Soft Power - Aspects of Martial Arts in Contact Improvisation
weekend 7 – 8 March 2026
A pioneering movement workshop where the freedom of contact improvisation meets the wisdom and precision of soft martial arts. Karl Frost brings his current passion to Prague – Martial Dance, opening a space for physical meditation and athletic play, where the boundaries between combat and dance dissolve. The encounter here is not about defeating the other, but about merging with them into one functional whole. You will discover how martial focus and mechanical precision can be transformed into captivating dance that is authentic, stripped of unnecessary ornament and filled with the living, pulsating energy of encounter.
The foundation of this work is adaptive physical listening. We learn to perceive biomechanics – our own and our partner’s – to read their nervous system and share a common structure. Through exercises inspired by Tai Chi and the „sticky hands“ technique (Tuishou), we explore interdependence in movement. It is a play with supports and lifts, a play with challenges posed by gravity and our partner’s force. Dancers gain „martial“ stability and clear intention, while martial artists learn to let go of fixation on the outcome of combat and open themselves to endless play that reveals new possibilities.
In the workshop, we will work with bodily curiosity. We explore how to transfer weight efficiently, how to harness force coming from outside and safely, pleasurably transform it into further movement. Instead of brute strength, structural connection and intelligent use of body mechanics take over. Movement becomes grounded, yet light and ready to respond to any change in direction or dynamics. Movement that is mechanically sound and at the same time full of pleasure.
This approach leads to deep, physically engaged dance where the mind is calm and the body alert. Structured exercises flow seamlessly into open improvisation. You will experience moments when a gentle touch transforms into dynamic flight, and when martial technique dissolves into pure joy of movement. It is an opportunity to explore your limits within a safe framework and discover within yourself a new quality of strength – one that is not aggressive, but collaborative and perceptive.
Karl Frost (USA)
He has been practicing, performing, and teaching contact improvisation and interdisciplinary, dance-based performance since the mid 1980’s in California. His work has been showcased over the last 3 decades across 5 continents, both in established institutions/universities and in independent studios and theaters. Known internationally for his dynamic movement style and for the edge-pushing nature of his work, both in process and performance, his performances take the body and emotionally and physically felt experience as their reference points. He is known for his articulate teaching and the depth of the material that he accessibly offers. He began his movement explorations in martial arts as a teenager, before expanding his studies to contemporary dance, contact improvisation, physical theater and a variety of somatic practices.
His performance work, via his company, Body Research Physical Theater, explores postdramatic works rooted in somatic psychology and paratheatrical exploration, alternating between stage productions and highly interactive performance happenings exploring audience agency and personal meaning. A base of his movement practice and teaching is the Passive Sequencing work which he has developed, cultivating ease and presence in motion, soft power through movement intelligence, and the pleasure of finer moment-to-moment awareness of self and partner in motion.
He has a BA in Physics, an MFA in Dramatic Arts, and a PhD in Ecology. Currently, he is a research scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Behavior, Ecology, and Culture in Leipzig, Germany.
The workshop is intensive: Saturday 10:00 – 18:00 and Sunday 9:00 – 17:00. It is open to anyone regardless of age or prior experience.
Price 181 EUR. For place reservation the deposit of 71 EUR needs to be paid in advance.
Price 151 EUR if the deposit is paid before 26 February.
