Somatic Space

Ensemble Thinking is the somatic awareness of space. The idea of somatic work being limited only to the experiences of individual of itself draws the specious distinction that the individual is separate from its environment. It propagates the Cartesian body/mind divide.

Awareness of the internal experience is intertwined with spatio-temporal awareness. Ensemble Thinking trains greater awareness of the spatio-temporal awareness in a performance setting, and therefore greater awareness of the somatic experience of the individual in the moment.

If space and time had no affect on the somatic experience of the individual, no one would get nervous in the hot spot, there would be no penumbra of spatial apprehension.

mind/body

brain + body = mind

mind – brain = body

mind – body = brain

considering, however, that the brain is a subset of the body…

Primacy of Mind under attack.

‘ “Intelligent practice is not a step-child of theory. On the contrary theorising is one practice amongst others and is itself intelligently or stupidly conducted.”
Ryle pg 26, The Concept of Mind, New York: Hutchinson’s University Library, 1949

“Ryle went on to argue that…thinking…is merely an adverbial-like modification of activities.” Lyon pg 189 Gilbert Ryle: An Introduction to His Philosophy, Sussex: The Harvester Press,1980

“Despite the criticism that this statement faces within philosophical discourse…” Lycouris pg 64 Destabilizing Dance 1996 ‘

Is it any wonder that the second statement faces criticism with philosophical discourse? How dare anyone challenge the primacy of mind?

What does it say about dance and philosophy that an idea from 1949 is still controversial?

The three quotes above come from Destabilizing Dance, Lycouris’ dissertation through University of Surrey.

 

training and reflection

Training enables the dancer to be fully bodily engaged in a reflex and able to reflect on it simultaneously. In other words, unifying the body/mind, or rather not unifying as that implies a split, but existing as a whole.