Steve Paxton

Steve Paxton
Steve Paxton and Nancy Stark Smith, in a Contact Improvisation performance (1980). Photograph (c) by Stephen Petegorsky
Born	Phoenix, Arizona
Nationality	American
Known for	choreography, dance improvisation
Notable work	Proxy (1961), Satisfyin' Lover (1969), PA RT (1978), Bound (1981), Goldberg Variations (1986), Night Stand (2004)
Style	Contact Improvisation (founder), Material for the Spine (founder)
Movement	Judson Dance Theater, Postmodern dance
Awards	NEA Grant (1980), Guggenheim Fellowshing (1995), Venise Biennale Golden Lion (2004), Bessie for Lifetime Achievement (2015)

Steve Paxton (born 1939 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an experimental dancer and choreographer. His early background was in gymnastics while his later training included three years with Merce Cunningham and a year with José Limón. As a founding member of the Judson Dance Theater, he performed works by Yvonne Rainer and Trisha Brown. He was a founding member of the experimental group Grand Union and in 1972 named and began to develop the dance form known as Contact Improvisation, a form of dance that utilizes the physical laws of friction, momentum, gravity, and inertia to explore the relationship between dancers.

Paxton believed that even an untrained dancer could contribute to the dance form, and so began his great interest in pedestrian movement. After working with Cunningham and developing chance choreography, defined as any movement being his generation whose approach has influenced choreography globally. He attempts to remain reclusive, except when performing, teaching and choreographing internationally.

Paxton was influenced by the experimental arts and performance scene in New York in the 1960s and 1970s, and he was interested in how the body could create a physical playground. Contact Improvisation developed out of an exploration of the human body and under the supervision of Paxton. Its roots trace back to 1972. Contact Improvisation, usually done in duets, pulls elements from martial arts, social dance, sports, and child’s play. Upon entering a Contact Improv structure, two bodies must come together to create a point of contact (i.e., back to wrist, shoulder to thigh, head to foot, back to back, the options are endless), give weight equally to each other, and then create a movement dialog that can last for an undetermined amount of time, as long as both participants are fully engaged.