The Underscore, designed by Nancy Stark Smith, has be adopted and is practiced worldwide in the improvisation movement community. There is an hour introduction to the symbols and the work for each new person or group joining the practice. Many of the participants of MoS can appreciate the overlapping ideas with elements of community engagement.

The notes themselves are wonderful.
Lucy Meg wrote these up for the wall in the studio as reference and reminder. She leads Underscores in NYC. She and others can also be see in public spaces practicing the Underscore with passers- by as environment to navigate and relate.

MoS will continue to invite Underscore participants to practice this art form at the Beneficial Mud Ball Balls. I find it represents a village piazza and community well. Practicing the Underscore, movement improvisation and contact improvisation feels good and makes me a better community/ family person and I betcha others might feel the same way.

Nancy performed with Steve Paxton in the 70’s, the founder, original developer of Contact Improvisation in 1972. He built it and it spread — now there are people in most major cities of the world practicing the art form. There are many styles and interpretations. The Underscore is I think also one of the personal interpretations and developments out of the form with which Paxton first experimented.

DIA Beacon has a retrospective of his work this October and performer dancer teacher KJ Holms will be in the pieces.

October 23rd, 2014 | Category: Ephemeral Piazzas, New York City | Subscribe to comments | Both comments and pings are currently closed