Somatic Studies is a field that is currently establishing a dialogue which explores the mind’s engagement with, as Andrea Olsen puts it, “the body as a subject.”* At Halestone, Somatic Studies is a vital and relevant part of our curriculum, since we understand the mind and body to be equal and contingent partners in our artistic endeavors.  Somatic Studies facilitates our practice of this ethos with techniques that bring the body and mind into concert with one another for optimal health and performance. Halestone constructs its series of Somatic Studies courses around thepractices of Alexander Technique, Bartenieff Fundamentals, Body-Mind Centering, Contact Improvisation, Feldenkrais, Pilates, and Yoga.  Somatic Studies are woven into the fabric and structure of Halestone’s whole curriculum, including Dance Studies courses, from the youngest students in creative movement, through advanced high-school-aged students.  The studio’s more explicit Somatic Studies courses hone participants’ musculo-skeletal alignment and bodily awareness, cultivating respect for the wisdom of our bodies.  Students in Somatic Studies courses need not have performance ambitions; these classes are intended for anyone who values embodied experience and seeks to enliven and connect with their bodies.  The skills and practices learned in Halestone’s Somatic Studies courses stay with our students and inform the rest of their lives.

* from Andrea Olsen’s book, Bodystories: A Guide to Experiential Anatomy.

About  Somatic Studies

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