Puudutuse problemaatika kontaktimprovisatsiooni jam'idel

Abstract

In this thesis, I study the role and issues surrounding touch culture from the perspective of consent with the aim of increasing awareness of the importance of consent in achieving positive touch experiences in contact improvisation jams and everyday life. To achieve this, I sought answers to the following questions: Why is discussing touch and communicating one's boundaries important? What are the culturally ingrained factors of negative touch and the obstacles to the functioning of consent? How do we communicate one's boundaries and convey consent in contact with others in contact improvisation jams? What can we learn from the culture of contact improvisation regarding giving-receiving touch and consent, and how can we apply it to everyday life? The first two chapters explore the nuances of giving and receiving touch, as well as the prerequisites and obstacles to effective consent in social spaces. The obtained information is contextualized within the realms of dance and contact improvisation, where nonverbal communication is the primary means of interaction between two movers, revealing the complexity of conveying consent. I conclude that raising awareness of the issues surrounding touch – whose resolution involves respecting one's own and others' boundaries, communicating them, and not assuming them – plays a significant role in fostering a sense of safety in dance culture, particularly in the practice of contact improvisation.