Thoughts in My Lungs: An Exploration of the Relationship Between Dance and Yoga

Abstract

My project investigates how dancers can use yoga, a practice intended to unite the body and mind, as a form of self-care, without sacrificing the inherent rigor of Western concert dance. Often, the aesthetic goals of dancing supersede any desire for physical or emotional well being of the performer. However, I am experimenting with applying the yogic virtue of ahimsa, or nonviolence, directly to my movement vocabulary so as to prevent injury and unnecessary stress in the dance-making process. I am collaborating with choreographer and yoga teacher Colleen Leonardi to create a unique dance solo which explores how my personal yoga practice has shaped my identity as a performer, informed my movement choices, and altered my perceptions of my body. Colleen and I are working with the intent of creating movement that is aesthetically engaging without being physically destructive. I am also interested in the movement patterns stored within my musculature which prompt me to execute versions of yoga asanas (poses) when generating dance movement, and why I approach movement differently in a dance context versus a yoga context. My initial research involved the completion of a 200 hour teacher certification in Hatha yoga. My other methodologies include conducting an interview with the choreographer and researching texts related to theory and pedagogy of both dance and yoga. I am investigating how dance training has evolved in the past century to include increasingly virtuosic movement and how the modern practice of yoga asana has emerged in relation to the spiritual practice which originated thousands of years ago. My intention is not to prove one universal result of yoga, but to discover the benefits and struggles of integrating a yoga practice into an individual’s life.