The evolution of dance as an art form, depends on professionals dancing through longer and healthier careers, to expose mature artistry. The science of movement and safe practice is a rich area of personal research. We move before we develop the range of choices to control our movement. We develop a sense of self to develop self-control. We do this in real time and space in our physical bodies. In teaching movement, meeting someone where they are and respecting their process is important. Comfort and risk support each other. We need to be able to move into support to move out in the world. Holism supports specificity. Opening up the sensory, opens up responsiveness and connectivity. This is embodying movement. Our bodies are incredibly adaptive and learn quickly if we follow our curiosity and needs. Through facilitating change in others I witness their discovery and grow.
“Somatic approaches to learning movement take a holistic versus mechanistic approach to training the body.... Somatic learning stimulates the kinesthetic sense, relying on physical sensation as a source of learning and expression. Students learn to organize their attention around and receive feedback from their physical sensations in movement, rather than relying primarily on visual perception of external form. Shifting the emphasis to the dancer's own body as site and source of information and learning validates subjective, experiential knowledge, thus creating a new paradigm for movement education.”
Cathie Caraker
