Skiing on skin isn’t the first image that comes to mind when make contact improvisation dance – for one thing there are no tracks left on you afterwards and you don’t fall over quite so much. At least not on purpose.

The festival has a bunch of classes on unlocking the creative potential of the body and exploring the fascinating world of contact improv. It all happens in a heated sports hall so don’t let the February Finnish temperatures scare you too much.

The organisers say:

‘We are a diverse, living and changing group of friends who want to dance contact improvisation. We are willing to try out new things and support different ways of seeing the form. We feel strongly as a group and trust in each other, even though many of us are spread around the World. We are aging together (getting 40 years or over) – and becoming a bit wiser, calmer and patient with it. Yet we are still going strong, keeping ourselves juicy by dancing, yoga, seducing, reducing, studying, teaching and by other secret potions, such as simply experiencing life. Some of us dance like animals, others sit passionately in circles and some prefer to boogie in other ways. Feeling nourished in our hearts, without financial benefit, we come together once a year to create the framework for this magnificent festival for YOU to experience with us!

‘Skiing on Skin is a festival in the middle of winter, in the middle of nowhere. This creates different possibilities to enjoy the local nature at its most unique. You may bath in the lake or ski, not only on skin but in the woods as well! The warmth of human contact combined with the Nordic solitude and simplicity creates the special character of the festival. So welcome to the wintery, (hopefully!) snowy Finland, and to the community known for its gentle men and strong women!

‘Let’s start from there: a touch, a roll, a contact. Falling gently, flying up… skiing on skin.’

Learn more about the Skiing on Skin contact improv festival.