Authentic Movement
Encyclopedia
Authentic Movement is an expressive improvisational movement practice that allows a group of participants a type of free association of the body. It was started by Mary Starks Whitehouse in the 1950s as "movement in depth".
and Mary Wigman
, who became a professional dancer and subsequent teacher.1 With an interest in Jungian
thought, Whitehouse trained as a psychotherapist and upon incorporating dance and movement into her sessions with psychiatric clients began pioneering expressive movement as dance movement therapy (around the same time as Marion Chace in Washington DC).2 Intrigued by Jung’s principles of ‘active imagination’ Whitehouse integrated her knowledge of dance and Jung into an experimental psychotherapy
done in a group process where participants engage in spontaneous expressive movement exploration. This process later became known as Authentic Movement (AM).
processes. They then wait for stimuli to arise within them, and follow each impulse expressing movement or sound. Taking the form of sudden jerks, yells or prolonged gesticulations (or whatever the participant feels compelled do), individuals move through the space entirely free from any direction or expectation. This allows people to explore psychological processes as they arise into kinaesthetic responses of movement or sound.
As Whitehouse explains, “When the movement was simple and inevitable, not to be changed no matter how limited or partial, it became what I called ‘authentic’ – it could be recognized as genuine, belonging to that person.”3 The movement becomes ‘authentic’ when the individual is able to allow their intuitive impulses to freely express themselves without intellectual directive, as opposed to movement initiated by conscious decision making – a distinction which may appear clear, but practically a challenge. Individuals simply pay attention to what they feel at a sensory level, since “the core of the movement experience is the sensation of moving and being moved.”4
In the Authentic Movement aspect of Whitehouse’s approach, the moving participants (movers) are passively observed by a witness, who ‘contains’ the experience of the mover by witnessing their movements without judgement, projection or interpretation. In this way the witness is also an active participant, as witnessing is a practice in observing one’s own sensations and impulses while observing the mover’s. It's important to note that Whitehouse created many individual, dyadic and group experiences to create a context for moving from inner sensation and whole-body experience. Authentic Movement is a term coined and developed by Janet Adler that has become identified with Whitehouse but which doesn't entirely encompass her contribution.
Authentic Movement, in a similar way to Elsa Gindler
’s 'Human Work' in concentration, has revealingly comparable elements to several forms of Eastern Buddhist philosophy
. The close attention that is paid to sensation, which as Vedanā in most Buddhist practices is to be observed without judgment, suggests Whitehouse may have been influenced by this. Also, the term witness has been widely used in Buddhism
referring to the aspect of the individual that is capable of observing other aspects of him/herself without judgement or discernment. Buddhism
has a long history in United States
, and gave rise in the 1950’s in particular with the work of D. T. Suzuki through works such as Outlines of Mahayana Buddhism and An Introduction to Zen Buddhism. In this light, AM can also be seen as a type of moving meditation.
With many different approaches, exercises or practices (other than the basic practice above), AM is done not only in therapeutic sessions, but also as groups for personal expression of the unconscious mind
. For many, it is a type of spiritual practice.
History
Whitehouse (1911 – 1979) was a student of famed Martha GrahamMartha Graham
Martha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence Picasso had on modern visual arts, Stravinsky had on music, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture.She danced and choreographed for over seventy years...
and Mary Wigman
Mary Wigman
Mary Wigman was a German dancer, choreographer, and dance instructor.A pioneer of expressionist dance, her work was hailed for bringing the deepest of existential experiences to the stage...
, who became a professional dancer and subsequent teacher.1 With an interest in Jungian
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
thought, Whitehouse trained as a psychotherapist and upon incorporating dance and movement into her sessions with psychiatric clients began pioneering expressive movement as dance movement therapy (around the same time as Marion Chace in Washington DC).2 Intrigued by Jung’s principles of ‘active imagination’ Whitehouse integrated her knowledge of dance and Jung into an experimental psychotherapy
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
done in a group process where participants engage in spontaneous expressive movement exploration. This process later became known as Authentic Movement (AM).
Practice
When starting a basic AM session, participants start in a comfortable position, eyes closed to sense their inner body-mindBody-mind
Bodymind is a compound of body and mind, which, in the New Age disciplines of humanistic psychology and spirituality, researchers in the second half of the twentieth century had begun studying in order to move beyond the dualist conceptions of body and mind towards a unified and interrelated...
processes. They then wait for stimuli to arise within them, and follow each impulse expressing movement or sound. Taking the form of sudden jerks, yells or prolonged gesticulations (or whatever the participant feels compelled do), individuals move through the space entirely free from any direction or expectation. This allows people to explore psychological processes as they arise into kinaesthetic responses of movement or sound.
As Whitehouse explains, “When the movement was simple and inevitable, not to be changed no matter how limited or partial, it became what I called ‘authentic’ – it could be recognized as genuine, belonging to that person.”3 The movement becomes ‘authentic’ when the individual is able to allow their intuitive impulses to freely express themselves without intellectual directive, as opposed to movement initiated by conscious decision making – a distinction which may appear clear, but practically a challenge. Individuals simply pay attention to what they feel at a sensory level, since “the core of the movement experience is the sensation of moving and being moved.”4
In the Authentic Movement aspect of Whitehouse’s approach, the moving participants (movers) are passively observed by a witness, who ‘contains’ the experience of the mover by witnessing their movements without judgement, projection or interpretation. In this way the witness is also an active participant, as witnessing is a practice in observing one’s own sensations and impulses while observing the mover’s. It's important to note that Whitehouse created many individual, dyadic and group experiences to create a context for moving from inner sensation and whole-body experience. Authentic Movement is a term coined and developed by Janet Adler that has become identified with Whitehouse but which doesn't entirely encompass her contribution.
Authentic Movement, in a similar way to Elsa Gindler
Elsa Gindler
Elsa Gindler was a somatic bodywork pioneer in Germany.Born in Berlin, gymnastics teacher, student of Hedwig Kallmeyer ....
’s 'Human Work' in concentration, has revealingly comparable elements to several forms of Eastern Buddhist philosophy
Buddhist philosophy
Buddhist philosophy deals extensively with problems in metaphysics, phenomenology, ethics, and epistemology.Some scholars assert that early Buddhist philosophy did not engage in ontological or metaphysical speculation, but was based instead on empirical evidence gained by the sense organs...
. The close attention that is paid to sensation, which as Vedanā in most Buddhist practices is to be observed without judgment, suggests Whitehouse may have been influenced by this. Also, the term witness has been widely used in Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
referring to the aspect of the individual that is capable of observing other aspects of him/herself without judgement or discernment. Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
has a long history in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and gave rise in the 1950’s in particular with the work of D. T. Suzuki through works such as Outlines of Mahayana Buddhism and An Introduction to Zen Buddhism. In this light, AM can also be seen as a type of moving meditation.
With many different approaches, exercises or practices (other than the basic practice above), AM is done not only in therapeutic sessions, but also as groups for personal expression of the unconscious mind
Unconscious mind
The unconscious mind is a term coined by the 18th century German romantic philosopher Friedrich Schelling and later introduced into English by the poet and essayist Samuel Taylor Coleridge...
. For many, it is a type of spiritual practice.