Nancy Stark Smith facts for kids
Nancy Stark Smith (born February 11, 1952 – died May 1, 2020) was an American dancer. She was a key person in creating and developing contact improvisation, a special type of dance.
Nancy Stark Smith's Early Life and Dance Journey
Nancy Stark Smith was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 11, 1952. Her father, Dr. Joseph J. Smith, was a professor. Her family moved to Great Neck, New York in 1954.
When she was young, Nancy was more interested in being an athlete and gymnast. She didn't really understand dance at first. She once said, "I’d see the dancers standing in front of a wall of mirrors looking at themselves and making little movements. I didn’t understand what was exciting about that.”
Her interest in dance began when she went to Oberlin College. There, she worked with the famous Twyla Tharp dance company. She found Tharp's way of moving very interesting. This made her want to learn more about modern dance.
In college, she took a class with Steve Paxton. He was an American dancer who was just starting to create contact improvisation. Nancy loved this new dance style and wanted to keep working with Paxton. At that time, Paxton mostly worked with male dancers.
In 1972, Nancy joined a project with Steve Paxton. They practiced different ways of improvising. This included rolling, falling, throwing, and catching each other. They explored how bodies could connect in duets (dances for two people). Their performances in New York City were the very first shows of contact improvisation. Steve Paxton later praised Nancy's dancing. He said she was athletic, quick to respond, and very brave.
After college, Nancy went on a tour with Paxton and other dancers. They performed in a place called "the Kitchen" in downtown Manhattan. This helped contact improvisation become more popular.
What is Contact Improvisation?
Contact improvisation is a dance form usually done by two people. It focuses on trust and working together. Dancers stay in contact with each other, often touching, leaning, and supporting each other's weight. Nancy Stark Smith said that having a partner is very important for this dance. It helps the dance grow as people share the technique.
Nancy, Steve Paxton, and other early dancers helped spread this dance form across the country. Nancy remembered that people were surprised and excited by early performances. It was unusual in the 1970s to see women lifting men in dance. This showed that contact improvisation didn't follow old dance rules about gender roles.
As contact improvisation grew, some people worried about dancers learning it without proper training. So, in 1975, Nancy Stark Smith started Contact Newsletter. It later became Contact Quarterly, an international magazine about dance and improvisation. She worked on this magazine with Lisa Nelson until she passed away.
Contact Quarterly was important for the contact improvisation community. It helped create a culture of open communication among dancers and teachers. Nancy believed there was no single way to teach the dance. This gave dancers the freedom to try new things. She said, “Once you get a clear feel for the basic premise, develop a few safety skills, and get your reflexes primed and ready, then you're off. You learn by doing.”
Nancy Stark Smith spent her life as a dancer, performer, teacher, and writer. She traveled all over the world to teach and perform contact and improvised dance. She worked with many partners, including Steve Paxton, Julyen Hamilton, Karen Nelson, and musician Mike Vargas. Mike Vargas later became her life partner.
The Underscore
Starting in 1990, Nancy developed something called the Underscore. This is a series of exercises that help dancers prepare for long contact improvisation sessions. It guides dancers to connect their mind and body for improvisation. It also helps them explore different ways of connecting with others. At the end, dancers reflect on their experience.
When introducing the Underscore, teachers use special symbols that Nancy created. These symbols help dancers understand each part of the process. They show how Nancy tried to share the feeling and flow of dance as a creative activity. They invite dancers to experience the movements themselves.
Her Passing
Nancy Stark Smith passed away from ovarian cancer in Florence, Massachusetts on May 1, 2020. She was 68 years old.
See also
- Steve Paxton
- Contact improvisation
- Dance improvisation
- Judson Dance Theater
- Postmodern dance
