Where does Contact Improvisation come from?

Contact Improvisation was 'created' in the United States by modern dancer Steve Paxton in 1972. While the form may be rooted in modern dance, it is also a reaction against it and has been influenced by social dance and martial arts, such as Aikido and Tai chi. It continues to be influenced by movement practices and theories such as, Body Mind Centering, Skinner Release, Laban Movement Analysis, Alexander Technique, Shiatsu and Yoga.

Mary Fulkerson introduced Contact Improvisation to the UK, when she was appointed as Head of Dance at Dartington College of the Arts in Devon in 1973. Her improvised and non-technique-based movement has directly or indirectly influenced choreographers, such as Rosemary Butcher, Sue MacLennan, Richard Alston and Yolande Snaith.