers. These concepts were the seeds that he grew into contact improvisation. In this technique a partner's body becomes a playground on which a dancer can explore these physical laws. It is a technique that requires a great amount of trust, commitment and strength from everyone involved.
Created by Rachel and Carrie
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