Soma Dance

What is Soma Dance?
Soma Dance was founded by Donna Redlick

Soma Dance is a unique amalgamation of Bartenieff Fundamantals, Developmental Movement, and concepts from the Laban Framework, in direct applications to dance, within 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. The interplay and bridging between inner bodily-space and kinesphere space is explored while dancers are supported to find emergence of 'feeling forms'. These feeling forms, supported by inner rhythm and 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 in relation to others.

For more information about class structure see bottom of page...

dancers in photo: Lada Santic in Soma Dance class with Donna at MASS.

Soma Dance on Friday Mornings: 10:00am-12:00pm

for dancers with some experience (min 2 yrs)

This class integrates community-based dancers, pre-professional and professional dancers.

Location: Scotia Bank Dance Centre, downtown Vancouver, 677 Davie Street

Students registering should feel comfortable with: floor-work, rolling, level change, hands-on work, movement re-patterning, dance improvisation, and group process (moving together). See below for detailed description of class.

Participants must register for class for by the Session. Soma Dance is not a drop-in class.

Spring Session: 5 class session (no drop ins)

April 4th to May 9th 2025 (no class Friday April 18th)

Five classes Apr 4th, Apr 11th, Apr 25th, May 2nd and May 9th

Registration fee: Sliding Scale $150.00-$175.00

No refunds for missed classes

Payment by E-transfer

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.

The second part of class transitions into dancing in kinesphere space, as well as general space, exploring concepts found within the Laban/ Bartenieff 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.

"I taught dance technique for many years, in 2012 I made a conscious decision to 'let go' of form to focus on emergence of form through concepts found in Laban/ Bartenieff Movement Studies, Developmental Movement and Structured Improvisation. I have been slowly and diligently developing my own methodology the last few years now formally referred to as Soma Dance Practice-Method®."

- Donna Redlick