Authentic Movement and the evolution of Soul’s Body® Work

Abstract

Abstract As our growing community reflects on the history, lineages, and psychological, spiritual, and artistic streams that nourish the practice of Authentic Movement, this article illuminates elements from my work with Joan Chodorow, Janet Adler, and the BodySoul Rhythms® approach developed by Jungian Analyst Marion Woodman, dancer Mary Hamilton, and voice and mask teacher Ann Skinner, specifically their ‘Dance of Three’. Applications to transference relationships in psychotherapy, the importance of the witness, and Woodman’s focus on the healing power of imagery and the growth of embodied feminine consciousness are also discussed. The seeds of one’s life path can often be found in early childhood; here we see a return to the vital soul spark I discovered while dancing in the fields, how it flourished in Authentic Movement, and how it continues to unfold.