# Sharing Weight

> Sharing Weight is the personal site of J. Akiyama, a Colorado-based Contact Improvisation facilitator, dance/somatics artist, and improvisation teacher, featuring essays and a curated resource library on ethics and inclusion in Contact Improvisation culture.

J. Akiyama has facilitated and performed at Contact Improvisation jams, workshops, and festivals internationally since the early 2010s, including West Coast Contact Improvisation Jam, Earthdance, Moab Jam, Glimpse, and Naropa Somatic Arts Concerts. He is also a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Colorado, providing somatic counseling through Shin Shin Wellness and Soma Nexa, and works separately as an improvisational photographer at Kinisis Photography.

## Pages

- [About](https://sharingweight.com/about/): Background on J. Akiyama and a detailed history of Contact Improvisation teaching, facilitation, and performance engagements.
- [Resources](https://sharingweight.com/resources/): A curated library of essays and articles (PDF) on ethics, consent, and inclusion in Contact Improvisation, organized by topic (CI & Dance, Ability, Appropriation, Class, Gender/Sexuality, Race).

## Blog posts

- [Remembering Nancy Stark Smith](https://sharingweight.com/remembering-nancy-stark-smith/): A reflection on Contact Improvisation co-founder Nancy Stark Smith.
- [Arriving Socioculturally](https://sharingweight.com/arriving-socioculturally/): On the concept of "arriving" socioculturally in the Underscore practice.
- [Difference, Composition, and Responsibility](https://sharingweight.com/difference-composition-and-responsibility/): On oneness and difference in Contact Improvisation practice.

## Notes

- This site is a personal blog and resource library, not a commercial publication.
- The Resources page links to third-party essays and articles (PDF), shared for educational purposes; authorship of each linked document is credited on the Resources page itself.