Functional Awareness: Anatomy in Action for Dancers is where anatomy meets artistry. Each chapter provides explorations in embodied anatomy in an engaging manner with the use of images, storytelling, and experiential exercises. It is an accessible introduction to the relationship between daily movement habits, dance training and anatomy. The information is founded on over 30,000 hours of experience teaching and training dancers to generate efficient exertion and appropriate recuperation. Functional Awareness: Anatomy in Action for Dancers employs somatic practices along with explorations in experiential anatomy to awaken the body-mind connection and improve movement function. The book applies the Functional Awareness® approach to improve dance technique and provide skills to enable the dancer to move with balance and grace in the classroom, on stage, and in daily life.
CONTENTS
Homage
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Relationship of Habit to Dance Training
2. Skeletal Center of Gravity to Promote Easeful Balance: Moving out of Habit and into a Balanced Standing Posture
3. Anatomical and Kinesthetic Imagery: Impact of Thinking on Doing
4. Deep Muscles of Postural Support
5. Motions of the Trunk and Elegant Use of Spiral
6. The Pelvis as Conduit from Head to Feet
7. Ways of Walking: How Gait Affects Dance Training
8. Breath as the Deep Core Support for Dancing
9. Core Support
10. Expressivity of Arms
11. Recuperation and Restoring Balance
Glossary of Terms in Human Anatomy
Bibliography
Further Readings
Index
