Three Voices: Researching how somatic education informs contemporary dance technique classes

TLDR

Somatic education methods such as Alexander, Body‑Mind‑Centering, and Feldenkrais are believed to influence dance teaching, yet research has not fully examined how this occurs, especially for teachers seeking eclectic practices. The study aimed to understand how the Feldenkrais Method informs contemporary technique classes in a professional Montreal setting. Ethnographic methods were employed by three researchers to investigate the influence of the Feldenkrais Method on contemporary dance technique classes. The research identified three themes—transfer of learning, facilitation of movement awareness, and construction of the dancing body—that illustrate how somatics shape contemporary dance practice and suggest a cultural shift toward greater self‑awareness among teachers.

Abstract

Many authors have claimed that methods of somatic education such as Alexander, Body-Mind-Centering and Feldenkrais influence the teaching of dance. However, there is a lack of research that fully examines how this is occurring. In this study, three researchers used ethnographic methods to understand how the Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education informed a series of contemporary technique classes in a professional setting in Montreal, Canada. The collaborative research process resulted in findings organized around the themes 1) transfer of learning, 2) movement awareness facilitation and 3) construction of the dancing bodies. This study relates to dance teachers interested in somatics and also to any dance educators engaged in fostering their own eclectic teaching practices from diverse influences. By understanding the ways in which the researchers/dance teachers in this study integrate somatics and contemporary dance, teachers may gain insight which assists them in appraising their own teaching. In this way, this study works towards a shift in the dance culture that embraces self-awareness in dance practice.