Reintegrating the Dancer

“Our images are our keepers, as we are theirs.” —James Hillman

I am currently working to develop research in the field of Somatic Depth Psychology. Coming from somatic point of view, I am interested in exploring the places where body has been ignored or excluded.  A depth psychological perspective invites soul into the conversation, as well. Throughout my research, I seek balance, bringing body, mind, and soul back into harmony.  This perspective also extends to my methodological approach.

My diverse background in the performing arts, somatics, and education informs my research interests. I aim to operate holistically through incorporating body, mind, and soul into all aspects of my work. In this pursuit, I approach any topic from a variety of perspectives through a variety of means. I listen to what the body says in addition to the mind. I seek the knowledge of soul through conversations with a personified Psyche. Sometimes this happens through dreams, or other spontaneous images I encounter throughout the day. Sometimes this happens through the creation of art. Sometimes this happens through movement meditations. I have learned to approach any topic from multiple perspectives with an open receptiveness in order to be integrative.

This study considers the dancer’s lived experience of work-life transition out of performance. Any passage out of the performing arts necessitates a shift in world-view resulting in unique identity challenges. The present inquiry creates a context for understanding and communicating the nature of the tensions that render this professional identity shift an existential challenge. Integrated are somatic and depth psychological approaches to identify and center common themes that arise in relation to this phenomenal identity shift. The study provides understanding of the support tools that are necessary for this foundational, transitional moment that is both understudied in the performance literature and painfully lived by many dancers. Data was collected through a series of interviews using the qualitative methods of portraiture and body stories. The interviews explored not only the stories that were created during the transition phase, but also the impact of transition on body and soul. Through such combined methodological inquiry, this research painted embodied narrative portraits of the specific challenges faced by dancers when they make a complex work-life transition. This study thus serves two purposes: It contributes to performance studies literature through previously unrecognized portraits of the embodied experience of work-life transition, and it provides guided languaging that facilitates the transitioning dancer’s naming of their unique sets of experiences, which, in turn, can empower them to seek appropriate support, both individually and organizationally.

Keywords: dance, identity, transition, somatics, depth psychology, portraiture, body stories