Being Seen, Being Moved: Authentic Movement and Performance

It is nice to see what dancers do when they are no longer in their prime . Prior to this reading, I had never heard of a movement therapist.

“Ultimately the goal is to internalize a discerning but nonjudgmental witness while moving so that we can observe ourselves without interrupting the national flow of movement”

The purpose of dance therapy sounds a lot like meditation. I see how therapy and authentic movement are interrelated and figure that among other things it must really help with choreography. I question how much of an overlap there is between learned technique and that which is inherent. Adler’s philosophy of holding the witness role as the dancer and not the adience as spectators is unique but I question if she is the originator of this philosophy.

I also think of Alvin Ailey and his method of working with the dancers. He would give them some leeway as far as how they executed the moves. Maybe this lent itself to more authenticity of movement as people portrayed their “history” through their dance idiosyncrasies. Maybe not over asserting his own personal aesthetic uplifted his company.

The author claims that being able to participate in the practice in group settings is a beneficial step. I question whether having one’s eyes closed in group settings really yields itself to being true to ones inner self. The peers can't really judge your decisions based on sight and the fact that they too are affiliated with the same institution yields itself to more trust.