Authentic Movement
—
Contemplative Dance

A Medicinal Dance Practice

The basic human desire to be seen and accepted is one of the driving forces of life. We need to be loved and also to be understood.

Authentic Movement (AM) practice is also know as Contemplative Dance practice (CDP).

Authentic Movement Dance practice supports a generative somatic space of discovery that goes well beyond words, and trains new relational self-experiences into body and psyche. The simple but profound practice locates the body and somatic awareness in a relational field. It helps practitioners identify and move beyond old patterns to actively practice novel ways of being and relating. This can bring about a freer range of movement through life—physically, emotionally and relationally.

During a session, students/practitioners work in a safe container at their own pace, listening inwardly for movement impulses arising from the body/mind that feel interesting or nourishing. Beginning with a bell, movers are invited into the space to practice listening with eyes closed, attention directed inwardly, in the presence of at least one witness for a set period of time. Usually, movement is explored without music, making it easier to tune into inner impulses and rhythms, images, sensations and feelings. Movers explore both conscious decisions about their movement choices as well as material that might arise spontaneously - gestures, images, feelings emerge in the present moment. 

The witness watches and tracks her/his inner responses to the mover with the intention of cultivating a loving presence without judging, focusing on self-awareness. In this way the witness (often the teacher, facilitator, therapist or student/s learning to witness) brings a state of grounded-ness, presence and kindness to the relationship. The bell rings again marking the end of the movement period.

Creative Forming & Sharing

Both mover and witness practice releasing unwanted judgements if or when they arise by turning the attention back to the “inner witness,” movement, kindness, body sensations, the heart space thus strengthening the capacity to move towards present moment experience, potential nourishment and release of unwanted judgement habits.

The form is practiced in many different iterations but this is the heart of the practice - moving with eyes closed while attuning to inner sensation, feeling and expression within a safe space, with the support of a witness. Whether practiced inside or outside, in dyads, trios, small groups or large groups, this is the ground of the practice. 

At the end of the movement period movers take time to reflect and remember their movement experience and to share it in some way (with movement, words, writing, drawing, sounding, silence together etc). And if wanted, the witness reflects what they saw and observed without interpretation or judgment. The particular relationship between mover and witness, in moving, seeing and being seen by another, creates a powerful framework within which this work takes place. Over the course of time, the relationship between self and other deepens, and transformation is possible as profound insight and deeper trust or self and trust of other develop.  

Authentic Movement/ CDP is at once a contemplative and expressive practice, sourced directly through the body and it’s innate wisdom, intelligence, capacity to heal and to self-regulate within a safe relational field, with the right amount of space and support. As a contemplative practice, it can resemble other modes of spiritual discipline, ceremony or ritual (meditation, chanting, contemplative practices, zen koans etc.) and as an expressive practice it can resemble other expressive disciplines like dance and singing and other arts sourced through the body. In certain ways it can feel quite unique in its capacity to span expressive and reflective states of embodied presence, deepening both the intra-personal and the inter-personal. It can help to heal splits in the psyche, integrate aspects of isolation within the self and also create pathways to tapping into universal energies and collective field phenomena. 

Over time, as we practice, a deeper intimacy with oneself emerges. As inner states are revealed frozen or hidden aspects of the self can come forward for healing, to be seen or transformed. Through the safety of the practice, each person moving at their own pace, following their own timing, participants experience renewed personal agency, the unwinding of unwanted tension patterns, a stronger internal container to hold the sensations and emotions that naturally cycle as awareness arises from the roots of the body.

All are welcome. No dance or movement training needed.

I offer private AM/CDP sessions in addition to classes and workshops online via Zoom.