The Somatic Turn in Dance Pedagogy and Training: Rethinking Embodied Knowledge

This paper centres on the revolutionary turn of somatic approach in contemporary dance pedagogy. It explores the theoretical foundations, practical applications, and pedagogical value of this pedagogy by integrating the perspectives of multiple disciplines, including philosophy, neuroscience, and dance education. The main focus of this paper is to analyse the potential of the somatic turn, i.e. how it attempts to build a bridge between technical refinement and bodily awareness in dance. At the same time, the study confronts the systemic barriers to the promotion of the shift. The study specifically addresses a range of training methods that emphasise body awareness, such as the Alexander Technique and Ecological Somatic Theory. These approaches have reshaped our understanding of dance training, which is no longer confined to the mechanical imitation of movement, but has been reconfigured as a dynamic, reflective process that integrates the body, mind and emotions.