Kinesthesia in dance from a somatic point of view
What is it about?
In this article, I approach ways of heightening the perception of kinesthesia (sense of movement) in the context of contemporary dance. To this end, I articulate existing literature with data collected in a field research, when I taught classes that aimed to integrate the study of experiential anatomy, from the perspective of Body-Mind Centering®, to dance practices. I bring testimonials from dance artists, which were shared during the field research, about their perceptions of the body and movement and I reflect on pedagogical tools that may contribute to increasing the awareness of kinesthesia.
Why is it important?
Self perception is a central aspect for contemporary dancers that has not yet been widely considered pedagogically. Thus, with this research, I sought to nurture the awareness of kinesthesia and to give voice to this multilayered sense, from the perspective of dancers, in order to expand its understanding within the context of dance.