Soma Dance
founded by Donna Redlick
What is Soma Dance?
Soma Dance was founded by Donna Redlick in 2012. In Soma Dance students explore Bartenieff Fundamantals and concepts from the Laban Framework, in applications to dance, with a somatic approach. Rather than focusing on mastering dance forms and techniques, like one would in a ‘formal’ dance technique class, participants are guided to hone in on their sensing experience. Discovering how to move and initiate from the inner landscape of the body, and bridging between inner bodily-space to outer kinesphere space is explored. Students are supported and guided to dance from inner rhythm until ‘feeling forms’ emerge. These feeling forms, which are individual to each person, are then taken into shared dance experiences. One’s subjective experience is foregrounded and awareness of kinesthetic empathy is developed while dancing with others.
For more information on how the class is structured scroll below...
Soma Dance:
for dancers with experience*
(min 2-3 yrs)
Friday Mornings:
10:00am-12:00pm
Scotia Bank Dance Centre, downtown Vancouver, 677 Davie Street
* Dancers must be comfortable with floor-work, level change, movement repatterning,
dance improvisation, and group process.
Soma Dance is based on Soma Dance Practice Method developed by Donna Redlick
Spring Session
April 14th to May 12th, 2023
5 class session
Registration fee: Sliding Scale $150.00..to...$175.00
Payment by E-transfer, cash, or cheque.
This is not a drop in course. Participants must register for session and commit for session.
What happens if I miss a class?
No refunds are provided however you are most welcome to do a make-up class
within one year of the missed class.
How is the Class Structured and What should I expect within a Soma Dance Class:
The first part of class takes place on the floor exploring Developmental Movement Patterns and Bartenieff Fundamentals. In this part of class some hands on for re-patterning work, with partners, may also integrated. Participants explore the support of gravity and wake-up inner bodily pathways to develop kinetic chains for total body connectivity. The floor work progresses towards rolling, weight shifting and propulsion through space. Some level changing is also explored. Students may adapt if needed.
The second part of class transitions into dancing in kinesphere space, as well as general space, exploring concepts found within the Laban Movement Framework. In this part of the class students are guided to dance with a somatic approach through a specific methodology based on structured improvisation, presence, repetition, recall, and awareness of phrasing. Witnessing and ‘holding space’ for each other to dance towards newness, beyond habit, is key to this part of the class.
The third and final part of class hones in on working with personal dance phrases in relation with others, to create compositions in the moment. Kinesthetic empathy and attuning to one another is fore-grounded. Throughout the entire class we will move in relation to ourselves and in relation with others in order to support both a subjective and inter-subjective experience. There will be moments for self-reflection, sharing and dialogue.
Dancer Harmanie Taylor describes her experience as a student in Soma Dance Class with Donna.
photos on this page by Tonya Ng