Embodied Navigation of the Unknown
Community & Connection, Courage & Consciousness
Venue: Masonic Hall, Cambridge
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May Jam is:
• Three days of jamming
• Focused Warmups© Rythea Lee
• CI Skill building
• Delicious lunches
• Saturday night party
Lani Nahele, our artist in residence, is delighted to be hosting this year's May Jam. She has been an active teacher & community member in the Massachusetts CI scene for over 30 years.
Lani Says: "During this May Jam weekend, my hope is to offer perspectives and practices to support us during this tumultuous time. We will have many opportunities to practice coming into our bodies, finding our use of tone and weight to Yield, Push, Reach and Pull.
I will especially be calling for us to question our fears and assumptions, continuing forward with respect and care for ourselves and others. This jam has been lovingly held by the community already for many years, providing a fertile field for us to join and practice within."
Join locals and out-of-towners, new dancers and old friends.
Celebrate the 32nd annual May Jam
SCHEDULE:
Friday - Welcome Jam
Doors open ..................................7:15pm
Registration, open dancing .....7:15-10pm
Out of the space .........................10:30pm
Saturday - All-day Jamming
Doors open ...................................9:30am
Registration and arrivals......9:30-10:00am
Circle and group warmup.............10:00am
All day jamming .............11:00am-5:30pm
Lunch (approx.) ....................1:00-2:30pm
Out of the space ............................6:00pm
Saturday Pot-luck Party ...6:45-10:30pm
Bring something to share (including grillables)
For jam participants (Location: TBA)
Sunday - All Day Jamming
Doors open ....................................10:00am
Arrivals and warmups ..........10:00-10:30am
All day Jamming.................10:30am-4:30pm
Lunch .......................................1:00-2:00pm
Closing .....................................4:30-5:00pm
Clean-up, out of the space........5:00-6:00pm
LUNCHES AT THE MAY JAM:
CI Boston has provided delicious lunches for everyone who preregisters to May Jam for over a decade. Please eat breakfast before you arrive.
Thank you to Gary Shea, our lunch coordinator!
REGISTRATION:
Online Registration is for the Full Jam ONLY.
Walk-in attendance is welcome for any part of the jam.
Online registration for May Jam is only available for the full three days of the event. We don't offer partial jams online. But it is possible to attend any part of May Jam, a la carte. Simply arrive and pay at the door.
COSTS:
Standard online pricing for whole event:
-> If you register after April 30th
$165 - Regular rate - Should be most of us.
$135 - Reduced rate - For hard economic situations
(Financial aid is also available. See below)
$185 - Well-employed rate - Professionals, please
$215 - Supporting the arts rate.
Walk-ins are welcome to all or any parts of May Jam
(Simply arrive pay at the door. Friday night, full days, half days, combos.)
Walk-in pricing for whole event:
$175 - Regular rate - Should be most of us
$135 - Reduced rate - For hard economic situations
(Financial aid is also available. See below)
$195 - Well-employed rate - Professionals, please
$225 - Supporting the arts rate.
Partial Jam walk-in prices (does not include lunches):
Friday night - $15 (sliding scale $10-30)
Full-day: Saturday or Sunday - $85
(sliding scale, $70-110)
Half-day: Saturday or Sunday - $45
(sliding scale, $35-55)
Financial Aid Fund: Available for those in severe economic situations.
To Apply: If the lowest level of our sliding scale is too expensive for you, we offer a limited number of applicants $45 off their fee on a first-come-first-served basis. Apply on the registration form.
To Contribute: If you have even a little extra, please contribute to the Pay-it Forward, Financial Aid Fund as you register. Contribute when you register online.
Work Exchange:
We all pitch in to help these events run smoothly, but we need some dedicated helpers who we know we can count on. You will be reimbursed for your hours after the event. Fill in the Work Exchange section on the registration form, if interested. You will be contacted by the WEX coordinator.
wex@contactimprovboston.com
OUT-OF-TOWNERS:
You are welcome - come one, come all! We can help you with housing here in the homes of local dancers. Please register early and indicate you need housing; we'll work it out for you. Covid testing may be required by some of our host household. This will be worked out by the housing coordinator.
Questions about housing? Email: housing@ContactImprovBoston.com
If you are coming from outside the US: We are aware of the challenges and possible expenses of border crossing at this time. Because of this, we encourage people coming from outside the US to select the reduced rate and accept the financial aid option. We can also offer a further fee reduction for those with challenging financial situations because of dollar exchange discrepancy.
Contact the registrar to enable this lower fee because of dollar exchange.
Also Note: If you cancel due to concerns regarding the USA boarder, or if you have an issue crossing the border, your full fee will be refunded.
LOCATION:
Cambridge Masonic Hall, 1950 Mass. Ave, Cambridge, MA (Porter Square)
Public transport: Right across the street from the Porter Sq stop on the MBTA Red Line.
By car: Park on far side of the lot behind 2067 Mass Ave (across the street, north 3 blocks)
From north on Mass Av, turn left on Russel Street and enter the parking lot from there.
Map link: T stop and where to park: http://maps.google.com
COVID/HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS:
Contact Improv Boston does not require participants to wear masks at the event venue. Please respect each dancer's choice about this.
Do not attend May Jam if... you are feeling sick or displaying any potential Covid symptoms, or if you test positive for Covid in the 24-hrs before the event (even without symptoms).
Do not attend May Jam if... you have been in extended close contact with somebody with confirmed Covid in the 48-hrs before the event.
Your registration will be refunded. You must notify the registrar in order to receive a refund.
See full cancellation policy, below.
Important: Please be mindful of your activities particularly in the week before the workshop and do a rapid test in the 24 hours before the workshop, if possible.
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE BIO:
Lani Nahele has been a professional dancer, choreographer, dance company member, artistic collaborator, movement educator and bodyworker. She has taught Contact Improvisation for 35 years. Lani performed in New York City, NY with Ohad Naharin and then in The Trisha Brown Dance Company. She studied directly with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and became a Certified Practitioner of Body-Mind Centering in 1994. She then performed and taught throughout Germany, France, Spain and Austria and was commissioned to create a women's quintet in Braunschweig, Germany. Lani is also trained and certified in Circulatory Massage, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Gyrokinesis and Reiki. She directs Studio Evolution in Florence where she centers her private bodywork practice, Embodied Healing.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
•If CIB finds it necessary to cancel the event for any reason, we will refund the entire registration fee of all registered participants.
•If a registered participant withdraws from an event for any reason by midnight, Friday, one week before the event, we will refund their full registration fee.
•If a registered participant withdraws closer to the event for health (or Covid exposure) reasons and notifies the registrar, a full refund will be issued.
• If a registered participant withdraws closer to the event for border crossing reasons and notifies the registrar, a full refund will be issued.
•If a registered participant withdraws closer to the event date than Friday, one week before the event, for non-health, and non-border crossing related reasons or does not notify us, no refund will be issued. Also applies to no-show.
•We will consider hardship situations for refunds before and during the event. Please notify the registrar.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Email the registrar: registrations@ContactImprovBoston.com
HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US FOR MAY JAM 2025