Who are we?
in2 developed out of COLAB, a class at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that explores improvisation and ensemble composition between dancers, engineers and musicians. This exploration opened a door for us to start questioning issues of performance, presence, relationality, creativity, the significance of touch and impromptu composition. We decided to delve further into this movement/music based research and began working(playing) together. Our work that first semester resulted in several performances (as a duo and in collaboration with our students and other artists), a class and a summer camp. We continually explore our individual and collective potential through meditative practices, movement exercises and free play. Check our events page to check out what we are doing now!
What are we in2?
Some of the ideas we investigate in our work include:
- What is creativity and improvisation? What is the relationship between the two?
- How can we nurture creativity?
- How can improvisation allow us to embody who and how we are? How does this embodiment impact our relationships (with ourselves and others)?
- How can improvisation and play enable individuals to build a caring and supportive community?
- How can we create collective improvisations using multiple disciplines?
- What does it mean to be an honest artist?
- What is the significance of being seen? How does that expand our understanding of what performance is/means?
- What are our tendencies during collective composition and performance? How do we not attach to those ideas and remain open to new possibilities?
- How can we negotiate and play with the relationship between movement and music (with its gender biases and socio-historical background)?
- What is the significance of touch (physically, mentally, emotionally, philosophically)? How can we communicate and listen kinesthetically?
- What is the relationship between work and play?
