- FULL NAME:  Sally E. Dean

- EMAIL ADRESS :  info@sallyedean.com

- PHONE NUMBER: +44(0)7903601571

- KEY TEACHER (YES/NO. if yes, which partner organization?):

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- TITLE OF THE ACTIVITY:  Workshop, Guided Experiential Walk and Film, and Talk (with reflection time) with Somatic Costumes.

- DETAILED CONTENT DESCRIPTION (300 words or more): 

How does what we wear affect how we move and perceive and what we create and perform?

Over the last three years, I have been developing a teaching and performance methodology based on creating and using 'somatic costumes’ as part of my ‘Somatic Movement & Costume Project.’  These 'somatic costumes' are embedded with sensation and imagery - and are designed to create a specific 'body-mind' awareness.  For example, in collaboration with costume designers, we created two proto-type somatic costumes for the head:  the Balloon Hat to give the experience of the buoyancy and volume of the skull and the Pointy Hat to give an experience of the direction of the skull in space as a development of the spine as an axis. Somatic costumes act in a similar way to ‘touch’ – becoming ‘portals of perception.’ Somatic costumes have the ability to change our body image and body schema, affecting not only how we move and experience our bodies, but also what we make and how we perform.  A somatic costume becomes- metaphorically and functionally- the 'teacher' itself.

Costumes have been under-utilised as a tool in somatic practices and in contemporary dance education.  The aim is to open participants to this vital, multi-sensorial resource and demonstrate its potential applications to dance training, creative process, improvisation, performance making and therapeutic processes.  

The three activities I would like to offer are:  a workshop,  a guided experiential walk while wearing the costumes indoors and outdoors and the watching of a film, and talk (with reflection time).  I am also happy to offer just one of these activities if the symposium prefers it.

For more detailed information about this project, please refer to my website:  www.sallyedean.com

- SUMMARY OF CONTENT DESCRIPTION (max 60 words; for publishing)  

How does what we wear affect how we move and perceive and what we create and perform? The Somatic Movement and Costume Project offers a teaching and performance methodology that designs and uses costume to create a specific ‘body-mind’ experience -leading into the territory of performance.  A workshop, lecture/talk and guided walk share this current research practice.

- SHORT BIOGRAPHY (max 60 words for publishing (if co-taught all in all max 60 words)

Sally E. Dean has been a interdisciplinary performer, performance maker and teacher over 14 years - both in university, professional and community settings across Europe, Asia and the USA.  Her teaching and performance work is highly informed by somatic-based practices, her cross-cultural projects in Asia and her background in both dance and theatre - integrating site, costume and object. 

- AIMED AT WHO (AND HOW MANY PEOPLE MIN /MAX?):  These acitivies are aimed for dance educators, dancers, choreographers and somatic practioners.  Workshop is 20 people max.  Talk is open to all with an interest in somatic costume and movement.  Experiential Walk/Film with Costumes is also open to all with 15 people max.   ** it would be great if there could be a sign up sheet for those who want to attend the walk/film, etc.

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- TIME REQUEST:  Total 1 hour and 45 minutes.  In the following order:  Workshop would be 30 minutes, Guided walk and film while wearing Pointy Hats is 45 minutes and Talk/Reflection time would be 30 minutes.

- TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS (audio, beamer etc):  music player, screen/projector to play videos and images.

- SPACE NECESSITY (studio size etc):  I would need a studio space for the workshop that could fit a max of 20 people.  The talk would be best if could be a communial environment with chairs 'in the round' but also had access to a screen to project examples of images and videos of the somatic costume work.  The experiential walk with costumes would need a place to prepare and house the costumes such as a small studio or room.  A place where people can put on the costumes before they go on a guided walk.