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Journeying from Sensation into Words: Dancing Language in the Tamalpa Life/Art Process By Hiie Saumaa, PhD he arms reach into an uneven my words will strike a chord: “When imaginative, and physical responses to horizon. The torso begins a I saw you hold your elbows like this, movement and sensation. While some roundward journey. The gaze physically I felt ‘held.’ Emotionally I practices, such as Authentic Movement, softens to connect to the in- felt safe. Mentally I saw an image of you include verbal articulation, in many Tner eye. Sitting on the studio floor at embracing yourself or someone else.” somatic methods, particularly those Earthdance in Plainfield, Massachu- Growing more confident, I proceed: practiced primarily in group settings, setts, I watch an experienced Contact “When I saw you thrusting your right participants’ opportunity to articulate Improvisation dancer move in front arm vigorously forward and turning their movement experiences, either in of my eyes, this time in solo form. His side to side, I physically felt energy written or spoken formats, remains lim- dance is a response to three elements coursing through my torso. Emotion- ited. The scene above brings to light an in a drawing that he completed ten ally I felt agile and present in the mo- aspect that is frequently overlooked in minutes ago. The drawing, now in ment. In my mind’s eye, I imagined somatic approaches to movement—the front of my toes, with its squares, lines, a skilled martial artist moving with exploration of language in the experi- and hieroglyphic shapes in vibrant or- a sword.” Responding with a nod of ence of the mover. ange, black, and purple, grew out of a acknowledgment, he takes his turn to Language is a crucial tool in so- movement exploration of the question, speak, conjuring in words a snapshot matic education: the instructor’s or What are your legs and feet telling you of his own movement: “When I did this facilitator’s words—in the form of in- right now? He immediately places the move with my head, physically I felt . structions, questions, or guided medi- body in contact with the ground, as if . .” tation—can lead a participant into in love affair with the earth, and moves This scene describes an exercise deeper levels of inner sensing, align- on low and high planes with such ease in partnering and expressive embodi- ment, and relaxation. Somatic instruc- and relaxed alertness—I can see the ment in the Tamalpa Life/Art Process, tors’ mindful use of language shapes aesthetics of Contact Improvisation developed by the legendary choreog- a space where sensations and varied here, I notice, giving this dancer my rapher, dancer, and performance artist movement options can be explored. full attention. Many of his movements Anna Halprin and her daughter Daria However, what is the participant’s, during these five minutes communi- Halprin, who have been carrying forth not the instructor’s, experience with cate something quite different, how- the practice at the Tamalpa Institute, expressing his/her sensations or visual ever. A yearning, a struggle, a pushing in existence since 1978. What is notice- images in words? Somatic educators through, tension, a range of different able in the above encounter is the fact might share a set of questions around feeling states. Having finished, he that both the mover and the movement the use of language: comes and sits in front of me. I clear witness speak and use a particular for- 1. Are language and speaking neces- my throat and carefully start, hoping mula for rendering their emotional, sary components in the practice one 16 Somatics 2017-18 teaches? Is it important to create a daughter Daria’s work has moved in up dance, connecting participants to space where students can speak and re- the therapeutic direction. their felt sense, followed by a focused late their sensations as words? Tamalpa practitioners use expressive movement exploration of a body part 2.What potential for growth would arts—movement, visual art, sounding, or an element in their surrounding result from verbalizing one’s move- and writing—to improvise, gain in- environment (see Figure 1). After that, ment experience? sights into the inner and outer world, participants segue into drawing, re- 3. If rendering movement experi- and acquire tools to live life creatively sponding to a question such as, “What ences in words is a value in students’ and in constant awareness of one’s is it like to arrive in this dance space?” self-growth, how can one make verbal embodied state. Dur- expression of bodily feeling more ing trainings and precise, considering that for many par- workshops, the goal is ticipants putting movement sensations not to come up with into words can be challenging? polished choreogra- 4. If the practice includes witnessing, phy, artistically skilled how can one translate this experience drawings, or publish- into a safe, respectful, yet impactful able writing, although verbal encounter? a foundation for such In what follows, I discuss Tamalpa work might be laid. Life/Art Process’s approach to some of Rather, the aim is to these questions. I offer a brief glimpse create an environ- into this practice’s main ideas of ex- ment in which partici- pressive embodiment and somatic pants can explore and inquiry. Then, I examine a few differ- express themselves ent ways in which the practice employs kinesthetically, verbal- written and spoken language. I aim to ly, visually, and aurally, highlight the need for a deeper investi- as individuals and as gation of the dynamics between move- members of a com- ment, physical sensation, imagination, munity. The practice language, and verbal expression in the emphasizes curiosity experience of a somatic practitioner about the potential of Figure 1. across different somatic methods. movement and art to unlock creative or healing powers. or “What are your feet telling you right Tamalpa Life/Art Process and “Movement is the first language” is now?” Only then—after moving and Movement Language a primary tenet of the Life/Art Process. drawing—is verbal language evoked. The Life/Art Process is “an approach Movement and nonverbal expressions For example, students can be asked to based on working with people’s own of the body in the form of sensations write a journal entry on the question, life experiences as the utmost source are guiding forces of this practice, “If your drawing could talk, what would for artistic expression” (Tamalpa In- a feature shared across a range of it say?” or “How would it like to be stitute, n.d.). The practice stems from somatic practices. Elisabeth Osgood- titled?” On the basis of these writings, experimentation and fascination with Campbell, of Tamalpa Institute’s teach- participants could be asked to step into improvisation in the 1960s and 1970s. ing faculty, has noted that she is very creative forms of written expression, Anna Halprin’s students included careful with how much language she such as composing improvisational po- dancers, choreographers, and contact uses when facilitating Life/Art Process ems or fairy tales. improvisers such as Simone Forti, workshops and classes: “Our culture is Two points are important to un- Yvonne Rainer, Trisha Brown, and language and text heavy. There is too derline here: first, there is a range of Robert Morris, among others. Cynthia much reliance on words” (Osgood- written genres that participants can Novack (1990) has noted, “The rela- Campbell, personal communication).1 explore through free-flow, improvisa- tionship of Halprin’s work to Contact She creates a space where the mind tional writing: journal writing as well Improvisation is clear: it involved does not lead or direct the body but as more narrative and poetic forms. improvisation, lessening the control can listen to and observe physical expe- The options of writing reflectively ver- of the choreographer; it emphasized rience. Heavy use of words in instruc- sus writing artistically or aesthetically, kinesthetic awareness and moving in a tions or in students’ responses can lead writing from the position of the “I” or ‘natural’ way; and it occurred outside participants to mental analysis, intellec- creating a fictional story or a haiku-like of New York” (p. 30). From workshops tual processes, and the thinking mind poem based on elements from journal for dancers, poets, musicians, and art- rather than connect them to their ac- entries, allow the person to relate to ists on the West Coast in the 1960s, tual physical sensations. written language and to the self differ- Halprin’s work gradually moved away However, verbal language is not at ently. from training artists and “toward find- all ignored in the Life/Art Process. Second, the sequence of the tasks ing the artist within ordinary people” This modality offers several ways in places movement and drawing ahead (Banes, 2011, p. 9). She started creat- which a somatic practitioner can con- of writing—participants thus do not ing movement experiences and dance nect deeply to language and through turn to their perhaps more habitual rituals for communities and used life language gain more awareness of his/ ways of relying on language first. situations as a basis for movement cer- her physical intelligence. The practice Rather, movement and visual arts pave emonies. Since then, Halprin’s and her starts with movement, a gentle warm- the way for language (see Figure 2). Volume XVIII Number 1 17 makes one more per- a poem. Working with partners or ceptive of the other’s small groups, participants can also be and one’s own move- asked to do movement explorations in ment on multiple response to specific words that their levels. Answering the partners are simultaneously vocalizing.

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