On May 5th, Contact Improvisation Jam: Foreign Land will grace the Fou Gallery in New York, inviting attendees to experience a fusion of movement and sound. Musician Eldar Baruch, alongside dance coordinator Ching-I, will weave a tapestry of improvisation. Eldar Baruch will orchestrate synthesizers, samplers, and a looper into a symphony, entwining them with melodica and kalimba tones. Amidst Fou Gallery's current exhibition, Saba Farhoudnia: Falling Petals, Standing Roses, Eldar Baruch's music adds an ethereal dimension, blending tradition and innovation. This symbiosis of music and visual art promises a transcendent experience, inviting participants to explore the unique artistry of Contact Improvisation Jam while finding solace in the complexities of daily life.

Contact Improvisation Tips: Contact Improvisation, initiated by American choreographer Steve Paxton in 1972, is a constantly evolving movement system. This dance form dissolves the traditional distinction between audience and dancers, as everyone's perspective and body language shift with the dynamic physical contact between bodies. Based on bodily communication, participants will navigate the relationship between gravity, momentum, and inertia, alleviating tension and embracing a state of natural expression. Physical practices include rolling, falling, inverting, and following a point of contact, thereby providing physical and emotional support to other participants.

Live contact improvisation jam at Fou Gallery, photo and video be Ashley Wang

Musician: Eldar Baruch is a versatile artist renowned for his roles as a composer, sound designer, and live musician-performer across contemporary choreographed dance, theater plays, dance films, and video art. His musical canvas encompasses melodic piano solos, synthesizers, organic soundscapes, beats, acoustic instruments, and playful toy sounds. Specializing in live music for site-specific creations, improvised dance performances, and Contact Improvisation, Eldar infuses each performance with a unique blend of spontaneity and precision. As both a musician and a mover, he cherishes the opportunity to merge his music with the dynamic human experience of movement, breath, and evolution encapsulated within the fluidity of time. His recent work includes:  “Hand in Mouth” (Composer, a dance performance by Annie Ming-Hao Wang, premiered Out-FRONT! Festival, Abrons Arts Center, NYC); Films That Move/Experimental Film Virginia Festival (Guest musician, composer and filmmaker, workshop facilitator for dance & film artists). Dance on Camera Festival at Lincoln Center (Composer for “Sole,” Official Selection, a film by Irina Khokhlova); “Firebot” (Composer, a dance performance by Alina Belyagina, Germany); Guest lecturer at School of Music and Dance San Diego State University. 

Eldar Baruch: https://eldarbaruch.com

Dance Coordinator: Ching-I is an artist dedicated to creating harmony between the environment, the body, and the spirit. She uses dance as a medium to narrate conceptual landscapes and life stories, attuning to the existence of every body and spirit. Her art is a profound listening and responsibility to the surrounding world; in Ching-I's realm, every dance step is a poem in harmony with life. Through creating and sharing stories, conceptual landscapes, and dances, Ching-I showcases her artistic talent, extending an invitation for everyone to participate and connect.

Ching-I: https://www.chingichangbigelow.com/

Event planner: Iris Zhang holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance from China and a Master's degree in Arts and Culture Management from Pratt Institute in New York. Her experience includes organizing various independent music performances and large-scale music festivals in China, including West Lake Music Festival and East Sea Music Festival. She participated in the production of the independent film End of Summer (2017), which was recognized with the KNN award at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival. She has also worked for exchange exhibitions She Says, Her Story (Washington D.C., 2021), Fluid Boundaries: Four Artists from the Pan-Austro-Nesian Arts Festival (Washington D.C., 2022), and Hsin-Chien Huang: The Data We Called Home (New York, 2022). Iris is currently a partner and the Director of Communication and Special Events at Fou Gallery in New York. Her focus is on bringing diverse art forms to the gallery's community. She has designed and coordinated numerous special events, such as The Continuum of Migration: Improvised Music by Che Chen, 16mm Film Loops Workshop, and Mycology on Fire: Mushroom Cultures to Cultivation.

Event Photos

Upcoming