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Contact Beyond Contact in Rotterdam
Contact Beyond Contact is an embodied movement practice for exploring connection with yourself and with other people. Through guided solo, partner and group exercises, you pay attention to sensation, boundaries, trust and choice. Dance becomes a way to notice how you meet the world, without needing to perform or move in a particular style.
Amber Grothe facilitates the practice with a calm, creative and consent-aware approach. You can join with dance experience or as a complete beginner. Curiosity, comfortable clothing and a willingness to listen to your body are enough.
What is Contact Beyond Contact?
The practice brings together movement, contact, awareness and emotional intelligence. Instead of learning a fixed choreography, you receive invitations that help you notice weight, distance, rhythm, impulse and response. At some moments you may move alone. At others, another person or the wider group becomes part of the exploration.
Contact does not automatically mean physical touch. It can also mean eye contact, shared timing, sensing space or clearly choosing more distance. This broader understanding makes boundaries part of the dance rather than an interruption to it.
How a workshop unfolds
A session usually begins by arriving in your own body: noticing the floor, breath, energy and the movements that are already present. Guided exercises gradually bring attention to the space and to other participants. There is time to experiment, pause, observe and reflect.
Partner and group invitations are offered as possibilities, not obligations. You can adapt an exercise, step out or choose a smaller version. The workshop may include music, spoken guidance, silence and moments in which movement develops more freely. Amber provides enough structure to make the exploration clear while leaving room for personal discovery.
Consent, boundaries and choice
Meaningful connection depends on being able to feel and communicate both a yes and a no. Contact Beyond Contact offers practical ways to notice those signals before they become explanations. You can explore how you approach, wait, respond, lead, follow and change your mind.
No partner exercise removes your responsibility for your own boundaries, and nobody owes another participant touch or a particular interaction. The aim is to practise contact that stays responsive to both people. That can create more play and trust because choice remains visible throughout the exchange.
What you may explore
- Listening to sensation before deciding how to move
- Giving and receiving clear non-verbal signals
- Taking space without disconnecting from the group
- Meeting uncertainty with curiosity rather than performance
- Moving between leading, following and shared initiative
- Recognising when contact feels energising, neutral or too much
Contact Beyond Contact and Contact Improvisation
Both practices can involve spontaneous movement and attention to another person, but this workshop places explicit emphasis on emotional awareness, consent and the relational meaning of a choice. If you are mainly interested in shared weight, physical partnering and the dance form itself, see Contact Improvisation. You can explore the wider programme on the Dance & Embodiment page.
Who can join?
The workshop is for adults who want to explore conscious connection through movement. You may come because you want to feel more at home in your body, become clearer about boundaries, rediscover play or meet other people outside the usual pressure of conversation.
You do not need flexibility, coordination or previous dance training. The practice can be emotionally meaningful, but it is not therapy and does not replace mental-health or medical care. If you have an injury, access need or uncertainty about participation, contact Amber before booking so you can discuss what is possible.
About the facilitator
Amber is an artist, social designer and workshop facilitator. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from AKV St. Joost and a Master’s in Holistic Science from Schumacher College. Her work connects creativity, embodiment, participation and attention to the larger systems in which people meet.
Practical preparation
Wear clothes in which you can move comfortably and bring water. The exact venue, date and duration are listed with each event. Current workshops can be booked through Hipsy. If no suitable date is listed, you can contact Amber to ask about a future workshop.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to touch other participants?
No. Contact is always an invitation and can take many forms. You can choose distance, adapt an exercise or pause at any time.
Can I come alone?
Yes. You do not need to bring a partner; exercises are introduced within the group.
What if I feel shy or unsure?
You can begin with observation and small movements. The workshop is structured so that participation can grow from your own pace rather than from pressure to perform.
Join a Contact Beyond Contact workshop
View the current dates on Hipsy, or send Amber a message if you want to ask about the practice, accessibility or which movement workshop may fit you best.
View workshops on Hipsy or contact Amber.
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