Reflections and theoretical approaches to the study of spiritualities within the field of somatic movement dance education

Abstract

This article is about spiritualities and somatic movement dance education (SMDE). It is discursive, and reflective, drawing attention to areas of critical debate, such as secularized university dance curricula, the sacred-cum-secular nature of the field and the non-religious roots of somatics. Through observation and scholarly theory, the article explores the visibility, status and possible classificatory types of spirituality in the field. Readers are introduced to the scholarly territory of contemporary spirituality, which aims to support new research trajectories and theoretical purviews. The following areas are discussed as possible new theoretical vantage points: Progressive spirituality, New Age spirituality, Holistic spirituality and Postmodern spirituality. This article is a broad reflection on the field at large, aiming to be inclusive where possible, and offering broad conceptual ideas that both undergraduates and postgraduates can follow, reject, apply or interrogate. However, the content of this article may have more resonance and academic usefulness for scholars and students exploring autogenic approaches, which utilize SMDE as a tool for personal growth. The article also provides an extensive bibliography for undergraduate and postgraduate dance/somatics students venturing into spirituality as a new topic of research. The article responds discursively to postgraduate concerns about the academic status of spirituality within the field of SMDE, and in places consciously acts as a definitional referential guide.

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